Where Tennessee Football's 2025 recruiting class is ranked after adding five-star OT David Sanders
Tennessee Football’s 2025 recruiting class moved up to No. 7 nationally and No. 5 in the SEC in the On3 recruiting rankings on Saturday afternoon, after adding a commitment from five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr.
Sanders, the 6-foot-5.75, 276-pound offensive tackle out of Charlotte, N.C., picked Tennessee over Ohio State, Georgia and Nebraska.
He is the 22nd commitment in the class and the fourth offensive lineman to pick the Vols.
David Sanders: Consensus 5-star prospect, ranked No. 4 overall in On3 Industry Ranking
Sanders a consensus five-star prospect and is ranked as the No. 4 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.
Tennessee’s class was previously ranked No. 9 nationally and No. 6 in the SEC, with a 91.05 class score, after adding four-star safety Shaedy Hayward and four-star tight end DaSaahn Brame, previously an Oregon commitment, on July 27 and July 28.
Hayward, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound prospect out of Toombs County High School in Lyons, Georgia, is ranked No. 92 overall in the On3 Industry Ranking. He’s the No. 10 safety in the class and the No. 11 overall player in the state of Georgia.
The On3 ratings have Hayward ranked No. 75 overall, No. 4 at safety and No. 11 in Georgia.
Brame, listed at 6-foot-4.5, 225 pounds out of Derby, Kansas, committed to Oregon on June 29 before flipping to the Vols a month later. He’s ranked as the No. 99 overall prospect by the On3 Industry Ranking. He’s the No. 3 tight end in the class and the No. 3 overall player in Kansas.
Tennessee has six Top 100 commitments, 12 four-stars players
Before the Sanders commitment on Saturday, four-star interior offensive lineman Douglas Utu was the highest-ranked prospect in the class, at No. 55 nationally. He came in just ahead four-star quarterback George MacIntyre at No. 59 overall.
Hayward and Braame gave the Vols five commitments in July. Tennessee also added four-star wide receiver Travis Smith (No. 126 overall), four-star linebacker Christian Gass (No. 229) and three-star defensive lineman Darrion Smith (No. 626) to the class last month.
Sanders is the first five-star commitment in the class. The Vols have 12 four-star commitments and six prospects ranked in the On3’s Industry Ranking top 100.
The 12 four-star prospects include MacIntyre, Hayward, Braame, Smith, Gass and Utu joined by EDGE Mariyon Dye, defensive lineman Ethan Utley, wide receiver Radarious Jackson, tight end Jack Van Dorslaer, interior offensive lineman Nic Moore and edge Jayden Loftin.