Three-star junior defensive tackle LeDarrius Cox of McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in Mobile, Ala., announced Wednesday afternoon that he has committed to Tennessee.

"I want to thank God for this opportunity and putting me in this situation. I am verbally committing to the University of Tennessee. #Govols #RockyTop," he wrote in a note posted on his Twitter account.

The 6-foot-4, 310-pound Cox chose the Vols over scholarship offers from more than a dozen schools, including Georgia, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Purdue, giving Tennessee its fourth commitment for the 2019 class and its first from a defensive lineman.

The Vols also have early commitments from four-star offensive lineman Jackson Lampley of Nashville, Tenn., four-star athlete Te'Cory Couch of Hollywood, Fla., and three-star tight end Jackson Lowe of Cartersville, Ga.

Cox visited Tennessee for the first time March 3 to attend its latest junior day after getting an offer from new Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt's staff on Dec. 12, just five days after Pruitt's hiring.

Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss also hosted Cox on visits over the past several weeks.

After his visit to Tennessee, he admitted to GoVols247 that the Vols had made a strong first impression on him.

“I got a chance to meet the coaches and tour the campus and really get a feel for Tennessee, and I enjoyed it a lot. Everything there was real nice," he said at the time.

“It was a really nice vibe. I loved it up there.”

Tennessee defensive line coach Tracy Rocker talked extensively with Cox during his visit to Knoxville last month, and Cox said Rocker told him that the Vols could use his help as a “nose guard” in their new defense.

“They said they need big guys like me,” Cox said.

He’s ranked the No. 500 overall prospect and No. 35 defensive tackle in the industry-generated 247Sports Composite for the 2019 class. He's also ranked by 247Sports as the No. 517 overall player and No. 34 defensive tackle in the 2019 class.

Tennessee still is searching for depth on the defensive line despite having signed six defensive linemen in the 2018 class, led by former four-star prospect Greg Emerson of Jackson, Tenn. — who joined the Vols in January as an early enrollee and currently is participating in Tennessee’s spring practice — and incoming four-star signees Brant Lawless of Nashville, Tenn., and Emmit Gooden of Independence (Kan.) Community College.