David Sanders Jr. was terrific for Josh Heupel’s Tennessee as a true freshman in 2025. Expectations are high for the second-year offensive tackle in 2026, as the Vols are aiming to make a College Football Playoff push.
David Sanders Jr. Reflects on True Freshman Challenges as Tennessee Starts Spring Practice
Sanders is making the move to the left side of Tennessee’s offensive line, with expectations that he could develop into one of the nation’s premier tackles. Sanders is projected to start at left tackle with no contest in 2026 after being a Freshman All-American, but the way he made fun of his 2025 “growing pains” shows why he is famous in the locker room.
“Just some of the games, especially like install for each week. Well, like old clips will pop up, and I’m just like, ‘Bro, what were you doing? Just holding on for dear life,’” Sanders said in his media availability on Saturday amid Tennessee’s spring practice. “But so yeah, it’s kind of funny when you go back and look at it. Definitely, definitely came a long way for sure.”
Sanders is a former five-star recruit who was rated as the No. 2 offensive tackle in the 2025 recruiting class. As a freshman last season, he allowed 0 sacks in eight of the nine games he played. In 218 pass-blocking snaps, he allowed only 2 sacks, and finished the season with an impact score of 73.2 in PFSN’s College Football Player OL Impact Metric.
Sanders missed the first four games of last season due to an injury he suffered late in fall practice. He described last season as a period of physical growth, adjusting to right tackle, and learning Tennessee’s playbook.
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Spring practice also allowed Sanders to praise Tennessee’s new strength coach, Derek Owings, who comes to Knoxville from Indiana’s national title team.
“I would definitely say the work ethic and the accountability would be two things that stuck out the most to me,” Sanders said of Owings on Saturday. “He’s very non-tolerant when it comes to missing workouts, missing meals, missing meetings, missing rehab, any little thing, missing to walk across the street, like he’s not playing around.”
“You better be on your stuff when you’re with Coach Owings. But he’s also a great guy. He comes down to lunch with us, he plays in the game room with us, come chill with us in meeting rooms. So he’s a great dude to bond with, and he makes you wanna give your all for him every time you go in the weight room, for sure.”
Sanders is a preseason favorite for first-team All-SEC honors in the 2026 season. He will serve as the primary blindside protector for a young Tennessee quarterback room, likely led by George MacIntyre or Faizon Brandon.
