The movement continues on Tennessee's defensive front.
Fifth-year senior Darel Middleton, who started six games during the 2019 season and six more last year, has entered the NCAA transfer portal and plans to use his final season of eligibility elsewhere. The 6-foot-7, 305-pounder from Knoxville played in nine of Tennessee's 10 games last season, tallying 15 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, which included a 13-yard sack.
Middleton is the Volunteers' second defensive lineman in the last week to enter the portal, with redshirt junior Greg Emerson having done so Saturday.
After attending Powell High School in Knoxville and Oak Ridge High, Middleton continued his football career at East Mississippi Community College. He helped EMCC to an undefeated season in 2018 and to the NJCAA national championship, recording 29 tackles and seven tackles for loss.
Middleton was the No. 4 junior-college defensive tackle prospect in the 2019 signing class, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings, and his first season with the Vols yielded 28 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble and a blocked kick.
This past spring, however, Middleton did not participate in the last couple of practices or in the Orange & White contest.
Though Tennessee has lost Emerson and Middleton to the portal, the Vols have used the same route to acquire defensive linemen Caleb Tremblay and Da'Jon Terry. Tremblay announced in late April that he would transfer from Southern California, while Terry was at Kansas when he committed to Tennessee in early May.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.