David Sanders commits to Tennessee football

Charlotte (North Carolina) Providence Day offensive lineman David Sanders Jr., the top-ranked offensive tackle prospect in the Class of 2025, announced on Saturday that he’d committed to Tennessee over other finalists Georgia, Nebraska and Ohio State.

“The Volunteers, they’ve been on top for a long time,” Sanders said. “Coach (Josh) Heupel and that coaching staff, they’ve done an amazing job with me and my family in just having that support and showing that love from the beginning of the recruiting process to now.”

Sanders announced his decision on a 247Sports livestream during an emotional commitment ceremony where the high schooler was brought to tears thanking his teammates, grandparents, sisters and parents for their consistent support.

Sanders was just in Lincoln three weeks ago, a visit that involved Nebraska breaking out all the stops for the five-star recruit. Flanked by quarterback Dylan Raiola, Sanders was greeted by dozens of cheering Nebraska fans upon his arrival at Memorial Stadium as head coach Matt Rhule looked on.

Sanders had just taken his official visit to Nebraska in May but opted for a July return visit that was immediately followed by a similar trip to Knoxville, Tennessee. The Huskers may have jumped into Sanders’ upper echelon of schools late on, but they were a contender to the end — even if Sanders ultimately landed with the Volunteers.

“Their coaches did an amazing job, they were a little late to the party in my opinion, but Dylan Raiola did a phenomenal job getting me on campus and showing me a great time,” Sanders said. “Coach Rhule’s a phenomenal head coach and I think they’re gonna have a great future ahead of them.”

Sanders’ commitment to Tennessee marks another near-miss in Nebraska’s offensive line recruiting efforts. The Huskers lost another target, Las Vegas Bishop Gorman four-star Douglas Utu, to Tennessee, while the likes of SJ Alofaituli (Miami), Alai Kalaniuvalu (Oregon), John Mills (Texas) and Broderick Shull (Auburn) all committed elsewhere earlier this summer.

Nebraska will have to move forward with a three-man offensive line class consisting of Honolulu St. Louis’ Houston Kaahaaina-Torres, Winner (South Dakota’s) Shawn Hammerbeck and Salt Lake City West’s Brian Tapu. The Huskers stand at 18 total commits in their 2025 recruiting class and are still pursuing other high-level prospects such as five-star Texan athlete Michael Terry III and four-star Omaha Westside linebacker Christian Jones.