Tennessee Football: Report suggests there could be a late twist in 5-star OL David Sanders Jr's recruitment

The Tennessee Vols' biggest remaining 2025 recruiting target is five-star offensive lineman David Sanders Jr.

Sanders, 6-foot-6/290 lbs from Charlotte, NC, is rated in 247Sports' composite rankings as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the nation and the No. 2 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class.

On Sunday, Sanders revealed that he plans to announce his commitment on August 17.

Georgia, Nebraska, Ohio State, and Tennessee are the four programs that are still in the mix to land Sanders.

On3's Steve Wiltfong noted on Monday that, as of now, he gives a slight edge to Ohio State in the battle for Sanders.

Wiltfong also pointed out that it's possible that Sanders could squeeze in a few unofficial visits to his finalists near the end of July before making his decision in August.

"There is a week in late July where Sanders could take another round of visits, so we’ll see if the family gets back on the trail one more time ahead of his August commitment date," wrote Wiltfong.

That would be an interesting twist late in Sanders' recruitment if those visits happen.

The feeling is that Ohio State and Tennessee are out in front for Sanders. If the five-star offensive lineman makes another round of visits just a few weeks before his commitment, it would certainly seem to indicate that this battle is as close as it gets. It would also mean that a potential visit in late July could seal the deal for either program, making those visits (if they happen) of the utmost importance for the Vols and the Buckeyes.

It's still too early to make a firm prediction for where Sanders will land, but there's no doubt that Tennessee is a major threat to land the elite offensive lineman next month.

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