Tennessee landed a commitment from five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. on Saturday afternoon to give Josh Heupel his highest-rated prospect in his 2025 class to date.
The Vols worked hard to land Sanders throughout the summer and can now claim the nation’s second-highest overall recruit.
Sanders ranks as the No. 2 overall prospect, the No. 1 offensive tackle, and the No. 1 player from the state of North Carolina according to 247Sports Composite rankings.
Sanders was a highly-touted prospect on the recruiting trail for good reason. The 6-foot-6, 290-pound tackle was named the 2023 North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year and earned Second Team All-American honors from MaxPreps as a junior. The Vols’ newest commit spent the 2023 season blocking for Michigan quarterback Jadyn Davis as the offense tallied more than 3,700 passing yards and 8.6 yards per rushing attempt, according to 247 Sports.
“On the lighter side now, and will need to improve play strength in the coming years as he’s hovering around 280 pounds, but has proven to be rather aggressive and physical for a leaner lineman,” 247 Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins wrote about Sanders. “Tends to explode out of his stance and constantly plays with a sense of urgency as he is always looking for work. Advanced hand placement gives him an advantage in pass sets as does his proficiency in changing course and refortifying. Climbs up field with ease and is more than capable of clearing traffic on screens.
Ivins’ evaluation goes on to project Sanders as a multi-year starter with “a chance to blossom into a first-round pick in the NFL Draft.”
While offensive linemen aren’t always the easiest players to put on highlight tapes, Sanders’ reel is entertaining nonetheless. Sanders plays with speed and physicality as he finds the advantage over his opposition.
More from RTI: Five-Star Offensive Lineman David Sanders Commits To Tennessee Football
Check out the highlight reel from David Sanders Jr., Tennessee’s newest class of 2025 commit, here:
Tennessee OT Commit David Sanders Jr.
