Signing with Vols 'surreal' feeling for 4-star DL Dereon Albert

Jackson Academy (Miss.) standout defensive lineman Dereon Albert committed to Tennessee in the summer, and he has now officially signed with the Volunteers and is ready to get his next chapter started on Rocky Top.

“Man, it is just so surreal,” Albert told Volquest. “Especially just coming from where I am from and coming from my background and some of the hardships I have been through, to get here, just feels so good to sign with one of the best schools in the country.”

Albert has been a disruptor at Jackson Academy, helping them to a state championship this fall, and he is ready to get to work in Knoxville.

“I feel like with my abilities and my talent, I can come to Tennessee and make a very big impact for the Vols,” Albert said. “I believe I will be able to play the run and get after the passer. They really got a dude in me, man. I am ready to give my all for Tennessee.”

The Scout on Albert

He has a really high football IQ,” Jackson Academy Head Coach David Duggan told Volquest at the time of Albert’s commitment. “I was the defensive coordinator here four years ago before I left to be the defensive coordinator at Kent State, and I thought before I left, this guy is a no-brainer Power Four guy. He got really big the year after I left. He got back down to 295, and he is really explosive and is heavy-handed. He loves to play the game. I think he is one of those guys; he is not the 6-4 guy, but he plays with really good leverage at the point of attack and is just explosive. I think he will be really dynamic.”

“The kids respect him because he has been a four-year starter here. He is just continually working to be one of those guys that kids respect and follow. He is a vocal guy. He has been here for four years at Jackson Academy, and there is not really a person at the school who doesn’t like him as a person. He just has one of those personalities that people like. He is fun to be around. I think as he gets to be at the next level, can his play and everything follow everything that he has been trying to do. He has a lot of ability, and if he plays within himself, you will be able to see the traits that he has, and I think one of them is leadership and one of them is football IQ. He just rubs off on people.”