Volunteer Country

Anonymous Coaches Praise Tennessee's Recruiting Success

Anonymous college football coaches spoke with ESPN about the Tennessee Volunteers' recent success on the recruiting trail.
2025 5-star OT David Sanders Jr. during an unofficial visit to Tennessee. (Photo courtesy of David Sanders Jr.)
2025 5-star OT David Sanders Jr. during an unofficial visit to Tennessee. (Photo courtesy of David Sanders Jr.)

In this story:


Anonymous college football coaches spoke with ESPN about the Tennessee Volunteers' recent success on the recruiting trail.

Providence Day School offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. made history when he chose the Tennessee Volunteers over Georgia, Nebraska, and Ohio State on Saturday. He's the highest-ranked offensive lineman to commit to the University of Tennessee in the rankings era and vaulted their 2025 recruiting class to the No. 6 national rank.

While landing Sanders was the perfect end to a run of 15 commitments this summer, their efforts in other places didn't go unnoticed. "They seem to have a really good plan and process," an SEC rival told ESPN. It seems organized. It seems targeted." Tennessee has ensured that everyone, from the coaches to the collective, players, and administration, understands their long-term goals and what they need to accomplish them.

"They’ve got a good thing going," another staff member, this one from the Big Ten staff, said. “You feel them for sure. They’ve got the money to kind of back up the production they’ve had on offense the last few years. They’re having a great cycle."

Tennessee's 2025 Recruiting Class:

  • George MacIntyre, QB
  • Justin Baker, RB
  • Joakim Dodson, WR
  • Radarious Jackson, WR
  • Travis Smith Jr., WR
  • Jack VanDorselaer, TE
  • Da'Saahn Brame, TE
  • David Sanders Jr., OL
  • Douglas Utu, OL
  • Nic Moore, OL
  • Antoni Kade Ogumoro, OL
  • Mariyon Dye, EDGE
  • Jayden Loftin, EDGE
  • Ethan Utley, DL
  • Charles House, DL
  • Darrion Smith, DL
  • Christian Gass, LB
  • Jaedon Harmon, LB
  • Dylan Lewis, CB
  • Tyler Redmond, CB
  • Tre Poteat, CB
  • Lagonza Hayward, S
  • Sidney Walton, S

Other Tennessee News:

Join the Community:

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @VolunteerCountry & follow us on Twitter at @VCountryFN.


Published
Evan Crowell
EVAN CROWELL

Evan Crowell is currently pursuing a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and has various media experiences throughout his young career. He's been committed to marrying the fan's perspective of the game of football to the technical intricacies installed in each game by coaches and players. Crowell has been working at Fan Nation since 2020 and has covered high-profile college football games, recruiting events, and more during that five-year tenure. While he never played football, he's worked relentlessly to continue improving his understanding of the game while still covering the unique stories of each individual he covers.

Share on XFollow evanvcrowell