Tennessee football is projected to ask a true freshman to be a starting tackle on its offensive line this year. David Sanders Jr., a former five-star recruit, is getting reps with the first team at right tackle.
However, he came in extremely undersized. With the need to put on significant weight, Sanders took up the challenge this summer.
Now, as the team is a month away from starting the season, Sanders sits just shy of 310 pounds. This is a nearly 40-pound increase from when he got to campus.
This change is already showing up on the practice field, too. In the spring, he was tasked with blocking sixth-year defensive end Dominic Bailey. The result was Sanders not having the strength to deal with the push.
In a rematch on Thursday, Sanders held his ground.
“We did one-on-ones for the first time today,” Sanders said. “Going against Dom Bailey, I remember in spring ball him pumping me and me just flying around. Today, I’m actually sat down. Definitely more powerful in the run game, more powerful in the pass game.”
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Sanders may not be done putting on weight, too. While every practice in the summer heat drops his weight, he’s learning to keep it on through the workouts. The program also wouldn’t mind if he continued to build on top of it.
The initial goal for him was to get to 290 pounds. Once he passed that, the goal moved to 300. Now that he sits between 305-308 pounds, the staff wants him to continue.
After all, this still is a smaller frame than most SEC tackles. His teammate, left tackle Lance Heard, who enters his third college season, stands at the same 6-foot-6 height as Sanders. However, Heard is over 20 pounds heavier.
While there is still work to be done, it’s certainly a good sign that Sanders has been able to add to his frame so quickly.
