Receiver, Southern Miss (from Illinois), 2024–26
Mario Sanders II
- Number
- No. 1
- Height
- 5′10″
- Weight
- 191 lb
- Class (2026)
- Senior
- Hometown
- Minneapolis, MN
Mario Sanders II plays receiver for Southern Miss, after Illinois (2024–25). Last time out, against Arkansas State: 6 catches, 88 yards. Sanders leads Southern Miss in receiving touchdowns and receiving yards this season.
2026 so far
34 catches, 492 yards, 5 TD
Last game: 6 catches, 88 yards vs. Arkansas State, L 13–23
Next game: vs. Louisiana, Oct 24
Filled bars: wins; outlined: losses.
Career highs
8catches, career highat Troy, 2026102receiving yards, career highat Troy, 20262receiving touchdowns, career hightwice; last at Troy, 2026Receiving
* The season in progress, so far.
| Season | Team | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Illinois | 2 | 32 | 16.0 | 0 | 18 |
| 2026 | Southern Miss | 34 | 492 | 14.5 | 5 | 56 |
| Career | 36 | 524 | 14.6 | 5 | 56 | |
Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.
On the roster
| Season | Team | No. | Pos | Class | Ht | Wt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Illinois | 1 | WR | So. | ||
| 2025 | Illinois | 1 | WR | Jr. | ||
| 2026 | Southern Miss | 1 | WR | Sr. | 5′10″ | 191 |
As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.
Per play
| Season | Team | Plays | EPA/play | Pctile | Median | Total | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Illinois | 2 | 2.46 | – | – | 4.9 | – |
| 2026 | Southern Miss | 53 | 0.71 | 83rd (n=829) | 0.43 | 37.9 | 13% |
Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.
Game by game
2026 Southern Miss 6 games, 34 catches, 492 yards, 5 TD
| Date | Opponent | Result | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5 | vs. Alcorn State | W 49–3 | 6 | 94 | 1 | 38 |
| Sep 12 | at Auburn | L 8–43 | 3 | 58 | 0 | 41 |
| Sep 19 | vs. UConn | L 20–48 | 7 | 81 | 0 | 56 |
| Sep 26 | at Tulane | L 21–24 | 4 | 69 | 2 | 22 |
| Oct 6 | at Troy | L 34–55 | 8 | 102 | 2 | 27 |
| Oct 17 | vs. Arkansas State | L 13–23 | 6 | 88 | 0 | 30 |
2025 Illinois 3 games, 2 catches, 32 yards
| Date | Opponent | Result | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29 | vs. Western Illinois | W 52–3 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Oct 11 | vs. Ohio State | L 16–34 | – | – | – | – |
| Nov 15 | vs. Maryland | W 24–6 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 18 |
Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.
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