Another defensive end within UT’s three-man front is Darel Middleton, who will also be playing his final year of eligibility in 2020.
A Knoxville native, Middleton came to Tennessee from East Mississippi Community College, better-known as “Last Chance U” from the first two seasons of the popular Netflix show. At 6-foot-7, 311-pounds, Middleton showed flashes in his junior year, totaling 28 tackles. In a two-game midseason stretch against Mississippi State and Alabama, Middleton picked up seven total tackles, two TFLs and one sack. Middleton looks the part and could be a key contributor bookending the defensive line with Solomon on the other side.
In a senior-loaded front, Latrell Bumphus and Matthew Butler can help at defensive end, along with Kurott Garland and Ja’Quain Blakely. Unlike 2019, depth is not a concern for this unit, barring a series of injuries.
Emmit Gooden is expected to start in the middle of Tennessee’s defensive line. Another “Last Chance U” alum from Independence Community College in Kansas, the Vols were dealt a huge blow when Gooden suffered an ACL tear in preseason that ruled him out for 2019. At an athletic 6-foot-3, 290-pounds, Gooden is possibly the most talented defensive lineman on the roster and could play himself into a draft pick during his redshirt senior year.
NEXT (Continued): A way-too-early preview of Tennessee’s defensive line in 2020