An early enrollee who took a circuitous route to Knoxville, Dimarya Mixon committed to Tennessee November 9th, the day after he took an official visit to campus. Originally a member of the 2013 class, Mixon signed with Nebraska and was a previous commit of both Missouri and Arizona State. He failed to qualify at Nebraska and spent last year working on improving his game away from organized football. He’ll be eligible to play immediately at Tennessee.

As with most of Tennessee’s defensive line commits, he could play either end or tackle, but if he adds a few pounds, he’ll likely end up at defensive tackle. His ability to enroll early, get a jumpstart on UT’s strength and conditioning program, and participate in spring practice (which starts March 7th) will go a long way towards helping him compete for playing time.

The Basics: Rated as a 3-star prospect by Scout, ESPN, Rivals, and 247Sports, Mixon is a 6-3, 263 pound defensive lineman from Compton, California. He attended West Mesquite High School in Texas where he recorded 48 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and two sacks as a senior. Mixon was ranked as a top-20 defensive end prospect and top-40 defensive tackle prospect coming out of high school. He chose the Vols over Auburn, Arizona State, Washington State, and others.

Scouting Reports: “Mixon is a D-End prospect with real good size and could project in a few different ways based on scheme and further physical development. He can stay at end in a 4-3, fitting well as 6/7 technique, could potentially develop into a D-tackle or at least be a swing guy and could also potentially fit as a “five” technique in a 3-4. He has very good height and bulk and looks to carry his weight well with room for additional mass. He flashes a good initial burst off the ball, but can be inconsistent. He can be a stout run defender. Demonstrates the ability to be tough at the point of attack, displaying the ability to play with solid pad level and flashes the ability to shoot his hands and be able to quickly separate and shed….May be a player better suited to move inside in passing situations if he stays at end or may end up being more of an early-down defender. Mixon is a good sized kid and with polish and more consistency with technique could be a real tough run defender.” – ESPN.com

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