David Sanders Jr. is officially a Vol now! The highly sought-after 5-star talent had everyone on the edge of their seats, waiting for his final decision on August 17. And now, he’s made it clear with his post, “I AM COMMITTED‼️ Go Vols 🍊”

Given his impressive skills as an offensive tackle, it’s no surprise that David received scholarship offers from numerous schools and made several visits this year. But he eventually narrowed his choices down to four: Tennessee, Nebraska, Georgia, and Ohio State. Now, most people were betting on him choosing Matt Rhule’s Cornhuskers, but in the end, he committed to Josh Heupel’s Tennessee Volunteers as a surprise move.

This August 17th, Rivalsdotcom highlighted the big news, saying, “Landing David Sanders Jr. (@clt_bigdave) is HUGE for Tennessee.” Soon David himself jumped into the comments, adding, “Legendary.” It seems his heart was with the Vols all along!

Well, David Sanders Jr. is the nation’s No. 2 recruit in the 2025 class, making all the buzz around his commitment completely understandable. By joining Heupel’s team, he’s now the third-best player to ever commit to Tennessee! That’s right, he’s following in the footsteps of former star running back Bryce Brown and current hotshot quarterback Nico Iamaleava – another five-star who was the number two recruit in his class. With these two studs on offense, Tennessee’s looking to absolutely dominate the field.

With a 9-4 record last season and 11-2 the year before, the Vols have been on the rise under Heupel. Now, landing Sanders only adds to their momentum. Unfortunately for Matt Rhule, his Cornhuskers couldn’t quite seal the deal this time around. However, they tried their best! 

Dylan Raiola going above and beyond for David Sanders Jr.

When On3’s Steve Wiltfong announced David Sanders Jr.’s commitment, he also reflected on Sanders’ words. According to them, Sanders said, “I’m making my commitment [to Tennessee] because the school felt like home.” If that’s the key factor, Dylan Raiola and Matt Rhule certainly tried their best to make Nebraska feel just as welcoming for the talented offensive tackle.

Nebraska was in dire need of an offensive talent like him. And they went all out in their recruiting efforts for the 6 foot 6 Sanders. And guess what? It was Cornhuskers’ quarterback Dylan Raiola who led them in charge.  On July 27, Raiola and a huge crowd of Nebraska fans gathered outside the Osborne Legacy Complex to give Sanders a grand welcome. Raiola even organized the fans to ensure the warmest reception possible during Sanders’ unofficial visit. Meanwhile, the 5-star QB freshman was all buddy-buddy with Sanders, and their hangouts were all over social media. “You get a guy like that, you change the game with that,” Raiola said, explaining his dedication to the recruiting effort. He added, “Hopefully we get him. I feel like we will and I’m just glad that the fans showed out for us.” Unfortunately, all those efforts didn’t pay off!

However, after Sanders announced his commitment to Tennessee, Nebraska graciously commented on his IG post, “Congrats, #GBR always cheering for you!🌽” Now, looks like, Raiola and Rhule will have to find their next offensive weapon elsewhere.