Tennessee football has officially added a major piece to its 2025 recruiting class. The program signed a five-star offensive lineman earlier this month, who wasted no time getting to campus after his senior season concluded last week.
Upon his arrival, the highly touted recruit posted an Instagram story featuring his practice jersey and the caption “time to work,” signaling his readiness to contribute to the program. Following a path similar to current quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who joined Tennessee’s bowl practices immediately after signing last year, the lineman is getting an early jump on his college career.
David Sanders Jr is practicing for the Vols🥹 pic.twitter.com/VQPsWyHRkJ
— Kerry Williams (@kerrywilliams_) December 15, 2024
The player’s decision to join the Vols ahead of their College Football Playoff practices provides an invaluable opportunity to acclimate to the team’s environment and training regimen. Tennessee will face Ohio State in the CFP first round this Saturday, a matchup drawing national attention as ESPN and ABC’s primetime feature game.
Ranked as the No. 6 player in the 2025 class and the top offensive tackle in the nation, he is Tennessee’s only five-star signee this year. His addition bolsters an already strong recruiting effort under head coach Josh Heupel, whose 2024 class ranked No. 10 nationally. Heupel continues to stack elite recruiting classes, a critical component in building a program capable of competing consistently for College Football Playoff and National Championship contention.
Fans can expect to see him on the sidelines alongside other signees during the Ohio State game, set for an 8:00 PM ET kickoff. The primetime matchup will also feature ESPN’s College Gameday coverage, broadcasting live from Columbus on Saturday morning.
