Newest Mark Sanchez fan? LaDainian Tomlinson

With the Jets’ fate resting largely in the hands of second-year quarterback Mark Sanchez, veteran tailback LaDainian Tomlinson likes what he sees out of the former USC passer.

“He never blinks,” Tomlinson said. “He’s always going forward. He’s not worried about what’s said, what happens. He just goes on to the next play. He’s cool and calm. In the pocket, he never gets rattled. He’s a guy that can handle success.”

Even so, no concerns about his relative inexperience? Not to Tomlinson, who was on the losing end the Jets-Chargers playoff game last season.

“When you play at a program like USC, it prepares you for big-time football,” Tomlinson said of Sanchez’s alma mater. “He has great parents, he was raised the right way. All of those things help a guy when he goes to the NFL.”