Jonas Sanker

HONORS
2024 – First Team All-ACC at safety … Associated Press First Team All-ACC … Sports Info Solutions All-ACC … Bill Dudley Award finalist … TD Club of Richmond Defense Back of the Year … Team’s Defensive MVP … Team’s H.E.A.R.T Award recipient … NSCA Strength & Conditioning All-America nominee … UVA’s only four-time ACC Defensive Back of the Week in the same season … East-West Shrine Bowl invitee … Reese’s Senior Bowl invitee … Chuck Bednarik Watch List … Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List … Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List … Shrine Bowl 1,000 preseason Watch List … College Football Network Preseason Honorable Mention All-American … Sports Info Solutions Preseason All-ACC Team.  2023 – First Team All-ACC selection at safety … TD Club of Richmond Defensive Back of the Year … Associated Press First Team All-ACC … Second Team All-ACC selection by Phil Steele … Honorable Mention on College Football Network’s All-ACC Team.  2022 – First Team VaSID All-State selection.

AT VIRGINIA
2024 – Voted one of five team captains at the conclusion of the season … Logged a career-high 13 tackles, including eight solo efforts, and recovered a fumble on special teams at then-No. 8 Notre Dame (11/16) … Recorded an interception and blocked a field goal in UVA’s 24-19 win at No. 23 Pittsburgh (11/9) … Interception was the second of his career, adding five tackles (four solo) and two tackles-for-loss in win at Pitt … Led the team with 11 tackles, including eight solo and one for loss, and recorded a pass break-up against Louisville (10/12) … Scored his first career touchdown on a 40-yard fumble return and added six tackles in 24-14 win over Boston College (10/5), earning him ACC Defensive Back of the Week honors … It was UVA’s first fumble recovery for a touchdown since Eli Hanbeck recovered a fumble in the end zone in UVA’s victory over Virginia Tech in 2019 … Recorded 11 tackles against Maryland (9/14), putting him over the 200-tackle mark for his career … Finished with 10 tackles including seven solo efforts and his first career sack in 31-30 win at Wake Forest (9/7). 2023 – Started in all 12 possible games … Led the team in total tackles (107), pass breakups (11) and forced fumbles (3) … Also led UVA in tackles in eight of its 12 games … Led the ACC with 6.1 solo tackles per game … his 107 total tackles and 8.9 total tackles per game were the fourth-most in the league … His 73 solo tackles were the second most in the ACC and the tenth most of any defender in FBS … His 11 passes defended were the second-most in the league … Tied his then-career high of 12 tackles against James Madison (9/9) and Boston College (9/30).  2022 – Appeared in all 10 games, starting the first nine of the season … Second on the team with 63 tackles and solo tackles (36) … His 6.3 tackles-per-game average was good for 24th in the ACC … Recorded five or more tackles in eight of UVA’s 10 games … Had four tackles and forced a fumble at Illinois (9/10) … Recorded his first career double-digit tackle effort with 10 (8 solo) at Syracuse (9/23) … Also had a fumble recovery and intercepted his first pass in the contest … Notched a season-high 11 tackles at Duke (10/1).  2021 – Appeared in nine of UVA’s games… Made a tackle against Wake Forest… Recorded three tackles against Duke… Made a tackle against Virginia Tech… One of 14 true freshmen to appear in 2021.

HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL
Played running back, quarterback and safety at The Covenant School for head coach Seth Wilson … high school team did not compete in fall of 2020 … threw for 1,590 yards and 33 touchdowns and rushed for 1,116 yards and scored 24 touchdowns as a junior … only player in Central Virginia to both run and pass for 1,000 yards during 2019 season … accounted for three touchdowns as a defensive player … had four interceptions and 46 tackles in 2019 … helped Covenant to back-to-back 8-man state titles in the Virginia Independent Schools Football League as a sophomore and junior … accounted for eight scores in 2019 state title game … passed for 295 yards and ran for 217 yards in that game … all-conference and all-state on both sides of the ball in 2019 … led team to 10-0 records as a sophomore and junior … outstanding guard for Covenant basketball team … helped Covenant basketball team to its first semifinal appearance during 2020 VISAA Division III tournament … a three-star recruit by ESPN.com, Rivals.com and 247sports.com … major is Foreign Affairs.