Priority OL Target Set to Visit Vols For Pitt Game
After not having any visitors for Thursday night's season-opener against Bowling Green due to the time slot, Tennessee is set to host several visitors for Saturday's Johnny Majors Classic against Pitt at noon E.T.
2023 offensive lineman Brycen Sanders is one of the top targets on Tennessee's board regardless of class, and he will be in Knoxville for Saturday's showdown, he tells VR2 on SI.
Sanders's connection with offensive line coach Glen Elarbee dates back to his father, Gary's, playing days in the late 90's with Elarbee at Middle Tennessee State, and it has been an important factor in the early stages of this recruitment.
Vols Head Coach Josh Heupel was at Sanders game against Knoxville Catholic on Friday night, and Saturday's trip to Knoxville will mark the second time that Tennessee has got the Scenic City standout on campus since June.
"It was fun," Sanders previously told VR2 on SI following his June trip to Knoxville. "We got there about three o'clock, and my dad and I got to talk to Coach Heupel for about 10 minutes individually. Then, we spent about 45 minutes with Coach Elarbee. We talked a lot about football. We went over film, talked about my offense in high school and Tennessee's offense and how I would fit in. It was great to see him in person and talk ball, especially with him and my dad knowing each other for a long time. It was great to see the facilities, and all of the weight room and all of that."
"What stood out to the most was talking to the coach Elarbee and Heupel individually," Sanders added at the time. "It definitely helped me a lot, and it helped me with footwork, which I am going to use in high school. That is what impressed me the most."
Sanders also had a chance to workout with Elarbee during the trip, which is something he enjoyed.
"It was great," Sanders in June. "There wasn't a big group of offensive linemen there, maybe 8 or 10, so he was really able to work with me and help me, so it was really great having him work with me and coach me up and knowing how good of a coach he is, and really getting a chance to see how he could coach me up in college."
The Baylor School (Tenn.) standout has quickly turned into one of the most coveted offensive line prospects in America, boasting offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, Ole Miss, and Stanford, among various others.
Continue to follow VR2 on SI for more updates from Sanders's visit to Knoxville.