Elite '25 OL David Sanders Jr. intrigued by NC State

David Sanders Jr. just finished up his freshman year at Providence Day School, but the towering class of 2025 lineman is already one of the most sought-after recruits in the country. He visited the NC State campus for the first time Saturday and left with a notable first impression. 

Even though Sanders is years away from signing his letter of intent, the Wolfpack coaching staff is in frequent contact with the lineman, Sanders said. They aren’t the only ones, as Sanders already holds offers from Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, and many others. 

The NC State staff is treating Sanders as a priority. Standing at 6-6, the lineman said the Wolfpack is contacting him through his head coach more than any other program, which he said is having a significant impact on his recruitment. 

“They’re probably number one right now as far as reaching out and talking,” Sanders said.

NC State leads Sanders’ Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) at 54.7 percent.

Coaches Dave Doeren, Brian Mitchell, Joker Phillips, and Tim Beck have all been to Providence Day multiple times to meet with him and Providence head coach Chad Grier. Those established relationships helped lead to an unofficial visit to Raleigh for Sanders, who immediately liked what he saw. 

“It’s a very amazing school,” Sanders said. “I like all of the coaches that I’ve met. It’s very beautiful, I like it.”

Had an amazing visit at NC State with the coaches and staff. Thank you for such an amazing experience! @ChadGrier_ @PDS_ChargersFB @StateCoachD @CoachGarrisonOL pic.twitter.com/kGi22cWnTy

— David Sanders Jr. (@DavidLSandersJr) June 5, 2022

Sanders has enjoyed talking to current and former NC State football players about their experiences playing for the Wolfpack, and he said the program’s family atmosphere stood out. Ikem Ekwonu, a top-10 NFL draft pick who received first-team All-American honors while at NC State, attended the same high school as Sanders, and the two started working out together last summer. 

Ekwonu arrived at NC State as a three-star prospect and ranked as the 27th-best recruit in North Carolina. The Wolfpack staff helped develop him into one of the top offensive linemen in the country, which Sanders said helps NC State in his recruitment. 

“[Ekwonu] wasn’t a big time recruit coming out of high school, but the way he was able to come to NC State and develop as a player and a person, and to be where he is today, that’s a big up for them for sure,” Sanders said. 

The two haven’t spoken specifically about NC State, but Sanders said the NFL lineman holds the program in high regard. Sanders said Ekwonu is “kind of like a big brother” who he can go to to talk about things besides football, including his recruitment. 

Saturday was Sanders’ first time meeting offensive line coach John Garrison. He came off as a very nice guy, Sanders said, and Ekwonu’s development shows the lineman that the coach would be able to develop his skills if he joined the Wolfpack. 

During the camp, Sanders appreciated how many current players were involved and helping out, and he took advantage of that opportunity to talk to them and ask questions about their time in Raleigh. He also took note of how the staff conducted their workouts. 

“I definitely love the coaching style,” Sanders said. “It’s aggressive, but there’s a lot of teaching going on, and they’re very intent with their workouts. So that’s good for me as well.”

Sanders followed up his visit to NC State with a trip to UNC, and Clemson joins the two North Carolina schools as the three programs in contact with the lineman the most. 

Looking forward to the rest of the summer, Sanders hopes to visit Clemson and Florida, and he is planning on attending Alabama’s camp June 25. None of those three schools have extended scholarship offers yet, but he is talking to them frequently. Auburn is another potential visit destination while he is in the state for the Tide’s camp. 

Providence Day is absolutely stacked with talent in their next few graduating classes. The program, located in Charlotte, has four of the top-13 recruits in the 2024 class in North Carolina, including Jordan Shipp— a four-star receiver who joined Sanders on campus this weekend.

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