The University of Tennessee football program completed its biggest recruiting success under head coach Josh Heupel, acquiring Rivals' No. 1 offensive tackle and the nation's No. 3 recruit.
Five-star 2025 Providence Day (North Carolina) lineman David Sanders Jr. committed to the Vols over Nebraska, Ohio State and Georgia, but he had countless other players pursuing him along the way.
VolReport will take a closer look at Sanders' hiring and how the decision was reached.
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Tennessee took an early interest in the 6-foot-6, 265-pound tackle and made the Tar Heel target a major priority for the 2025 cycle. Heupel and Glenn Ellerbee made sure the entire Sanders family, not just the prospect, felt the serious approach from Tennessee.
“Everything's going well,” Sanders Jr. told VolReport in a previous interview. “They're in constant contact with me and my family. They're very aware of my schedule. I have a busy schedule, but they stay in touch. They've built a relationship with not only me, but my family as well.”
As that relationship continues to build, you need to pay attention to the interactions between the two of you.
Of course, schools will reach out, invite you to campus and do whatever it takes, but this was a little different: Sanders seemed interested in the Vols as well, and that relationship and personal connection made a big impact on the No. 3 overall pick.
Adam Friedman, director of Rivals rankings and analyst for the National Transfer Portal, conducted an interview with him earlier this year, and some of the answers could hold some key insights.
Sanders plans to tell Friedman that Tennessee is the team he's “most excited about” in early 2024.
“I think that's about right,” Sanders told Friedman. “Judging by the amount of effort they've put into recruiting me over the past year, I'd say they've recruited me more than anybody.”
“The 'need' and 'want' factor plays a big role. They have a lot of opportunities to get involved off the field.”
It's a consistent message Sanders told VolReport: “Personalizing the recruiting process. I think they've been really good about staying connected. That's No. 1. A lot of schools haven't been as proactive in reaching out as I would have liked, even though they're allowed to do so now. But Tennessee has certainly done a great job of that.”
The Vols are currently the No. 10 overall class in the 2025 cycle, but this should give them a big jump, and with 2025 five-star offensive tackle Douglas Utu already committed to Tennessee, this pairs Rivals’ No. 1 and No. 3 offensive tackles.
