“My relationship with Coach Elarbee and just the whole coaching staff,” von Brandt said of what brought him to Tennessee. “We have a tight relationship. They have been recruiting me ever since I was committed to Penn State. They have let me know that I am a priority for them and they were still going to recruit me, even though I was committed, until I told them, no.”
His first look at Josh Heupel’s program did not disappoint as he left Knoxville impressed.
“It is awesome. They have great facilities and have a lot of stuff that could develop me into the player I want to be. A lot of things they have is pro development. They have a lot of good people in the facilities who know what they are doing. So, it was pretty cool.”
Von Brandt was also impressed by Tennessee’s offensive line group, especially former five-star recruit David Sanders.
“You want me to be honest, David Sanders,” von Brandt said about what stood out. “He is a beast, man. I try to model my game after him, and hopefully I will be as athletic as him. He has my number now, so we are going to talk some, and I think I might hang out with him later today, which should be fun. It was great talking with him and meeting him, and really the whole offensive line group, they have a great group of guys there.”
Tennessee’s message to von Brandt was direct and to the point. While they believe in him as a player, they also believe he is the ideal fit for the program.
“I mean, they obviously told me things about me as a player, but they also to me as an individual, and I am the right culture fit,” von Brandt said. “Just being that type of guy for them and they see that. That was pretty cool seeing that.”
Von Brandt said he has not locked in any official visits at this point in the recruiting process, but he plans to lock one in to Tennessee in the near future.
Now that von Brandt has visited Tennessee, there are a couple of things that stand out about the Vols.
“The development aspect of it and just having a tight relationship with the entire coaching staff,” he said. “It makes me feel comfortable knowing that they can develop me as a person and as a player. That is what stands out to me.”
The standout offensive tackle said he hopes to make a decision before his senior season.
