Vols Receive First 2016 Commitment

Nov 10, 2012; Knoxville, TN, USA; A general view of the Tennessee Volunteers logo on the field prior to the game against the Missouri Tigers at Neyland Stadium. Missouri defeated Tennessee 51-48 in quadruple overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

The Vols received their first commitment to the 2016 recruiting class when Darel Middleton announced his intentions to commit to Tennessee, late Sunday night.

Middleton is a local kid from Powell, TN (just ten miles from Knoxville).

The rising sophomore is already a freak of an athlete, standing 6’6″ and weighing 230 lbs.

Middleton played on both offense and defense during his freshmen season. He’s officially listed as a defensive end/tight end, although he will almost certainly be a defensive end in college.

The Vols newest commit is expected to be rated as one of the top players in Tennessee for 2016.

Middleton took his first unofficial visit to Tennessee on March 9 and came away with an offer from the Vols. He was also in attendance for the Orange and White game on April 20.

Darel Middleton tweeted that he intended to wait until signing day (three years away for him), but said he loved Tennessee too much to wait.

Middleton is another impressive pickup for the Vols and continues to show that Butch Jones was not kidding around when he announced his intentions to “own” the state of Tennessee.

For more on Tennessee Volunteers recruiting make sure to follow us on Twitter @AllforTennessee