Recruiting update on Vols 5-star commit David Sanders Jr is concerning for Tennessee fans

The Tennessee Vols are hoping they can hang on to 2025 five-star offensive lineman David Sanders Jr as the early signing period approaches. 

Sanders, a Vols commit since August, took a surprise visit to Ohio State this past weekend for the Buckeyes' win against Indiana. 

And it sounds like Ohio State has a legitimate chance to swipe Sanders from Tennessee. 

Lettermen Row's Alex Gleitman noted on Sunday evening that a source told him that there's a "really high chance" that Ohio State flips Sanders. 

"Want to see what happens after he returns home from this visit, but there is a real shot of a flip,” said another source to Gleitman. “David and his family are really enjoying themselves and feeling very much at home. I think deep down he knows maybe this is where he’s always belonged.”

That's certainly a concerning update for the Vols. Sanders, the No. 1 offensive tackle in the nation, is the crown jewel of Tennessee's 2025 recruiting class. Losing him to Ohio State would be a massive blow the momentum that the Vols have built on the recruiting trail over the last year. 

We'll see what happens with Sanders in the coming days. There's obviously an NIL component to this recruitment, but it doesn't seem that Sanders will be making his final decision based on money. Instead, he'll likely be making his decision based on where he feels the most comfortable. And if that proves to be Ohio State, then there wasn't really much else that Tennessee could do in this recruiting battle. 

With that said, there's still a reasonable chance that Sanders sticks with the Vols.