Syracuse Football: ‘Cuse 5-star recruit, the nation’s No. 2 prospect, discloses top 6

Five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. from North Carolina, a consensus top-10 national prospect in the 2025 class who was offered by Syracuse football in late January, has revealed his six finalists.

The Orange, unfortunately, didn’t make the cut.

The top six for the 6-foot-7, 265-pound Sanders, which he disclosed via his X page, consists of Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, South Carolina and Tennessee.

In late January, the new ‘Cuse coaching staff, led by head coach and ace recruiter Fran Brown, offered a scholarship to Sanders. Throughout his recruiting process, Sanders has collected 40 scholarship offers from a wide range of high-major programs, per his bio on the 247Sports Web site.

Syracuse football didn’t make the top six of five-star OT David Sanders Jr.

While the Orange isn’t among the small group of finalists for Sanders, I credit ‘Cuse coaches for offering him and trying to prevail for this elite high school junior.

Sanders is a standout at the Providence Day School in Charlotte, N.C. For his efforts in the 2023 season, MaxPreps named him to its junior All-America first team.

During the most recent campaign, Sanders helped lead Providence Day to the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (“NCISAA”) Division I state championship.

When I wrote this article, both the industry-generated 247Sports Composite and the industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking placed Sanders as the No. 2 overall player, the No. 1 offensive tackle and the No. 1 prospect coming out of North Carolina within the 2025 class.

Although Syracuse football isn’t in the running for Sanders, in recent weeks, the Orange has made final list cuts for numerous highly ranked recruits in the junior cycle.

Those targets include four-star wide receiver Michael Thomas III from New Jersey, four-star cornerback Ben Hanks Jr. from Florida, four-star linebacker Ty Jackson from Florida, four-star cornerback/athlete Dawayne Galloway Jr. from Ohio, four-star wide receiver Vernell Brown III from Florida, four-star running back Kentrell Rinehart from Ohio, four-star offensive tackle Jaelyne Matthews from New Jersey, and four-star defensive lineman Ethan Utley from Tennessee, among others.

In late January, the ‘Cuse got on the board in the 2025 class when four-star edge and top-300 national prospect Sharlandiin Strange of Cheltenham High School in Wyncote, Pa., verbally committed to Syracuse football over other finalists Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Southern California.