He was born on November 11, 1986 in Mission Viejo. He stands six feet three and weighs 225 pounds. His brothers,-Nick and Brandon DePauw--also played football in college.

As a junior in 2003 at Mission Viejo High, he made the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass second team, All-CIF Division II, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-South Coast League first team where he completed 161-of-211 passes for 2,460 yards with 29 Touch Downs and 7 interceptions, plus he ran for 90 yards and caught a touchdown pass also in 2003.

In the 2004 season, he was named 2004 Parade All-American Player of the Year, Super Prep All-American Player of the Year, EA Sports All-American first team, Super Prep Elite 50, Prep Star Top 100 Dream Team, Student Sports Top 100, Rivals 100, Prep Star All-American, Tom Lemming All-American, Scout.com All-American first team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Orange County Register Fab 15 first team, Gatorade California Player of the Year, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-CIF Southern Section, All-CIF Division II Co-Offensive Player of the Year, Los Angeles Times All-Star, Los Angeles Times All-Orange County Back of the Year, Orange County Register All-Orange County and All-South Coast League Co-Offensive MVP as a senior quarterback.

Sanchez redshirted as a freshman quarterback in 2005, his first year at USC. He also won USC's Service Team Offensive Player of the Year Award.

And in the 2006 season, he will battle for the starting quarterback job as a redshirt freshman in 2006.