What Tennessee offensive line coach Glen Elarbee has seen from 5-star freshman David Sanders

Glen Elarbee narrowed it down to two area. Where has Tennessee’s five-star freshman David Sanders make the biggest jumps? His body — Sanders is up 38 pounds since arriving in Knoxville — and his mind. 

“The guy has done an incredible job of putting on weight and getting to a place where he can function here in the SEC,” Elarbee, Tennessee’s offensive line coach, said during his press conference after Tuesday’s practice. 

“Mentally,” Elarbee continued, “he spent as much time or more time than anybody reading, walking through, understanding there’s still way, way more to keep going.”

David Sanders Recruiting Ranking: No. 9 overall, No. 2 OT, No. 1 NC

Sanders enters his freshman season with more expectations than anyone, too.

He was the No. 9 overall prospect in the Rivals Industry Ranking, picking Tennessee over Ohio State as the No. 2 offensive tackle in the country, and immediately walked into an offensive line room that was looking to replace four of five starters from last season.

The hype hasn’t slowed down. Not through the offseason. Not early in fall camp.

“Where he was to where he is now, unreal and credit to him,” Elarbee said. “And then just technique wise, it’s so rewarding when you see him change something on a pass set or change something in the run game, technique wise, and it works. And the light clicks and then you get to go and move on to the next thing. 

“And he just consistently, every day, (is) ticking off something and just keeps building and climbing. (He has) done a great job.”

‘Go play just incredibly hard and strain and try to go bury somebody’

Later in Tuesday’s press conference Elarbee was asked what he needs to see from Sanders to know he’s ready to start as a true freshman on Tennessee’s offensive line when the Vols open the season on August 30 against Syracuse in Atlanta.

Again, Elarbee broke it down into two areas.

“One, the mental assignment part of it,” he said, “you got to be able to go to the right guy. Two, the technique of what you’re doing when you get there. And I’m not sure any of these are in particular order.”

Sanders, or any other offensive lineman, can’t have one without the other. 

“You got have both those,” Elarbee said, “and then for sure you got to go play just incredibly hard and strain and try to go bury somebody. And if you can go to the right guy, do it with good technique and do it really hard, you’ll be ready to go.”