Tennessee makes an offer to a prominent defensive lineman who is on the transfer portal.

A defensive lineman who entered the NCAA transfer portal earlier this week picked up an offer from Tennessee on Thursday

Tennessee has entered the competition for a defensive lineman who earlier this week put his name to the NCAA transfer site and has received several offers from prestigious universities. Marley Cook, a defensive lineman for Middle Tennessee, announced on Twitter on Thursday that the Vols had extended a scholarship offer to him.

The 298-pound, 6-foot-2 Cook tweeted about receiving an offer from the Vols and tagged Levorn Harbin, a senior defensive analyst for Tennessee. Since entering his name to the transfer portal on Monday, Cook has also received offers from Ohio State, Houston, Connecticut, Liberty, Missouri, Miami, Boston College, Louisville, Kansas, TCU, Baylor, California, and Ohio State.

“Blessed to receive an offer from The University of Tennessee @LevornH,” Cook tweeted. With the transfer portal scheduled to open for most players nationwide on Monday, he became the first known offer for Tennessee coach Josh Heupel’s staff this year.

Cook said on Monday that he was going to use the portal, having one season left to be eligible. With the Blue Raiders coming off a 4-8 regular season, he recorded 82 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 22 hurries, five pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and a fumble return for a score this season. On Monday, the team dismissed longtime coach Rick Stockstill.

According to 247Sports, he is a three-star transfer and is listed as the No. 5 defensive linemen and No. 19 overall for the 2024 cycle. He was a two-star talent out of Water Valley (Miss.) High School, rated by 247Sports as the No. 55 centre in the 2019 class. In the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, he was regarded as a three-star prospect as well. He was placed as the No. 29 centre in the 2019 class and as the 2,152nd overall player.

This season, Cook captained the Middle Tennessee team. In 2022, he started all 13 of the Blue Raiders’ games and finished with 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks from an interior defensive-line position. It was his greatest year to date. Pro Football Focus named him to their first-team All-Conference USA roster last season. In 613 snaps as a redshirt sophomore, he was credited with 49 pressures.

In the Blue Raiders’ season opener against Alabama, he made his only appearance against a Power 5 programme this year. Cook received credit for applying three pressures on the Crimson Tide.

Cook averaged 55 snaps per game while starting all 12 of Middle Tennessee’s games this season.

He played in 11 games as a redshirt freshman in 2021, making two starts. He finished the year with 14 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception, and five hurries. As a redshirt freshman in 2020, he saw action in nine games and recorded three tackles and a hurry.

Despite playing in four games in 2019, he was redshirted as a rookie; the majority of his 17 snaps were on special teams.

Cook may assist Tennessee in compensating for the anticipated departure of several defensive line stalwarts. Omarr Norman-Lott, a junior defensive lineman and former Arizona State transfer, was a part of the Vols’ defensive line rotation this season. He attended the team’s senior day ceremony the week prior to Tennessee’s game against Vanderbilt in the regular season. Kurott Garland and Elijah Simmons, two defensive tackles, are among the other seniors on the Vols defensive line.