West Virginia football coach Neal Brown discussed throughout spring football and into the summer the need for the Mountaineers to add depth defensively through the transfer portal.
While WVU did that earlier this offseason in both its secondary and linebacker groups, late Wednesday, it added an experienced piece to its defensive front.
Darel Middleton, a 6-foot-7, 305-pound defensive lineman who spent the last two seasons at Tennessee, pledged his commitment to join West Virginia for his final season of eligibility.
After a couple of weeks of thinking and talking things over with family, friends, and mentors that love me and will always be in my corner. I’m finally getting out my own way & just putting my future in god hands & going 1k MPH with my head held high. #KeepGoing #TrustTheClimb? pic.twitter.com/I8KVtm0VZ1
— Darel E. Middleton (@Darel__) July 22, 2021
Middleton, a grad transfer, played 22 games and started 12 over the last two seasons with the Volunteers after beginning his college career at East Mississippi Community College.
In two seasons at UT, Middleton recorded 43 tackles, two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss.
While Middleton recorded one sack in each season at Tennessee, he was more productive in 2019 when he finished with 28 tackles.
Middleton is the fourth addition to WVU’s defense this offseason through the transfer portal. He joins linebackers Lance Dixon (Penn State) and Deshawn Stevens (Maine) and cornerback Charles Woods (Illinois State).