This big-time offensive line prospect from the Tar Heel State has made a couple of visits to Clemson this spring, and the Tigers paid him a visit at his high school during the ongoing spring evaluation period.
Members of Clemson’s staff, including offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter, are among the coaches that have recently stopped by Providence Day School (Charlotte, N.C.) – home to David Sanders Jr., a 6-foot-7, 250-pound freshman in the 2025 class with close to 20 scholarship offers already under his belt.
“A lot of schools have been up there like every day,” Sanders told The Clemson Insider. “We also lift every day after school, so they usually come to the lifts and watch us get after it.”
“Clemson is one of those schools that came up,” he added. “I know Texas A&M’s been up here, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Coastal Carolina, Penn State … LSU as well.”
Sanders certainly appreciates the fact that Clemson is showing interest and made that interest known by checking up on him at his school.
“That definitely means a lot, that they’re really interested in me as a player and just to see my growth and development,” he said. “To make their way up to Providence Day, that means a lot to know that they truly want to see how I’m doing and how I’m doing at school. So, that means a lot to me.”
College coaches aren’t allowed to speak with Sanders at his school, nor can college coaches initiate contact with class of 2025 recruits such as Sanders off of college campuses.
However, coaches can pick up the phone when prospects call them, so Sanders makes an effort to stay in touch with Clemson offensive line coach Thomas Austin on a regular basis, and the two have been building a strong bond.
“I usually call him every two or three weeks just to catch up on some stuff,” Sanders said. “Since I’m class of 2025, they can’t contact me. So, I have to call them through my coach, and they’ll pick up and we can have a conversation.”
“I think our relationship is great,” he continued. “It’s going to be good to see how that builds over the next few years. He seems like a great guy, and then with him being the offensive line coach, it’ll be a great opportunity for me to get to know him as a person more than just a football coach. And then just to see how he operates outside of football is also a great thing to me. … He’s just asking me how school’s going and how the family’s doing. So, that means a lot to know that he’s interested in everybody and not just me as a football player.”
Sanders made his first-ever visit to Clemson on March 12 for the Tigers’ underclassmen day, then returned to campus for the second time in as many months when he attended the Orange & White spring game on April 9.
Asked what stood out to him about the spring game visit, Sanders replied, “Definitely the fan support.”
“I mean, the spring game, there was plenty of people there just for the spring game, so that shows how much the student fan base and just the fan base period, how much they cared about the program,” he said. “And how Dabo and the rest of the team, they just embraced everybody that was there.”
Sanders hasn’t completely planned out his summer camp schedule yet but said, “Clemson might have to be one of the stops, for sure.” He named Georgia, Alabama and Michigan as a few of the other schools he is looking to camp at and/or visit.
Sander’s offer sheet includes schools such as Michigan, Penn State, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, Ole Miss, South Carolina, North Carolina, NC State, Wake Forest, Florida State, Louisville, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
Clemson, of course, doesn’t offer recruits as young as Sanders, per the program’s policy. But the elite O-line prospect would love to add Clemson to his offer list in the future.
“That offer would mean the world to me,” he said. “Clemson is definitely one of the schools that I like the most. So, that offer would mean the world. Knowing the coaches and them knowing my family, that just means even more. And then getting back down there and building that relationship with Coach Swinney and Coach Austin, it would just be great.”
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