A three-star recruit out of high school, Anderson played both running back and safety at Stansbury High School in Utah. He was recruited by both BYU and Utah State but ultimately chose to play for the Cougars.
Anderson appeared in eight games as a true freshman but suffered a season-ending injury. He got his start as a multi-phase special teams player, working his way up to opportunities on the defensive side of the ball.
Anderson started every game at safety as a junior but made the switch to outside linebacker beginning in 2018. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury would derail his 2018 and 2019 seasons, but he’d play a full season in 2020. He was also named team captain in each of his last two seasons at BYU.
Stats
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2015: Eight games played and three total tackles.
2016: 13 games played, 11 total tackles and one fumble recovery.
2017: 12 games played, 61 total tackles, 2 interceptions, one pass defended, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
2018: Four games played, 36 total tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception and one pass defended.
2019: Two games played, 10 total tackles, 0.5 sacks and one pass defended.
2020: 11 games played, 41 total tackles and two passes defended.
Pro day results
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Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 207 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.44s
Vertical: 34″
Broad: 120″
Bench: 11
3-Cone: 6.78s
Short Shuttle: 4.20s
Highlights & film
Marco Garcia-USA TODAY Sports
BYU Highlights
Anderson vs. Wisconsin (2018)
Anderson vs. Arizona (2018)
Anderson vs. Cal (2018)
Fit with the Chiefs
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Chiefs list Anderson as a defensive back, which is probably his more natural role anyways. He’s a super-gifted athlete, but he’s been struck with bad injury luck numerous times during his football-playing career. Like most prospects from BYU, he’s also on the older side.
In Kansas City, it looks like the team envisions Anderson as a Daniel Sorensen 2.0-type. They have very similar measurables and athletic profiles. They even, coincidentally, come from the same school. Anderson is someone who can play run support in the box, he’s played some deep safety and he has the versatility to play that dime linebacker spot. He has a lot of special teams experience on the punt and kick coverage units, which is very valuable for the Chiefs. He’s really a jack-of-all-trades type player in development.
Ultimately, his chances to make the 53-man roster in 2021 playing this role are rather slim. Especially so, when Devon Key seems to already have made an impression, earning repetitions with the first-team defense. Expect Anderson to compete for a spot on the practice squad, potentially being a year away from making a case for the active roster.
2021 UDFA Spotlight Series
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
| Position | Player | School | Article Date |
| CB | Dicaprio Bootle | Nebraska | 6/21 |
| QB | Shane Buechele | SMU | 6/23 |
| LB | Riley Cole | South Alabama | 6/28 |
| DB | Devon Key | Western Kentucky | 6/30 |
| WR | Dalton Schoen | Kansas State | 7/5 |
| DE | Malik Herring | Georgia | 7/7 |
| QB | Anthony Gordon | Washington State | 7/12 |
| DB | Zayne Anderson | BYU | 7/14 |
| CB | Marlon Character | Louisville | TBD |
