High School

David Sanders Jr., nation's No. 1 offensive tackle and Tennessee commit, takes surprise Ohio State Buckeyes visit

Andrew Nemec

Five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. on a visit to Tennessee
Five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. on a visit to Tennessee / Courtesy of David Sanders Jr.

The Tennessee Volunteers have a top-10 class nationally with less than two weeks away from the early signing period.

Unquestionably, the headliner of Tennessee's class is Providence Day (North Carolina) five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr., the nation's No. 1 offensive tackle.

The 6-foot-6, 290-pound lineman has been committed since August, but it seems the Ohio State Buckeyes are making a push.

In fact, Sanders was spotted in Columbus on Saturday for a visit that was largely kept under wraps until his arrival.

Check it out:

During his initial recruitment, Sanders took official visits to five schools - Nebraska (May 10), Clemson (May 31), Georgia (June 7), Tennessee (June 14) and Ohio State (June 21).

At the time, the Buckeyes were viewed as a major contender.

And it seems as though Ryan Day and his coaching stff are trying to work some late magic.

Overall, Ohio State's class is ranked No. 2 nationally, but the Buckeyes are well-within striking distance of the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs.

Flipping Sanders would get them there.

Why?

Here's what 247Sports had to say about him as a prospect:

"Gifted athlete with a chance to emerge as a franchise corner protector with his foot quickness and reactionary skills. Two-way player as a junior that was named North Carolina’s Gatorade Player of the Year after he kept the jersey clean of heralded quarterback recruit Jadyn Davis while adding 32 pressures and seven sacks on defense. Could probably get a look somewhere on the defensive line at the next level given what he has put on tape, but ability to neutralize speed rushers and extend the pocket suggests that he has a monster ceiling as an offensive tackle. On the lighter side now, and will need to improve play strength in the coming years as he’s hovering around 280 pounds, but has proven to be rather aggressive and physical for a leaner lineman. Tends to explode out of his stance and constantly plays with a sense of urgency as he is always looking for work. Advanced hand placement gives him an advantage in pass sets as does his proficiency in changing course and refortifying. Climbs up field with ease and is more than capable of clearing traffic on screens. Ability to anchor against much larger opponents remains a question heading into senior season as does the durability as he has dealt with both labrum and femur injuries at different points during prep career. Should be viewed as one of the top overall talents in the 2025 cycle with his tools and work ethic. Likely will need a year or two to get the body right, but has multi-year starter upside with a chance to blossom into a first-round pick in the NFL Draft."

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Andrew Nemec
ANDREW NEMEC

Andrew Nemec covers national high school recruiting and brings more than a decade of experience. Andrew hosts "Recruiting with Andrew Nemec" on ESPN-affiliate 1080 The FAN in Portland, Oregon. He holds a journalism degree from the University of Oregon.

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