Tennessee Vols 5-star recruiting target unintentionally shades SEC rival after recruiting visit

The Tennessee Vols' biggest remaining 2025 recruiting target is five-star offensive lineman David Sanders Jr. 

Clemson, Georgia, and Tennessee are currently viewed as the favorites for Sanders, with Ohio State looming as a threat. 

Sanders, the No. 2 overall recruit in the nation, took an official visit to South Carolina this past weekend. 

The Gamecocks, who aren't viewed as a major threat to land the Charlotte native, received positive reviews from Sanders after his weekend visit to Columbia. 

South Carolina also received some unintentional shade from Sanders. 

While discussing the visit with On3, Sanders pointed out that South Carolina can't sell recruits on national championships. 

"I feel like South Carolina can’t sell you on the national championships and things like that, so they really rely on relationships within the coaching staff, and that makes them real and genuine in who they are," said Sanders to On3. 

To be clear, Sanders wasn't purposefully throwing shade at South Carolina. He was extremely appreciative of Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer during the official visit. And Sanders offered plenty of praise for Beamer and the atmosphere at South Carolina. The vibes are good in Columbia even after a 5-7 season.

But it's also obvious that elite recruits don't view South Carolina the same as they view the programs that are annually competing for national championships. 

It's very doubtful that South Carolina ends up having a serious shot to land Sanders, though you can't blame the Gamecocks for shooting their shot. 

Regardless of what's said by recruiting analysts, Sanders is the type of player that looks for two things in a college program (outside of academics, which is a given) -- the opportunity to compete for a championship and the ability to improve his NFL draft stock. 

South Carolina could probably get Sanders to the NFL as a top draft prospect, but they almost certainly can't provide him with an opportunity to win a national championship. 

It's debatable whether or not Tennessee can provide that opportunity. But at least the Vols have a recent 11-2 season and a final AP ranking of No. 6 to point to as evidence that Tennessee can thrive in the 12-team College Football Playoff era.