David Sanders Jr. arrived at Tennessee as one of the most highly regarded prospects in the country.
A year later, the sophomore offensive tackle is helping the next group of young Vols navigate many of the same expectations he faced.
Sanders said his transition from young player to leader began when Tennessee returned for offseason workouts in January.
“Lance Heard, he was pretty much my mentor last year, and he was my big brother,” Sanders said. “And now I got three younger guys.”
Those younger linemen , like five-star Gabriel Osenda and four-star Kamari Blair, have turned to Sanders for help learning Tennessee’s system and dealing with the pressure that comes with playing at Tennessee.
Offensive line coach Glen Elarbee has noticed.
“You see him constantly coaching,” Elarbee said.
Elarbee hears Sanders offering advice during one-on-one periods and drills. Tennessee even reorganized the seating in its offensive line meeting room to put the tackles together, providing another setting for Sanders to communicate what he sees.
“He does a great job pointing things out,” Elarbee said.
Blair echoed that sentiment when he described Sanders as a “tremendous lader.”
“I walked in here thinking that he was like a hot shot, superstar, but he like me Gabe, you know, we’re the tackles behind him and the first thing we did together was go over the playbook,” Blair said. “He’s just been a real big help. He’s looking at my footwork and tweaking small things for me to help me.”
Sanders understands the pressure younger players are facing because he experienced it himself.
He recalled worrying as a freshman about learning Tennessee’s playbook, getting on the field, and living up to the expectations that accompanied his recruiting profile.
That experience recently helped him recognize when Gabriel Osenda was frustrated following a difficult practice. Sanders watched Osenda’s reaction as coaches corrected him during film study and offered some perspective afterward.
“Don’t let your last practice affect your next practice,” Sanders recalled telling him.
Sanders said Osenda responded with a better practice the next time Tennessee took the field.
Elarbee challenged Sanders during an offseason meeting to become one of the leaders in the room. Sanders responded by trying to stay at the front of the line during training and setting an example with his work habits.
“Just trying to work hard every day, not make excuses for not only myself but for my team,” Sanders said.
His responsibilities are increasing on the field, too.
After playing right tackle for the first time last season, Sanders has moved back to left tackle, his natural position.
“It’s been very special,” Sanders said. “Obviously, going back to left tackle, that’s where I’ve only played. Right tackle was my first time playing last year, so going back to left felt a lot more comfortable.”
The move puts Sanders on the blind side of whichever young quarterback wins Tennessee’s starting job, a responsibility he takes seriously even during practice.
“If I get beat in practice, like I’m pissed,” Sanders said. “Because you know like they can’t hit the quarterback in practice. But if that was a game, he probably got killed.”
Sanders entered Tennessee trying to learn the offense and earn his way onto the field.
Now he’s back at his natural position, being trusted to protect a young quarterback and helping guide the linemen coming behind him.
“He wants to be involved,” Elarbee said. “He’s just a great natural human being.”
