Volunteer State native Brycen Sanders impressed with Vols' Junior Day
Baylor offensive lineman Brycen Sanders is no stranger to Rocky Top. The four-star has been a frequent visitor to Knoxville over the past year and was back on campus Saturday for Junior Day.
“It went really well. I got to see all the coaches again and got to meet with most of them individually, which is nice,” the 2023 prospect said. “That helps build the relationship with them more than just talking over the phone. I got to tour the facilities and got to see all the other recruits here. It was definitely a fun day.”
The 6-foot-6, 290-pound mauler was last in town when Tennessee hosted Ole Miss. He was also on campus a couple of times last summer as the Volunteer coaching staff continues to get a feel for the type of player he is and where he fits in the system – either guard or center.
“My dad is an offensive line coach. I’m very smart and I’m aggressive. I know what I’m going to do and I do it to the best of my abilities,” Sanders said of himself. “We watched some film today and I was able to watch their plays, their technique and what they do here.
“It’s a lot similar to what I do in high school.”
But Saturday had a different feel compared to other recruiting events the Chattanooga native has taken part in.
“Just the level of talent that’s here,” the lineman told Volquest about what made it a unique day. “There’s multiple five-stars here and a lot of four-stars here. There are a lot of names here, so it’s definitely cool to see all the talent that’s interested in Tennessee.”
Sanders is rated as the seventh-best prospect in Tennessee. His offer count sits around 20 with Duke, Florida State and Virginia Tech filing in over the past week. With a busy winter on the wrestling mat, the four-star hopes to get out to more campuses in March and April.
On the list for Sanders to potentially visit this spring include programs such as Stanford, Florida State, Clemson and back to Tennessee for a spring practice. The offensive lineman would also like to begin the official visit process as soon as it’s allowed.
But for now, the focus has been on wrestling – a sport that helps improve his football mechanics during the offseason. It’s the first time Sanders has wrestled since middle school, but he’s already compiled a 10-5 record in the heavy-weight division while competing against some of the better wrestlers in the county.
“It definitely helps with my hands,” the dual-sport athlete said. “Our practices are very tough. We are ranked in the country, so there’s a lot of talent on our team. It’s hard.
“I’ve traveled to Kansas City and Atlanta with my team to wrestle this season. So, I’ve gone up against guys from all across the county. It’s definitely going to help me get better, get tougher and keep me competitive.”
Still, the Baylor standout envisions a busy spring and even predicts a May commitment announcement could be in store. As for the Vols, expect Josh Heupel and Glen Elarbee to be in the thick of it as the two parties speak at least once every week.
“This past season, they were top-10 in the country in almost every offensive category,” the prospect said of Tennessee. “Just how fast they play and how much they score definitely sticks out to me. Coach Elarbee is a great guy and he’s easy to talk to. The way he teaches technique is very good.”
Sanders owns a Rivals Rating of 5.8.
