Vols true freshman offensive lineman David Sanders Jr sends message to elite 5-star recruit Tennessee is still trying to land originally appeared on A to Z Sports.
The Tennessee Vols are one of several teams hoping to land 2026 five-star offensive lineman Darius Gray this week.
Gray, 6-foot-3/285 lbs from Richmond, VA, is set to announce his commitment on August 22. He’s rated by 247Sports as the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the nation and the No. 16 overall player in the 2026 recruiting class.
LSU, South Carolina, Ohio State, and Clemson are also in the mix for Gray.
Vols true freshman offensive lineman David Sanders Jr, the No. 6 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class, used his Instagram account to send a message to Gray on Tuesday.
“Bring it home brudda,” wrote Sanders on a repost of Gray’s commitment plans on Instagram.
South Carolina and LSU are viewed as the favorites for Gray. The Vols, however, are still trying to convince the five-star recruit to call Rocky Top home for the next few years.
“Following official visits, the buzz has shifted back toward the Gamecocks,” wrote On3’s Chad Simmons on Tuesday. “There is still optimism at LSU, and Tennessee is working to remain in the picture.”
It doesn’t seem likely that Tennessee will win this battle, but as we always say: you just never know when it comes to recruiting.
Sanders, to his credit, is doing his part to try to help Tennessee pull off the upset in this recruiting battle.
Related: Syracuse head coach Fran Brown makes a comment that should be a challenge to the Tennessee Vols’ offense in the 2025 season opener
This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Aug 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
