Michael Bethea II sat outside the Tennessee football practice facility when the realization began to sink in.

After two seasons at NCAA Division III Maryville College and a transfer process that lasted more than six months and included attending camps and workouts, Bethea committed to Tennessee as a preferred walk on earlier this month.

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"It doesn't feel real to me," Bethea said as he prepared for his first summer workout. "I realized that because of the things that I've done the last five months, the work that I've put in, the faith that I've had, I'm ready to seize the moment. It's time to seize the moment."

A 6-foot-2, 215-pound EDGE, Bethea played his last two years of prep football at Tennessee Class 6A powerhouse Maryville High School.

Bethea spent the early part of his life in Maryville, and his family moved back to the area from Columbia, South Carolina ahead of his junior season. It was a decision he initially dreaded, but set in motion his path to Tennessee.

"(Moving back to Maryville) was a lot of circumstances that were really out of my control," Bethea said. "I was a kid. I was 16-years-old at the time and I didn't know what was good for me. I thought of it as the worst thing, but it turned out to be the biggest blessing of my life to move back here."

Bethea starred for the Rebels, totaling 8.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss as a senior before inking with Maryville College in 2022.

He made an instant impact in the Scots' pass rush, tying for the team-lead in sacks with four and finishing fourth on the team with eight TFL. Bethea was even more productive as a sophomore in 2023.

Bethea had 21 tackles, two quarterbacks hurries and a game-sealing interception that he returned for 78 yards and a touchdown in overtime as part of an all-conference campaign.

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As successful as Bethea was, he wanted to prove himself at the highest level of college football. Playing in Division III was anything but a hindrance. Instead, he felt it prepared him more.

He credits Maryville College defensive line coach Albert Long-Hill for that.

"The biggest thing that I learned (at Maryville College) came from Coach Albert Long-Hill," Bethea said. "He taught me that striving for perfection was the ultimate way to guarantee growth overtime. Every rep, he held me to a high standard...That's what has prepared me for this level."

So Bethea entered the portal in late November, sending out highlight reels and attending college camps while keeping his body in shape. He talked with coaching staffs at Appalachian State, Tulane and Georgia State, carefully evaluating his options.

"The portal process is exactly what you've heard," Bethea said. "College football is a business and knowing that prevented me from being anxious and jumping on a bunch of offers that we're for me in God's eyes...It was really just a process of me finding what school would be the best fit for me.

"It really is the wild west out there. It's all or nothing. You get out what you put in. I'm just glad I kept my faith."

On June 2, Bethea's patience paid off.

He earned an invite to a prospect camp at Tennessee, where he performed in front Vols' coaches, including defensive line coach Rodney Garner.

"I was definitely surprised to see all of the drills and techniques we tested at that camp were very similar to my training that I've gone through for the last five months," Bethea said. "I truly felt like that was a God-thing...The intense, technical coaching I received (from Garner) is exactly how I desire to be coached. That really was a major selling point for me."

Following the camp, defensive director of scouting Brandon Lawson expressed Tennessee's interest.

Two days later, Lawson called Bethea, offering him a PWO spot.

"First thing I did was thank God," Bethea said. "I was overjoyed that my faith and patience had been rewarded. The second thing I did was call my mother and told her that I'm going to be a Vol. I never thought I'd be able to tell her that. It was an emotional moment for me and all of the people around me.

"I'm still in almost disbelief, because it's such a great opportunity and such a blessing to be here."

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Bethea is now on campus, going through offseason workouts and working on his next goals, which includes getting on the field.

Among his inspirations has been highly touted Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr., who returns as one of the top pass-rushers in college football after a stellar sophomore season a year ago.

"(Pearce) is very talented. I feel like all edge rushers that perform at a high level posses similar skill sets," Bethea said. "But wow, wouldn't it be great at some point for us to be on the field at the same time? I feel like that would be a dream come true for me."

Bethea and Pearce will at least share the practice field for the time being.

That's where he'll continue to live out a childhood dream, one he still can't believe is happening, even as he strolls through the team facilities and prepares to play alongside the players he's worked to become.

"It means more than I could put in words," Bethea said. "Me having spent half my life in Columbia, South Carolina and half in East Tennessee, I've always been around SEC culture and I've always dreamed of competing against the best athletes in the nation. That's really what I strive for."

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