David Sanders, Jr. confirms suspicion about one of Tennessee Vols' new traditions
Some traditionalists who are Tennessee Vol fans may not be the biggest fans of the program mixing it up with their uniform selections. However, it's had quite the effect on those within the program – including the Vols' most recent member, five-star offensive tackle David Sanders, Jr. Sanders went on the 3HL Show on 104.5 […]
Some traditionalists who are Tennessee Vol fans may not be the biggest fans of the program mixing it up with their uniform selections.
However, it's had quite the effect on those within the program – including the Vols' most recent member, five-star offensive tackle David Sanders, Jr.
Sanders went on the 3HL Show on 104.5 The Zone on Thursday, hours after announcing his signing with the Vols on the Paul Finebaum Show. Naturally, there was plenty of talk about his recruitment, and the subject of his visits came up.
One of those visits was the Kentucky game last month. The Vols donned their "Dark Mode" all black uniforms, and those caught the attention of Sanders.
"I was there for the Dark Mode game we played against Kentucky this year," Sanders said. "Knoxville is always rocking. You know, my very first game in Knoxville, the next day I couldn't even hear. So, I knew it was loud, but the Kentucky game was just a different atmosphere. I don't think anybody can go in there and beat us when we've got that all black."
For those who might say that uniform choices or tweaks don't matter, well, this kind of shows that it does. There's been a sense that the players love to wear and play well in the Dark Mode uniforms, and Sanders' take backs it up.
The Vols have also played very well in them over the last four years. They clubbed South Carolina 45-20 and 41-20 in 2021 and 2023, respectively, and defeated Kentucky 44-6 and 28-18 in 2022 and 2024.
Some fans have complained about the Vols' use of alternate uniforms – whether that's when the Vols have gone with the Dark Mode, the Smokey greys, the orange helmets, or the all-orange looks – preferring the white helmets, orange jerseys, and white pants at home and all white on the road.
However, the players and recruits are people with preferences just like the rest of us and get fired up over changes like this. And at the end of the day, that extra motivation is what matters the most.
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