Late signee Mykelle McDaniel practiced with Tennessee for the first time Tuesday, a program official told Patrick Brown of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

McDaniel signed with Tennessee during a mid-summer official visit on July 23 and reported to Knoxville on Monday.

https://twitter.com/MykelleMcDaniel/status/756904674410819584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The three-star defensive end received offers from more than 30 teams including Texas A&M, South Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi State. However, academic issues put his college future in question.

First, the NCAA investigated McDaniel’s homeschool classes from several years ago. Then, he needed to take and pass both the ACT and Georgia Gateway Test to earn academic eligibility.

After several attempts, McDaniel passed the Georgia Gateway Test and committed to Tennessee.

“Tennessee was always at the top of his list,” McDaniel’s mother Shawnte-Amoure Simmons told SEC Country. “The whole process was heavy. It was stressful. However, I do feel, and I know Mykelle feels, he’s where he should be and things have a way of working themselves out. … The process can cause you to lose hope, but I’m grateful Mykelle never did.”

McDaniel ranked as the No. 23 strong-side defensive end, No. 48 player from the state of Georgia and the No.504 overall prospect for 2016. He recorded 10.5 sacks and 89 tackles playing multiple positions as a senior.