Sunday Scoop: The latest on five-star Michigan OL target David Sanders

*** Michigan took a step in the right direction in the recruitment of five-star 2025 Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day offensive tackle David Sanders by getting him on campus for the BBQ at The Big House last month. The trip marked Sanders’ first-ever visit to Michigan. And yes, Sanders was impressed. He got an in-depth look at the campus and the facilities and also spent extended time with offensive line coach Sherrone Moore. While Sanders was unable to workout, he did go over film with Moore and had lengthy conversations. Sanders and his family also sat down with Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh for half an hour.

*** The Goodwin family will play a key role for Sanders moving forward. After all, Sanders is very close with 2024 Michigan wide receiver commit Channing Goodwin, who is his teammate at Providence Day. Goodwin is a bit like a big brother. On top of that, Sanders’ high school offensive line coach is Goodwin’s father and ex-Michigan offensive lineman Jonathan Goodwin. While Jonathan isn’t pushing Michigan to Sanders, he can act as a terrific resource for him and his family. Sanders, the No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 5 overall recruit nationally, respects Jonathan and would certainly value his advice about the U-M program.

*** Michigan was the first school to offer Sanders and will be in the mix moving forward. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Sanders return to Michigan for the game against Ohio State in November. However, nothing is completely set in stone. So where exactly does Michigan stand here? Others have painted a very optimistic picture of Michigan’s chances with Sanders, but I still believe this one is an uphill battle. A national reporter from another network was also in on the Sanders interview with me, and when he opened things up by asking about standout schools, U-M was not mentioned.

*** I still have reason to believe that Sanders’ preference is to play in the south. If I had to pick an early leader right now, it would be Georgia. Sanders has been to Athens on multiple occasions, including an unofficial visit right before his trip to U-M. Alabama is also heavily involved and is high on his mind. Clemson, South Carolina and Tennessee are a trio of other major players. Michigan can impress Sanders with another big season, and it’s clear Moore and his back-to-back Joe Moore awards are playing a role. But the southern schools will be tough to beat, and NIL, which could be a factor for such a highly touted prospect at a premium position, isn’t in U-M’s favor.

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