Top 2025 prospect David Sanders Jr. is more than just a great athlete

CHARLOTTE –Class of 2025 Charlotte (NC) Providence Day offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. is one of the most heavily recruited prospects in America. At 6-foot-7, 270-pounds, he is a prototype left tackle in a world with a limited supply of such prospects.

From Alabama to Clemson to Georgia to Ohio State, Sanders can have his pick of any program in the country before playing a snap of his junior season. But the five-star prospect is more than just a unique athlete, he’s a unique person.

Sanders is as good of a student as he is a football player and has ambitions of one day becoming an orthopedic surgeon.

“I got injured my freshman year in the second game of our season against Carver in Atlanta,” Sanders recalled. “That kind of sparked my interest in orthopedic surgery. Obviously I was very sad that I got hurt and distraught that my freshman season was over but at the end of the day you had to build a bridge and get over it.”

“I had a great doctor, he went to the University of Georgia so he talked to me about that and about his process of becoming an orthopedic surgeon,” he continued. “That’s really where I gained an interest for it.”

Juggling such a challenging major while holding NFL dreams is no easy task. So far Sanders says the colleges recruiting him have been receptive and supportive of the idea.

“When I say it people are kind of surprised,” Sanders said. “But I take my education very seriously and a lot of people have been supportive. A lot of the programs that I’ve visited are able to offer that major so that’s pretty cool.”

Ohio State is one program that has put in a lot of time into recruiting Sanders. The Buckeyes have checked on him this spring at his school and Sanders was also able to get his first look at Ohio State back in April.

“They are known for sending great linemen off to the NFL,” Sanders said of the Buckeyes. “They have a great track record of winning a lot of games and competing for national championships year in and year out. Obviously that’s a big thing for me, is competing for national championships. Overall I really like Ohio State and what they stand for as a program.”

Hear more from Sanders including which former Buckeye he has developed a relationship with and looks up to and when he might back in Columbus in this 1-on-1 interview with the five-star talent.