The latest on Nebraska football 5-star target David Sanders

Not long ago, it felt like Nebraska football was out of the recruitment of five-star offensive tackle David Sanders. But when the elite prospect recently included the Huskers in his top four, that calculus changed.

Nebraska football has felt on the outside looking in for much of this recruitment. But Sanders included the Huskers in his final four instead of SEC schools Alabama and South Carolina. That means something.

Georgia, Ohio State, and Tennessee are the other contenders. The Buckeyes and Vols have the most buzz right now but a report from Steve Wiltfong of On3.com on Tuesday that Sanders will take more visits before his decision — maybe more than one — could give Nebraska and others a chance to change that.

Sanders has visited Georgia, Tennessee, and Ohio State multiple times in 2024. You can’t say the same about Nebraska football, which has only hosted Sanders once, over Mother’s Day weekend for an official visit.

The Huskers knocked it out of the park. However, there hasn’t been much buzz about the Huskers since then. That would certainly change though if Sanders took another trip to Lincoln.

Nebraska football needs to get David Sanders back to Lincoln

If that happens, I’ll view Nebraska football as a viable contender. But if Sanders visits Ohio State and Tennessee, that will be a sign that the Huskers don’t really have a chance.

It’s nice to be in the top four, but if Nebraska football doesn’t get Sanders on campus or a visit at the end of July, then it’s hard to see them having a realistic chance of landing his commitment on August 17th.

Sanders is the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2025 class according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. He’s 6-foot-6, 290 pounds and his only crystal ball projection is for Clemson, which was eliminated.

Dylan Raiola has played a big role in this recruitment and if Sanders does visit again, the five-star QB will play a key role in trying to close. Here’s what Sanders told Wiltfong about Raiola and the Huskers:

“Dylan (Raiola),” Sanders said when asked what Nebraska did to get on his radar. “When they pulled the No. 1 player out of the 2024 class, they can get the No. 1 offensive tackle from the 2025 class to protect him. If you have a high-caliber quarterback like that, you need somebody that’s going to protect him. I feel like he’s done a great job, even when he was committed at Georgia. That’s one of the main reasons I took that visit because he did such a good job building that relationship with me and letting me know ‘I need you to come block for me.’ His tune never changed when he committed to Nebraska.”

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