A reader sent an email. He said this is an exciting time to be a Tennessee sports fan. He explained.
- Rick Barnes scored high with basketball transfers.
- Tony Vitello’s team won the College World Series. Omaha! Omaha!
- Tennessee had the best overall sports program in the Southeastern Conference.
- Dr. Danny picked Pilot’s pocket.
- Josh Heupel gained a recruiting commitment from the best high school offensive tackle in the country.
- Nico and the Volunteers are undefeated.
- Happy days mean everybody gets a raise – which means more happy days.
The reader-writer left me speechless. Big bills are coming due. Raises cost money. In time, I’ll recover from the shock.
That didn’t take long. Indeed, Rick is doing fine and Tony raised the bar and both received full pay plus bonuses. Point 3 was good, even if track wasn’t all that hot.
I am officially skipping point 4. No comment.
David Sanders, 6-6, 290 and still growing, chose Tennessee for college football. As evaluations of prospects go, he has a higher rating than Nico. You can believe the numbers or not. As of last November, he had 106 college scholarship offers. Offensive tackles and QBs are very valuable.
So, how big is David Sanders’ commitment? Extra-large for sure and maybe monumental.
David is a genuine student-athlete at Providence Day School in Charlotte, annual tuition $32,000 and change. It says it is worth it.
Tennessee had been there before. Vol basketball star Grant Williams is an alum. He says what Providence says, that the school fosters a passion for learning, a strong sense of social responsibility and a commitment to personal integrity.
Of course, Grant Williams and David Sanders know each other. In the beginning, David wanted to be a great basketball player. He first visited Tennessee when he was in eighth grade. Grant is back in Charlotte with the NBA team. He knows a lot about a lot of things and remains very enthusiastic about UT.
Recruitment of Sanders was complex. Many Tennessee people were involved. David visited five times this year. George MacIntyre, Vol quarterback commitment for 2025, made a point of being present.
George and David intersected several times last year on various recruiting trips and at camps. They became friends. For personal and team reasons, of course the quarterback wanted the tackle to join him. Mission accomplished.
Sanders says Heupel, line coach Glen Elarbee and Max Thurmond, senior offensive analyst, were major influences.
David’s parents had heard a lot about Heupel and sought validation. David asked a lot of questions. Current Vols told him the coach is genuine, he does not change from day to day, same hands-on approach. Family culture is real.
Sanders concluded “his players love him.”
The visitor watched Elarbee at work during spring practice. He noticed how different he is on the field and in the classroom, intense on the grass, technical but patient, even calm in teaching. David decided that might be important for a freshman.
Thurmond, 46, former player and coach at Jacksonville State, is a great relationship builder for the Vols.
“Max, that is my guy,” Sanders said. “He has been the great recruiter for me. Probably one of the best recruiters in the country.”
David said he appreciated the way Coach Thurmond treated the Sanders family. And why not?
Tennessee had another plus. Sanders knows quarterback Faizon Brandon from Grimsley High in Greensboro, North Carolina. Faizon, No. 1 in the country at what he does, recently committed to the Vols’ class of 2026.
Add one more: Sanders researched the development of Vol offensive tackle Darnell Wright. God, Elarbee and the Chicago Bears turned him into a multi-millionaire as the No. 10 pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
All this adds up. Ohio State, Nebraska, Georgia and a hundred others in distant pursuit couldn’t win. They wasted postage and phone fees.
Interesting side note to point 6. Undefeated Nico Iamaleava, James Pearce, Cooper Mays, Bru McCoy, Omari Thomas and the ambitious Volunteers will be in Charlotte September 7 to play North Carolina State. Do you suppose the match was made for Sanders’ convenience?
Marvin West welcomes comments or questions from readers. His address is marvinwest75@gmail.com
