Photo: Ben Proffitt
Late Wednesday night, Tennessee picked up another commitment in junior college product Darel Middleton. Middleton is listed at 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 290 pounds. He also lists himself on twitter as an athlete, but appears to get most of his work on the defensive line.
God is good.& when they say be Patient and let him do his job. Let him. He’s great at it. I have Committed to The University of Tennessee!! pic.twitter.com/BlszmGeQxJ
— Darel E. Middleton (@Darel__) April 5, 2018
Middleton is currently enrolled at East Mississippi Community College, but is an East Tennessee native. He was even committed to the Vols when he was in high school, but by the time he graduated from Oak Ridge, he and Tennessee had already gone their separate ways. Ultimately, due to academic issues, he was forced to go the junior college route.
Middleton was listed as a 4-star recruit out of Oak Ridge, and he’s still getting the same attention after two years outside of a major college program. He committed to Tennessee over schools like Auburn, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
Unfortunately, Middleton’s academic status is still somewhat unclear. According to reports from 247sports’ Ryan Callahan, Jeremy Pruitt and staff are still looking into his academic eligibility. Where everything stands right now, it is uncertain when he will be able to actually graduate from EMCC and join Tennessee’s football roster.
Still, Middleton is remaining optimistic and Tennessee fans should hope for the best. Someone of his size would be a welcomed addition to a defensive line that could use a boost.
Middleton’s high school highlights:
