Tennessee upgraded offensive tackle David Sanders to “probable” on its Friday night injury report ahead of its matchup with Mississippi State
The Vols previously listed Sanders as questionable on the first two injury reports of the week while he works back the “unique” injury that he suffered in practice the week of Tennessee’s season opener against Syracuse. That injury has kept Sanders from makes his Tennessee debut.
“A unique injury that doctors are uncertain (on),” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said of the injury last week. “That’s kind of why he’s been day-to-day for a while here. Uncertain, it’s not like a sprained ankle. And I say that meaning there’s not a definitive timeline, so he’s been having to fight through that. Guy wants to be out there. It hurts him badly. Our football team, guys in his position room can see that but he’s been a good teammate too.”
The “unique” aspect of the injury made it uncertain whether he would return this week against Mississippi State or it could be multiple weeks until he makes his college debut. But it appears that Sanders is nearing his return to the field against the Bulldogs.
“He’s been day-to-day. He’s not in control of it,” Heupel said. “Our medical staff is doing everything they can. It’s a little bit of an unknown timeframe. Could wake up tomorrow ready to go. He’s had, some times, some healing and we hope that happens before we get to Saturday.”
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Tennessee lists Sanders as its starter at right tackle on the depth chart, but he hasn’t been able to play a snap to this point. With Sanders sidelined, Tennessee has opted to go to the same starting offensive line without him. This has featured Jesse Perry at right tackle, Wendell Moe Jr. at right guard, Sam Pendleton at center, Shamurad Umarov at left guard and Lance Heard at left tackle.
Perry, a redshirt freshman who was poised to start at right guard, has performed very well in Sanders’ absence. The Murfreesboro native has been one of the SEC’s best offensive linemen to this point in the season and earned the best pass block grade of any Tennessee offensive lineman against Georgia— its lone SEC game to date.
If Sanders starts against the Bulldogs, expect Perry to slide to right guard, Moe to slide to left guard and Sham Umarov to no longer start.
Despite the offensive line’s success to this point in the season, adding Sanders to the fold would still be a major boost to Tennessee’s offensive line room and the injury has been tough mentally for the talented freshman.
