Tennessee target, five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. sets commitment date
Tennessee target and Five-Star Plus offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. has set a commitment date of August 17, when he’ll choose between four schools. The Vols made the final four for Sanders alongside Georgia, Ohio State and Nebraska.
The 6-foot-5.75, 276-pound offensive tackle is a consensus five-star prospect and is ranked as the No. 2 overall player in the 2025 class according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He’s the No. 1 offensive tackle in the class and the No. 1 overall player in the state of North Carolina, where he attends Providence Day School in Charlotte.
Sanders has long been a priority for the Vols. He took an official visit to Tennessee in June and took unofficial visits to Knoxville five times dating back to June 2023, according to his On3 recruiting profile.
BREAKING: Five-Star Plus+ OT David Sanders Jr. will Announce his Commitment on August 17th, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 7, 2024
The 6’6 285 OT from Charlotte, NC will choose between Georgia, Nebraska, Ohio State, & Tennessee
Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/YaztIGz5OL pic.twitter.com/l7Ox6TKSOl
David Sanders Jr. in May: ‘I just love Tennessee’s coaching staff’
He broke down his interest in Tennessee during the On3 Elite Series in Nashville in May.
“I just love Tennessee’s coaching staff,” Sanders said. “Coach (Josh) Heupel and Coach (Glen) Elarbee, they do a great job with that personal connection. I think out of anybody, they do the best job calling, texting, just staying in contact with my parents and building that relationship.
“I just feel like you can be yourself at Tennessee, there’s nothing you have to do differently, even though it’s a big SEC school that wins a lot of games and is in contention for winning national championships year in and year out, that’s a place you can go and freely be yourself.
“I feel like you can go there,” Sanders added, “develop and be the first big-time offensive tackle to come out of Tennessee. They have everything you need to do to be successful there.”
Tennessee’s 2025 class currently ranked No. 13 nationally
Sanders in June took visits to Georgia, Tennessee and Ohio State over consecutive weeks. He took five unofficial visits to Georgia and three to Ohio State.
Tennessee’s 2025 recruiting class is currently ranked No. 13 nationally and No. 7 in the SEC with 16 commitments and a class score of 90.13. The group is headlined by quarterback George MacIntyre, a five-star prospect and the No. 16 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking.
The Vols recently added four-star interior offensive lineman Douglas Utu and four-star edge rusher Mariyon Dye, the second- and third-highest ranked prospects currently in the class, respectively.
Tennessee’s class includes seven On3 Industry Ranking four-star players. With Utu and Dye joined by defensive lineman Ethan Utley, wide receiver Radarious Jackson, tight end Jack Van Dorslaer, interior offensive lineman Nic Moore and edge Jayden Loftin.
