Contextualizing The Race For David Sanders Jr.

2025 five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. (Charlotte, N.C.) has long said the Tennessee Volunteers are one of his favorite schools.

Tennessee offensive line coach Glen Elarbee before the start of an NCAA college football game / Saul Young/News Sentinel via Imagn

2025 five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. (Charlotte, N.C.) has long said the Tennessee Volunteers are one of his favorite schools.

Providence Day School offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. has been one of the top names in the recruiting world since his freshman season of high school. The 6-foot-5.5, 275-pounder ranks as the No. 2 prospect in the 2025 class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He's down to Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Sanders wraps up his first official visit this weekend; he traveled to Columbia, South Carolina, to watch the Gamecocks play their spring game. He will see each of the other programs in the coming weeks and hopes to decide on his college home at some point over the next few months. The Vols have been a mainstay in this recruitment and are as high as anyone else on his list.

He spent two consecutive weekends in Knoxville, Tennessee, this month for unofficial visits. Sanders spent time with Brentwood Academy quarterback George MacIntyre during the spring game, a big moment for those two. MacIntyre has consistently recruited Sanders to the Vols over the past few months. Sanders also spent time with Toms River North High School offensive tackle Jaelyne Matthews, a major prospect for Tennessee's coaching staff.

There's been a rotating cast of names that have entered this recruitment; you can never count out the Georgia Bulldogs when dealing with blue-chip names. The Clemson Tigers were his childhood dream school, Ohio State made a push when he got out to Columbus, and Alabama remains Alabama despite the head coaching change.

However, Tennessee is as strong as any other program for Sanders. They've done a nice job of setting the table over the past few months, and the summer will be big for them. We'll see where things progress, but Tennessee should be viewed as a front-runner here.

Tennessee's 2025 Recruiting Class

• George MacIntyre, QB
• Justin Baker, RB
• Joakim Dodson, WR
• Jack VanDorselaer, TE
• Ethan Utley, DL
• Dylan Lewis, CB
• Tyler Redmond, CB
• Sidney Walton, CB

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