The end is in sight for five-star David Sanders Jr. The top-ranked uncommitted prospect in the Rivals250 and the No. 1 offensive lineman in the nation has a decision date of Aug. 17 and a final group that includes Ohio State, Tennessee, Georgia and Nebraska.
Sanders has taken dozens of visits to campuses around the country gathering as much information as possible before pulling the trigger on a commitment. He's narrowed down his long list of contenders to these four programs and today we look at how they rank with a little over a month left in his recruitment.
RUMOR MILL: Key decisions on deck as summer hits midpoint
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1. OHIO STATE
Ohio State is in great position for the stretch run of this recruitment. The Buckeyes have been able to get Sanders and his family on campus a number of times this year and it's only helped Ohio State rise up the list of contenders.
The way Ohio State has developed offensive linemen over the last few years has really impressed Sanders and his family. Ohio State has leaned on Paris Johnson and his family throughout this process and that has really helped in their pursuit of Sanders. The strong relationships Sanders has with Ryan Day, Justin Frye, the rest of the Ohio State staff and current commits has gone a long way as well.
The Buckeyes hold a slim lead right now but there is reason for them to feel confident at this point in the process.
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2. TENNESSEE
If Ohio State is No. 1A for Sanders right now, then Tennessee is No. 1B. The Volunteers have struck all the right notes with Sanders so far despite misspelling his name on a name card during one of his visits to campus.
Josh Heupel and Glen Elarbee have done an excellent job making Sanders feel comfortable in Knoxville and within the program. Sanders has become very close with a number of current players as well as many of the players committed to the Vols in this class.
Tennessee's relative proximity to his home in Charlotte is certainly working in the Volunteers' favor as well.
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3. GEORGIA
The Bulldogs were a longtime favorite for Sanders thanks to his relationship with offensive line coach Stacy Searels. Their relationship dates back to his eighth grade year when Searels, a North Carolina coach at the time, offered Sanders after a summer camp performance.
Sanders has visited the Georgia campus numerous times throughout his recruiting process and is extremely comfortable in that environment and around the Georgia coaches. There are dozens of current players who Sanders is close with and he knows many of the current Georgia commits very well. The short drive from campus to his home in Charlotte certainly doesn't hurt George's chances either.
Even though Ohio State and Tennessee are viewed as the top two contenders, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Georgia pick up momentum here late in the process.
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4. NEBRASKA
Matt Rhule and the Cornhuskers seemingly came out of nowhere for Sanders when they got him to take an official visit over Mother's Day weekend.
There's a lot that Nebraska can offer Sanders and the opportunity for early playing time is certainly catching their attention. Dylan Raiola has made it a personal mission of his to recruit Sanders and that is one of the driving forces behind Nebraska's push into his list of final contenders.
Nebraska made a splash getting Sanders on campus for an official visit and they pulled off a huge surprise last year by flipping Raiola at the 11th hour so don’t write off Nebraska just yet.
