C.J. Sanders, a child star who played young Ray Charles in ‘Ray,’ is a sought-after football recruit

For most college football players, their first time on campus is their first time in the spotlight.
For C.J. Sanders, playing receiver for Stanford or Tennessee or any other major football program might be a step down from what he has already experienced. You might not remember Sanders' name but there is a good chance you've seen him. He has nine movie or TV show acting credits to his name, according to IMDB, and had one pretty notable role as a young Ray Charles in the critically acclaimed movie "Ray." Now Sanders is a popular recruit from Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy in the class of 2015, with offers already from Mississippi State, Stanford and Tennessee, according to Rivals. He also has a pretty strong connection with Ohio State, since his father Chris Sanders was a star receiver for the Buckeyes in the 1990s and spent seven seasons with the Tennessee Titans franchise from 1995-2001. Lining up as a FBS player would be a big deal for anyone, but that moment probably won't be too big for Sanders.

In an interview with BuckeyeGrove.com Sanders said he took some lessons from Jamie Foxx, who was the star of "Ray" and also played quarterback Willie Beamon in "Any Given Sunday," and transferred them to football.
"Just being around him, he showed me how to work hard and how to be in character for a scene, but I also took that into football, how you have to prepare and how you have to focus," Sanders, who said he was 6 years old when he was in "Ray," told BuckeyeGrove.com.
C.J. Sanders with "Ray" co-star Jamie Foxx (Getty)If his child fame and his father's football career isn't enough, Sanders' mother played basketball at Michigan and his stepfather is Corey Harris, who played 12 NFL season and won a Super Bowl with the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. C.J. Sanders has led a pretty interesting life already, and now he has colleges lining up to give him a football scholarship.
He said he will try to find the school where he fits best, and told BuckeyeGrove.com that an offer from Ohio State would be a "dream come true," considering his father starred there and he has always been a Buckeyes fan. And if the whole football thing doesn't work out, he could always revive his acting career.
"Just a call away," Sanders told BuckeyeGrove.com. "Anything is possible."