Over the past four years, regardless of their knowledge of the sport, spectators at Scott Stadium took notice of number 20 constantly flying around the field. “Tackle made by Jonas Sanker” rang over the public address system eight to 10 times in a given home game — it was as much a gameday staple as “The Good Old Song.”
Safety is often a thankless position in football. It is nuanced in nature and overlooked by the untrained eye. But Sanker, who played his last game for Virginia Saturday, was the rare safety whose play commanded attention — no nuance required. He possessed a talent that could be communicated to someone whether they understood football or not.
Sanker’s skillset was a perfect match for defensive coordinator John Rudzinski’s scheme, which relies heavily on safeties to defend the run game. Sanker was an extremely reliable tackler and had the fluidity and the instincts to be counted on in coverage — a consummate chess piece in the secondary.
He is also a local kid. Sanker attended The Covenant School in Charlottesville, where he won consecutive state championships and became a three-star recruit. He committed to Virginia in 2020 and wasted no time getting onto the field, seeing action in nine games as a freshman. In his sophomore season, Sanker appeared in every game, starting in nine of them and notching his first career interception against Syracuse.
But just as Sanker was making his name known, tragedy struck. The Nov. 13, 2022 shooting that took the lives of Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry and Devin Chandler devastated the football team and the University community at large. The season ended prematurely as the team grieved and sought closure.
It was an emotional offseason but a galvanizing one, and Sanker emerged as a team leader. On the field, he had established himself as a cornerstone of the defense, his consistency anomalous on an otherwise unstable unit. During that 2023 season, his nose for the football led him to a team-leading 107 tackles and first-team All-ACC honors — he became the first Cavalier safety to earn the title since Juan Thornhill in 2018.
But Sanker’s individual success did not spread to the rest of the team, which posted its second straight three-win season under Coach Tony Elliott. The defense was bad, finishing last in the ACC in points allowed.
Still, Sanker impressed and earned a spot on the All-ACC preseason team and the watchlist for the Bednarik Award — given to college football’s best defensive player — ahead of his senior season.
The 2024 preseason buzz was well-founded. The Charlottesville native became the first Cavalier to win ACC Defensive Back of the Week four times in a single season, catching the eyes of National Football League scouts and receiving an invitation to the Senior Bowl.
Sanker displayed his patented consistency and found his stride as a playmaker, especially in big moments. It is hard for a defensive back to take over a game, but he did just that Nov. 9 at No. 18 Pittsburgh. Expectedly, Virginia trailed 13-7 early in the third quarter as the Panthers faced a field goal attempt to push the lead to two scores.
In a flash, Sanker heroically leapt into the air to block the kick. It saved three points and also inspired the Cavalier offense, which scored a touchdown to take a 14-13 lead two minutes later.
The very next play after Virginia’s ensuing kickoff, the senior intercepted a pass and returned it to the Panthers’ 20-yard line. Virginia scored another touchdown on its ensuing drive and never looked back. Almost single handedly, Sanker had turned the tide from a potential fourth-straight loss into a season-saving upset win.
A similar moment occurred against Boston College a month prior, when the Cavaliers led by three points in the fourth quarter with the Eagles driving down the field. As if on cue, Sanker’s tenacious effort was rewarded when a fumble improbably bounced off of sophomore linebacker Kam Robinson’s foot and fluttered into his arms for a game-sealing scoop-and-score. Virginia moved to 2-0 in the ACC for the first time since 2019, and once again, their star safety was at the forefront.
However, it has not only been during Cavalier wins that Sanker has stood out. The team lost a lot — 28 times, in 45 games — during Sanker’s tenure. Despite that, he carried on with a sort of stoic proficiency, unaffected by external circumstances.
Sanker’s final performance as a Cavalier — Saturday’s 37-17 loss to Virginia Tech — was a microcosmic example of his Virginia career. He racked up nine tackles and hustled 50 yards downfield to try to make a chasedown stop while the team trailed by multiple scores late in the game. Once again, Sanker was excellent on a team unable to get over the hump.
When Sanker committed to Virginia four years ago, he looked up to former Cavalier defensive backs like Thornhill and Bryce Hall, a pair of current NFL players who forged legacies at the University. Four years later, in his home city, there is no doubt Sanker has left behind one of his own.
For all that he has done during a testing time for Virginia football, let one final message be heard loud and clear — thank you, Jonas Sanker.
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