‘Sanchize’ new ESPN analyst

Former Jets QB will work college football in studio

NEW YORK — “The Sanchize” is headed back to college.

Mark Sanchez, the former Jets quarterback, has retired from the NFL and will join ESPN as a college football studio analyst, the network announced Tuesday.

Sanchez will be in studio throughout ABC’s tripleheaders every Saturday and also will appear on other ESPN shows, including College Football Live and Get Up!, throughout the season. The USC product replaces Mack Brown, who returned to the sidelines this season to coach North Carolina. Sanchez joins Kevin Negandhi and former Jet Jon Vilma in the studio.

“Mark will be making an immediate transition from the field to the studio, allowing him to provide viewers a perspective that is in-concert with the current game,” ESPN senior vice president of production Lee Fitting said in a statement issued by the network.

Sanchez only started one season at USC, but it was a great one. He threw for 3,207 yards, 34 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 65.8% passing as the Trojans won the Rose Bowl. Sanchez was named Rose Bowl MVP after going 28-for-35 with 413 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. He declared for the draft after that season, prompting then-head coach Pete Carroll to publicly question whether Sanchez was ready for the NFL.

Sanchez was hailed as t he Jets’ answer at quarterback after the team traded up to pick him No. 5 overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. Despite mediocre stats, his career started off promising as the Jets reached the AFC Championship in each of his first two seasons behind a stingy defense and a strong running game.