Who’s No. 1?
Not only does the Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day star profile as the runaway top tackle projection at this time, there is heavy conversation that David Sanders Jr. could continue to position himself in the No. 1 overall recruit conversation with each passing evaluation. Rivals saw him in action just last week and the returns from national analyst Adam Friedman are as strong as ever.
“He has all the physical traits college coaches are looking for,” Friedman said. “If he keeps developing at his current rate, he’s on a trajectory that could see him end up as one of the first picks in the NFL Draft when his time comes.”
At one point, there was some conversation about teams using Sanders as a two-way lineman, but with his physical development and almost ideal frame to play on the offense’s blindside (6-foot-6, 270 pounds or so), there won’t be an easy run at Sanders for the top offensive tackle spot in the rankings over the next 17-plus months.
On the recruiting front, as one would imagine, Sanders has a wide array of scholarship offers from national powers, frequenting many over the last year or so. There has long been a Georgia buzz with this recruitment, and Friedman drew enough from Sanders’ feel for the championship program to kick off the FutureCast run on the five-star tackle with a Bulldogs selection.
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Movers & Shakers
Michael Fasusi: The big offensive tackle is a stock riser to watch, regardless of position, as he moved from near the top 50 overall to five-star range with his new spot at No. 24 overall, upgrading to the No. 4 offensive tackle recruit in the process. The uncommitted prospect stands 6-foot-4 and under 300 pounds, yet he carries the weight incredibly well and was the clear top tackle performer at this summer’s Future 50 event. Fasusi already holds 30-plus scholarship offers, with Miami and Oregon State among the latest to pursue the Texan.
Rowan Byrne: The No. 13 offensive tackle in the class makes his Rivals250 debut with a four-star rating. It comes in conjunction with his scholarship offer list going national after strong offseason showings, as Ohio State, Cincinnati, Florida and Florida State represent some of the latest extensions in for Byrne. He was busy in the late summer, too, taking trips to OSU, UM and Notre Dame to close out the month of July.
Josh Petty: Petty made the strongest Rivals250 debut among offensive line recruits, surging from intriguing athlete to four-star projection and the No. 152 overall recruit in the class. The Peach State talent is red-hot on the trail and has flashed already during his junior campaign, so even the bump to the No. 15 offensive tackle in the land may be a bit conservative at this time. Stanford was the last program to get Petty on campus for an unofficial visit, with Tennessee, Clemson and Notre Dame among the programs making early waves.
Michael Carroll: Carroll also debuted in the Rivals250, claiming spot No. 223 overall, 22nd among projected tackles at this time in what is shaping up to be quite a strong class at the position. The Pennsylvania native was back at Penn State, where he holds legacy status, near the end of July, followed by a visit to Ann Arbor that ended with a new offer from Michigan. Carroll admits it’s early in his recruitment, but the new variety of options could change things for one of the top performers from the NextGen Five-Star Pro Day.
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Top five classes so far
