CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tennessee football earned a commitment from five-star class of 2025 offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. on Saturday.
Sanders is an incoming senior at Providence Day School in Charlotte, N.C., the same school VFL Grant Williams attended. The Hornets power forward has mentored Sanders since he was 13 and was in the bleachers for his commitment announcement.
Williams admitted he was unaware Sanders was going to pick Tennessee.
"I did not know," said Williams. "I had a feeling...I think he just prayed on it and came to the decision with his family. I tried my best to be as unbiased as possible."
247Sports composite rankings have Sanders rated as the second-best prospect in the country and the top-rated offensive lineman in his class. Williams knew Sanders was talented since he was in eighth grade.
"He was my first mentee here in Charlotte," said Williams. "It's been really cool to get to know him and his family over the past four or five years."
Williams said certain people urged him to lean Sanders to the orange and white, but he's happy his 5-star mentee figured it out on his own. Williams praised Sanders' talent, work ethic and personality both on and off the field.
"He's better than I was," said Williams. "He's going to be a tremendous work ethic, tremendous human being, he's going to challenge himself in the classroom, he's gonna lead by the right example."
Williams also said he'd quickly become a fan favorite on Tennessee's campus.
"People of Vol nation are going to love him," said Williams. "He's going to smile everywhere he goes and take pictures with everybody, and he's honestly going to be the most attainable superstar on campus."
Sanders told the media he's looking to win a national championship when he gets to Tennessee, and Williams thinks he can lead the team to one pretty quickly.
"I wasn't able to do it so hopefully he gets the chance to," said Williams. "I think he does it in his second year, I bet that."
Sanders chose the Vols from four final teams, including Georgia, Ohio State and Nebraska. He was Tennessee's 22nd commit in the 2025 class, and he'll likely be a weapon once he gets to play inside Neyland Stadium.
