'16 TN ATH Darel Middleton (Tennessee signee)

#1,702
#1,702
jakez4ut said:
He's a true freshman. There used to be a time when we didn't write guys of that weren't all sec performers right out of high school, especially LOS players.
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Yes..that is true, but in his case, it sounds like the injury he suffered is really setting him back.
 
#1,705
#1,705
Sleegro said:
I wasn't really specifying you. There were others too. But more of a general statement about any player.
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I was one of the others. Definitely not writing him off, but he didn’t look good with extra weight and I’m sure the injury added to that. Hopefully he can get healthy, adjust to playing at a heavier weight and regain his explosiveness. I’m definitely rooting for him and we will need him next year
 
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#1,707
#1,707
swchandler1988 said:
Looks like a hoss to me. Just needs to regain confidence and quickness as was stated before
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Yeah he is built like a brick house. But all that weight is on that ankle he hurt. I think the best thing is to redshirt and maybe try an let him play some at end of season, give a lil more time to rehabilitate.
 
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#1,709
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Ulysees E. McGill said:
Yes..that is true, but in his case, it sounds like the injury he suffered is really setting him back.
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maybe it did. i still think they think a lot of him, they moved him around this off season cause they at least have belief on some level that he's athletic enough to contribute, maybe at multiple spots.

but he is a freshman, injury or not, it's not a case of "the writing's on the wall" with him because he's buried on the depth chart right now.
 
#1,710
#1,710
T Dog said:
Yeah he is built like a brick house. But all that weight is on that ankle he hurt. I think the best thing is to redshirt and maybe try an let him play some at end of season, give a lil more time to rehabilitate.
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i think the best thing is you have options. if he rehabs and gets healthy and you can rep him later in the year, fine.

but you also have the opportunity to get him 100% healthy, and by next spring/summer/fall, he's probably in position to start, or at the very least be a regular on the 2 deep.

i'll be shocked probably if he doesn't wind up being a solid player for us when it's all said and done.
 
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#1,711
#1,711
jakez4ut said:
i think the best thing is you have options. if he rehabs and gets healthy and you can rep him later in the year, fine.

but you also have the opportunity to get him 100% healthy, and by next spring/summer/fall, he's probably in position to start, or at the very least be a regular on the 2 deep.

i'll be shocked probably if he doesn't wind up being a solid player for us when it's all said and done.
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Yep. I would like to see him play in a couple games this year though, just to get some live action. If not, by next fall it will have been since his junior year in HS since he will have played in a game. JG didn’t play his sr yr or college fr year and he never looked comfortable last season.
 
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#1,713
#1,713
swchandler1988 said:
Yep. I would like to see him play in a couple games this year though, just to get some live action. If not, by next fall it will have been since his junior year in HS since he will have played in a game. JG didn’t play his sr yr or college fr year and he never looked comfortable last season.
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yeah, i think the only thing that would worry me is if he plays because we ahve to play him. as long as we're doing it for developmental reasons, and he's healthy enough to do it, then coach's perogative....
 
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#1,714
#1,714
swchandler1988 said:
Yep. I would like to see him play in a couple games this year though, just to get some live action. If not, by next fall it will have been since his junior year in HS since he will have played in a game. JG didn’t play his sr yr or college fr year and he never looked comfortable last season.
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JG actually missed a good bit of his JR and SR of high school in addition to redshirting. That's why it's so crazy to me to see a lot of people on this forum complaining about his performance and writing him off. You have to put things in to context. He had seen very little live football in the last three years and suddenly had to play SEC defenses behind a terrible o-line and receivers who struggled to get open. I thought he did well, showed a lot of promise, and really made progress. He took sacks instead of throwing interceptions...the opposite of Dormady. Hopefully those same fans will give more leeway and patience to guys like Emerson.
 
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#1,715
#1,715
utvols83 said:
JG actually missed a good bit of his JR and SR of high school in addition to redshirting. That's why it's so crazy to me to see a lot of people on this forum complaining about his performance and writing him off. You have to put things in to context. He had seen very little live football in the last three years and suddenly had to play SEC defenses behind a terrible o-line and receivers who struggled to get open. I thought he did well, showed a lot of promise, and really made progress. He took sacks instead of throwing interceptions...the opposite of Dormady. Hopefully those same fans will give more leeway and patience to guys like Emerson.
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Truth speaker
 
#1,716
#1,716
highspeed said:
"I'm a lot nastier," Middleton said. "I've been working on my technique and working on my craft. I've gotten bigger and I'm about 290 now and 6-foot-7. It's something new."
The road back to Rocky Top hit him with a sudden change once he started to fill out his 6-foot-7 inch frame. That's when Tennessee started to take a look at him in late March and early April. Not even then did he actually believe his dream could still be a reality.

"Not at all to be honest with you," Middleton said when discussing a chance of ending up in orange. "I just went into the spring doing what I need to do and they came out of nowhere and called. They offered and I knew that's where I always wanted to be. It's been a long road."

Those offers were followed up by both Florida and Georgia. A forgotten prospect had just added half the SEC eastern division in a matter of weeks.

"Getting those offers just let me know that I was back," Middleton said. "I just have to continue to stay on top of my classwork and I'll get back to where I've always wanted to be."
And it's that type of attitude that gives Middleton a fighting chance. He's been doubted every step of the way and somehow he has continued to persevere through tough times.
"Everything has been different," Middleton said. "Just my whole mentality in knowing I can come back and play at home. I just have been on top of everything with the classroom and on and off the field."

Middleton was in town last month for the Bar-B-Q with the Tennessee staff and several of the 2019 commitments. He's excited about his future on Rocky Top and says this new group just feels right.
"They are family this time," Middleton said. "I talk to Coach Tracy Rocker a lot and they are always telling me to keep working on getting bigger. They saw some of my spring film and they like me as a 3-technique and a 5-technique."

-Price

VolQuest.com - Middleton continues to move toward a destiny in orange
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Middleton is such a good kid. I’m pulling for him to succeed. He is trying really hard. He really wants to play for UT. He rode the greyhound bus up to knoxville for the bbq because he wanted to be here that bad. I just hope he can continue to crush it in the classroom as well.
 
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#1,717
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ChiTownVol said:
Middleton is such a good kid. I’m pulling for him to succeed. He is trying really hard. He really wants to play for UT. He rode the greyhound bus up to knoxville for the bbq because he wanted to be here that bad. I just hope he can continue to crush it in the classroom as well.
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Can't not like this.
 
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