The Tennessee football family is mourning the loss of former safety LaDarrell McNeil, who started for the Volunteers during the 2012-15 seasons.
McNeil was just 27 years old, and his cause of death has yet to be confirmed.
Tennessee's official Twitter account on Friday posted the message, "Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family and his teammates. LaDarrell will be dearly missed."
McNeil was the highest-rated signee out of high school in Derek Dooley's final class in 2012 - receiver signee Cordarralle Patterson was the nation's No. 1 junior-college prospect that year. The four-star defensive back out of Dallas was the nation's No. 7 safety and the No. 90 overall recruit on the 247Sports.com composite rankings.
The first 2012 signee other than Patterson to start, McNeil broke through at Mississippi State and recorded eight tackles. He finished his initial season with 58 tackles, earning Freshman All-Southeastern Conference honors.
McNeil wound up playing 47 career games for the Vols, starting in 41 of the last 43. He tallied 219 career tackles, recording 11 stops during a 29-21 loss to visiting Missouri in 2014.
As a senior in 2015, McNeil had interceptions in consecutive games against Western Carolina and Florida.
"LaDarrell was the realest safety I ever played with and an even better person," Brian Randolph, who also started at safety from 2012-15, posted Friday on Twitter. "Although it hurts that you're gone, I find comfort in knowing you are with Our Father."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.