Josh Heupel has his man.
Providence Day School (Charlotte, NC) offensive tackle David Sanders, Jr. committed to the Tennessee Vols on Saturday afternoon. He selected the Vols over finalists Nebraska, Ohio State, and Georgia.
Sanders is, in no uncertain terms, the crown jewel of the Vols’ already talented 2025 recruiting class. He’s a consensus five star, the number one player in North Carolina, and top ten overall recruit among all of the major recruiting outlets (#3 by 247 Sports). He’s the #1 overall offensive tackle among all outlets except On3 Sports, who has him at #2. He’s as big of an offensive line prospect that the Vols have ever landed in the recruiting services era.
The Vols were the leaders for Sanders’ pledge per a number of recruiting experts. However, Sanders had made some wonder after he wore Ohio State gear recently. Still, the Vols managed to close the deal in the end. For that, Heupel and Tennessee offensive line coach Glen Elarbee deserve huge credit.
Sanders joins a class that includes OL Douglas Utu from Bishop Gorman HS (Las Vegas, NV), who also checks in as a consensus top 100 recruit and #4 IOL, giving the Vols a sterling pair of inside/outside recruits (Utu has played both at guard and tackle) and what should be a major boost to their offensive line for years to come.
The bottom line is this is the type of moment that helps pay dividends for a program down the road. Sanders is the type of player that helps win championships, as are the slew of top-notch quarterback prospects Heupel has landed for the 2023-26 cycles. What had been a pipe dream for much of the 21st century is now becoming a reality for Tennessee fans.