Tennessee football left tackle David Sanders returns from injury vs Alabama

Tennessee left tackle David Sanders left the game with an injury against No. 7 Alabama on Oct. 17, but he returned in the second half.

On a first-and-10 play from UT's 14-yard line, George MacIntyre threw an interception on a pass that went through the hands of Radarious Jackson. At the end of the play, Sanders was lying on the field. He grabbed his right knee.

Sanders initially walked off the field on his own power. But then UT staffers had to help him to the sideline. He went immediately into the medical tent. LSU transfer Ory Williams replaced Sanders on the next drive.

But Sanders returned to the lineup on UT's opening drive of the third quarter.

It was a notable boost for the Vols. Sanders is a former five-star recruit. He earned Freshman All-America honors in 2025 as a right tackle and moved to left tackle this season.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football left tackle David Sanders returns from injury vs Alabama