Five-star offensive tackle David Sanders officially signed with Tennessee football on Thursday afternoon as the Vols held off Ohio State to sign the nation’s top offensive tackle.
Sanders committed to Tennessee over Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson and Nebraska back in August after a long recruitment. The Charlotte native showed no signs of flipping for months as he attended a number of Tennessee games this fall and didn’t visit any other schools.
But then Sanders showed up to Ohio State for a surprise visit under two weeks ago when the Buckeyes faced Indiana. Rumors that the blue-chip offensive tackle was going to flip to Ohio State heated up at that point and only grew stronger when speculation grew that Sanders was heading to Columbus for the Ohio State-Michigan game.
Confidence grew in Tennessee’s chances to get to the finish line with Sanders last week especially when he didn’t show up at Ohio State. However, Sanders not signing on the first day of the signing period gave Vol fans uneasiness.
He quelled those concerns on Thursday afternoon, officially signing with Tennessee to become the highest ranked member of the Vols’ 2025 signing class.
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Sanders ranks as a five-star recruit and the No. 5 player nationally according to the 247sports composite rankings. The 6-foot-6, 290-pound prospect ranks as both the top offensive tackle in the country as well as the top player in the start of North Carolina in the 2025 cycle.
Tennessee getting to the finish line and signing Sanders is extremely significant for both its 2025 recruiting class and for the immediate future of the Vols’ offensive line. Sanders will compete for a starting spot at right tackle as a freshman as the Vols replace John Campbell Jr. and Dayne Davis.
Landing Sanders a major win for Tennessee and offensive line coach Glen Elarbee. The Vols high school offensive line recruiting has often been lacking under Elarbee and Heupel. Tennessee has particularly struggled to land top in talent.
Next season, Heupel’s fifth in Knoxville, will likely be the first time that Tennessee has started an offensive lineman that Tennessee’s current class recruited out of high school.
Tennessee football has signed 25 of 26 commits in its 2025 recruiting class with low four-star cornerback Onis Konanbanny being the lone commit remaining. The Vols’ 2025 recruiting class currently ranks No. 10 nationally according to the 247sports team rankings.
