ATLANTA − Josh Heupel anticipates David Sanders Jr. being back for Tennessee football when it starts preparing for ETSU.
The freshman offensive tackle did not play in Tennessee’s 45-26 season-opening win against Syracuse at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 30.
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“It was hard for David when he got that news,” the Vols coach said. “He anticipated being ready to play. … I thought he handled it extremely well.”
The five-star recruit “kind of got nicked up” late in Tennessee’s practice on Aug. 27 in preparation for Syracuse. Heupel indicated the Vols expected that Sanders would be able to play but the medical staff “felt like it probably wasn’t the right thing to do.”
The Vols (1-0) host ETSU on Saturday, Sept. 6. (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
This story will be updated.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: David Sanders Jr. injury update: Josh Heupel updates Tennessee freshman
