Just hours ahead of the decision for five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr., Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney ranks the remaining contenders in his recruitment.
Sanders has visited Knoxville a number of times in the recruiting process and has spent at least five trips there, including one at the end of July, rumored to get some more video highlights for his commitment release.
But it's not only that the five-star offensive tackle has intimate knowledge of Tennessee, but he feels comfortable there and loves the coaching staff. He probably feels the closest to head coach Josh Heupel and position coach Glen Elarbee in his recruitment.
From the offensive style to playing in the SEC, the relationships and comfort level he had built in Knoxville, the Volunteer State—bottom line, if Sanders picked anywhere else on Saturday, it would have been stunning.
At this time a few weeks ago, it really did seem that Sanders' recruitment was very much a "toss-up," but since he visited Tennessee and Nebraska on the final weekend of trips, and then as things moved in the Vols' favor over the last few weeks, it does look like the Buckeyes are going to finish in second place here.
He knows Ohio State extremely well, and to be honest, for some time, the Buckeyes looked like the team to beat. The Charlotte, North Carolina, Providence Day standout visited Columbus numerous times. He really likes position coach Justin Frye and some others, but only one school could be chosen, and Ohio State—which already has five five-stars pledged—will likely not get Sanders to the class.
A lot of the Nebraska faithful got really pumped in recent weeks when Sanders visited Lincoln again. And for good reason – the visit took place a few weeks before his decision, and the Huskers made him feel like royalty, with five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola feeling driven to show him around and even spend the weekend with him.
It was a valiant try, but Nebraska is just not there yet to be swiping away five-star offensive tackles. Seemed like there was some legitimate interest, though, in the possibility of being part of the rebuild into a national power that the Huskers are engaging in. Plus coach Matt Rhule is very likeable. Only one program can win out for Sanders' services.