Tennessee Targets 4-Star LB Omarii Sanders for Potential Flip from Vanderbilt
After a College Football Playoff appearance in 2024, the Tennessee Volunteers have taken a step back. In his fifth season as head coach, Josh Heupel led the Volunteers to an 8-5 overall record, 4-4 in SEC matchups and finished with a Music City Bowl loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini.
As Heupel hits the offseason, ready to regroup, he and his staff have begun to heat up on the recruiting trail. Tennessee’s 2027 recruiting class ranks 14th in the nation and seventh in the SEC with five commitments. Despite already landing three-star linebacker JP Peace, the team isn’t done building the position up.
Omarii Sanders, a 6-foot-3.5, 210-pound linebacker out of Nashville, Tennessee, committed to the Vanderbilt Commodores on Nov. 29. He is a big addition, ranked as a four-star recruit, the No. 2 linebacker and the No. 52 player in the nation, according to Rivals Industry Rankings.
Last year for Franklin Road Academy, he racked up 73 tackles, two tackles for loss, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. After an impressive junior season, teams aren’t giving up on a potential flip.
In an article from Rivals’ director of recruiting Chad Simmons, he notes that the Volunteers are one team continuing to make a strong impression for Sanders.
“Tennessee is making a strong push to flip one of the top commits in the Southeast,” Simmons wrote. “Four-star linebacker Omarii Sanders, currently committed to Vanderbilt, has locked in official visits with Tennessee and Texas A&M — and the Vols are trending.”
With his official visit to Knoxville scheduled for June 5, Heupel and his staff are hoping to flip Sanders from Vanderbilt, giving them a big recruiting win over their in-state rival.
