Five-Star Plus+ OT David Sanders visits Tennessee
The top uncommitted prospect in the nation is back on Rocky Top this weekend.
Tennessee is one of the six contenders in the race for Charlotte Providence Day Five-Star Plus+ offensive tackle David Sanders. The Vols are hosting the No. 2 overall prospect on Saturday and will also get him back in Knoxville for an official visit this summer.
On3’s Chad Simmons and Steve Wiltfong recently broke down where Tennessee sits in the jam-packed push for Sanders earlier this month:
“The simple answer is yes. They’re very much in the mix. Tennessee is right there,” Simmons said. “I think position of need probably starts with offensive line at Tennessee, from Sanders, to Juan Gaston, to Jaelyne Matthews, they’re in for some top offensive linemen. That and D-line, I think are one and two for them in this class.”
“Tennessee, they still have their two visits. An unofficial in April and then the official visit in June. He feels a great connection with that coaching staff, I think Tennessee absolutely is very much in it for David Sanders,” Wiltfong said.
The Vols are battling Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State and South Carolina for the 6-foot-6, 270-pounder. He will visit each of his finalists this spring and will also take official visits to all six programs.
“Sanders has continued to build a strong bond with the Tennessee staff and current commitments, especially George MacIntyre. Tennessee has a chance to continue to make a move here with Sanders,” Tennessee insider Matt Ray said at the end of March. “His spring visit to Knoxville later in April will give us more of an idea of where things truly are with the five-star and the Vols, but I can confidently say right now that Tennessee is deep in this one and appear to be positioned to be a real threat for the duration of Sanders’ recruitment.”
Tennessee Class Breakdown
From a pair of elite in-staters to a trio of Peach State prospects, seven recruits are currently committed to Josh Heupel and his staff in Knoxville.
When looking at Tennessee’s 2025 class, all eyes point toward Nashville Brentwood four-star quarterback George MacIntyre. The No. 3 QB and No. 1 player in Tennessee in the cycle, he will likely headline the Vols’ class for the entirety of the year.
“I’m ready to give my all to Tennessee and rep the home team every Saturday,” MacIntyre told On3 upon his commitment.
MacIntyre is one of four commits on the offensive side of the ball for Tennessee. Southlake (Texas) Carroll four-star tight end Jack Van Dorselaer is a top-250 recruit in the On3 Industry Ranking, while Buford (Ga.) three-star running back Justin Baker is a top-30 player at his position.
On March 28, Nashville Ensworth four-star defensive lineman Ethan Utley joined the fold as the second highest-ranked pledge, choosing the Vols over Michigan, Texas and others. He became the third commit on the defensive side of the ball, flanking Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton three-star cornerback Dylan Lewis and Milton (Ga.) three-star CB Tyler Redmond.