In Tennessee football’s overtime road win over Mississippi State, freshman offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. made his college debut. It didn’t come as a starter, though. Instead, the Vols rolled with their same lineup, with Jesse Perry playing right tackle.
However, on the game-tying drive near the end of regulation, Perry went down with an injury. Sanders was inserted at right tackle for the remainder of the drive, which resulted in a touchdown. In his drive, Sanders pass blocked on five plays. In this time, he was given a 45.3 grade, according to PFF. He run blocked on the other six, earning a 59.1 mark.
On Monday, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel met with the media to discuss the preparation for Arkansas. He was asked if he planned on inserting Sanders into the starting lineup, but didn’t want to say if that was his plan just yet. However, he did note that he expects him to play.
“David’s cleared to play…,” Heupel said. “I’m not ready to say anything on that, but David’s going to play. We’re going to need all those guys.”
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After watching the film of his drive against Mississippi State, Heupel gave his thoughts on Sanders’ performance. He liked what he saw and his preparation going into it to be ready for the moment.
“Thought he went in and handled himself extremely well,” Heupel said. “First action of the season, seven minutes and change in the ball game on a drive where you got to go score and tie it up. It was something I pointed out to everybody in our team room. I just used the word prepared, right? He was prepared for that moment when he went in and executed and handled himself the way he needed to to go score on a drive. Man, we’re gonna need them all as the season continues. Fight, strain and compete. And take what you want— individually and ultimately as a football team too.”
If Tennessee does roll with the same lineup, it features Shamurad Umarov at guard and Perry out at tackle. If Heupel does decide he’s willing to start Sanders, it’d likely mean Perry, who has played well to this point, would be pushed back in to guard and Umarov would be on the sideline.
While Sanders’ talent is undeniable, it may be tough to justify the change. The offensive line has been a strong point of the offense so far, and tinkering with it could be costly.
