KNOXVILLE - Tennessee picked up a commitment from "Last Chance U" late Wednesday night.
Darel Middleton, a 6-foot-7, 290-pound athlete, announced his commitment to the Volunteers on Twitter.
Originally part of the 2016 class at Oak Ridge High School, Middleton is set to play the upcoming season at East Mississippi Community College. Middleton confirmed Wednesday night that it's not yet certain whether he will be part of the Volunteers' 2019 class.
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
— BigTimeRel__ (@Darel__) April 5, 2018
EMCC is widely known as the former subject of a documentary series titled Last Chance U about community college players seeking to overcome various challenges to reach the NCAA Division 1 level.
Middleton committed to Tennessee when he was a freshman at Powell High School in the Knoxville area several years ago but eventually decommitted. According to 247Sports, academic issues forced Middleton to attend junior college. He first signed with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in 2016.
Verbal commitments are nonbinding, but Middleton's journey appears to be leading him back to Knoxville, where his most likely fit would be as a defensive lineman.
"God is good. & when they say be Patient and let him do his job. Let him," Middleton wrote in the announcement of his commitment. "He's great at it. I have Committed to The University of Tennessee!!"
Tennessee 2019 verbal commitments
Jackson Lampley | offensive lineman | Nashville (Montgomery Bell Academy) | Rivals/247 4-star
Jackson Lowe | tight end | Cartersville, Ga (Cartersville High) | Rivals/247 3-star
LeDarrius Cox | defensive tackle | Mobile, Ala. (McGill-Toolen) | Rivals/247 3-star
* Darel Middleton | athlete | Oak Ridge, Tenn. (East Mississippi CC) | Rivals/247 3-star
* Final determination has yet to be made on whether Middleton will be part of the 2019 class.