Five-star offensive lineman David Sanders Jr. has a top six and on Thursday he released his visit schedule for the coming months. The No. 2 prospect in the 2025 Rivals250 has some big decisions ahead of him as he works through his extensive visit schedule.
In today’s Ranking The Contenders, we take a closer look at the programs on Sanders’ list and put them in order as he works toward a commitment.
1. CLEMSON
Clemson was already in great position after hosting Sanders in January and now the Tigers are set to seize all the momentum in his recruitment, getting his first visit of the spring.
New offensive line coach Matt Luke has made a tremendous impression on Sanders and his family and it seems like the Tigers could capitalize on being the childhood favorite as well. Luke’s history of developing offensive linemen into first-round draft picks really stood out to Sanders and is one of the biggest things he’s looking for in his program of choice.
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2. TENNESSEE
Tennessee fans should be really excited about the opportunity they’ll have this spring. The Volunteers were the team Sanders was most excited about heading into the dead period in February and they’ll host him again in April.
The coaching staff has done a fantastic job of making him feel welcome and showing off their track record for developing elite prospects. On top of that, Sanders is close with multiple players already on their roster and 2025 quarterback commit George MacIntyre. The Vols will have to wait until April 12 to get him on campus again but it still does seem like Tennessee has an opportunity to move to the top of the list.
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3. GEORGIA
Georgia was the early favorite for Sanders and it wouldn’t be surprising at all if that’s where Sanders ends up signing but the Bulldogs have some work to do to maintain their position. Sanders has visited Athens more than any other campus and he has great relationships with the coaching staff and, in particular, offensive line coach Stacy Searels. Sanders and Searels have been close ever since he was in the eighth grade and earned an offer from Searels while he was coaching at North Carolina.
Plenty of current players and commits have great relationships with Sanders at Georgia and the Bulldogs will need to lean on the strength of those bonds when he visits next weekend to make sure they don’t fall behind for the elite tackle prospect.
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4. SOUTH CAROLINA
The first three programs are clearly the upper tier of Sanders’ recruitment, but South Carolina has a puncher’s chance because of how close he is with the coaches and players in Columbia. The Gamecocks also are the only school that currently has an official visit scheduled with Sanders.
South Carolina is the closest campus to home but it definitely has an uphill climb to sign Sanders. The opportunity for Sanders at South Carolina to not only play early but make a large impact on the field and on the program is very attractive.
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5. ALABAMA
Alabama could be a program to watch after he gets on campus again and spends more time with the coaching staff. Sanders doesn’t have the deepest connections with the new Crimson Tide coaches but that’s only because they just got there.
A lot will be learned during his time in Tuscaloosa later this month. Under the previous coaching staff, Sanders held Alabama in high regard and it was potentially a top two contender at various points in his recruitment.
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6. OHIO STATE
Ohio State has made a great impression on Sanders thus far but his lack of visits there and the lack of face time with Sanders and his family are really working against the Buckeyes.
Offensive line coach Justin Frye has done a really good job keeping Sanders‘s attention throughout the process, but without getting a close look at the Columbus campus on multiple occasions, Ohio State is really hanging on by a thread. It also is the only school in his top six without a scheduled visit at this point.
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Adam Friedman, National Recruiting Analyst
