Tennessee football recruiting: 5 Vols signees for 2019 who could contribute early

A three-star defensive tackle, Darel Middleton has a great chance to be the No. 2 defensive lineman in Jeremy Pruitt’s 3-4 system this year. He would likely line up on the outside given his size at 6’6″ 280 pounds.

However, with a year of college experience already, Middleton is an in-state prospect who brings a ton of potential to Tennessee football. The defensive line rotation is wide open right now with the departures of Alexis Johnson, Kyle Phillips and Shy Tuttle, and Middleton could line up in any of the spots.

Coming out of Oak Ridge High School, Middleton is a local prospect likely to work a lot harder for the Vols than many other recruits. Now, there is a chance that Middleton could be a tweener, but it opens the same chance for him to have options as to how he lines up on defense.

Middleton has some competition to get into the rotation, but if last year is any indication, Pruitt and Kevin Sherrer need a ton of help to shore up their defensive line. The backups in 2018, after all, were not very productive.

As a result, Middleton has an amazing chance at being some sort of contributor, and there’s also a chance he becomes a starter. That’s why it was easy for us to put him on this list. His experience and the need at his position are too much to overlook.