National Analyst Evaluates Tennessee DL Signee Dereon Albert

National analyst shares an honest evaluation of Tennessee defensive lineman Dereon Albert.

Dereon Albert | On3.com

The Tennessee Volunteers have the chance to be one of the better teams in the future thanks to the absolute difference maker of a recruiting class, as they landed one of the better class in the 2026 cycle. The Vols have the chance to solidify themselves as a top team in the recruiting world as well.

They landed players from all over the nation, and they had the chance to land some of their top targets regardless of their state or their location. The Vols made the most of the class outside of a few exceptions, as they landed some of the better defensive linemen in the nation. Including some that are easily tabbed as underrated.

One of the underrated players in the class at the defensive tackle position who announced his commitment to the Tennessee Volunteers is Dereon Albert. Albert committed to the Tennessee Volunteers during the off-season, and he committed with his teammate TJ White, who is also someone who could be tabbed as underrated, even though he recently won the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Mississippi.

Albert has the chance to see the field early on, and a national analyst recently evaluated the talented prospect. That analyst being Andrew Ivins from 247Sports, who is a national analyst. Here is what he had to say about the Tennessee football signee.

Andrew Ivins Evaluates Dereon Albert

Dereon Albert and Josh Heupel | Dereon Carter/Instagram

"-Wide and powerful tackle that can be a one-gap penetrator on Saturdays with his agility and activity in the middle.
-Moves with a lower center of gravity as he’s believed to be under 6-foot-2, but is frequently in control of his body in tight quarters as he angles his way through or around blocks.
-Active with the hands and will use a robust upper half to disengage from obstacles. Can collect penalties as he taxes protection.
-Slides to make stops near the line, but needs to improve conditioning as that should yield more pursuit range. Must also get better at holding his turf and defeating double teams.
-Exits high school with four years of varsity production and over 300 tackles to his credit. More notably, dominated a 1-on-1 session at a loaded Under Armour camp outside of New Orleans in advance of senior season.
-Should be viewed as a promising pocket pusher with encouraging features (34.5-inch arms) that can provide valuable snaps for a College Football Playoff hopeful and create pressure via stuns and inside games."

---