Five positions that Middle Tennessee must recruit in the transfer portal
Five positions that Middle Tennessee must recruit in the transfer portal
The transfer portal is alive and well, with thousands of players already entering it, seeking a new school.
Middle Tennessee football is having its fair share of player departures, but they’ve also acquired three newcomers, including one of the best Division II offensive linemen.
With a good chunk of production either transferring or graduating, the Blue Raiders must hit on their portal class. They’ve been known to swing big, bringing in 20 or more transfers the past two seasons.
Today, I’m here to talk about the five positions they must recruit heavily to replace some key losses.
Offensive Line
The Blue Raider offensive line showed significant improvement from the 2024 season. The only problem is that they lose multiple starters and a former PFF Freshman All-American in Zach Clayton.
There’s talent in that position room with Otto Janse Van Rensburg, newly acquired Tim Jacobs and returning starter Mateo Guevara.
Past that, it’s a bunch of unknowns. Not only do they need to add depth, but getting a premier offensive tackle is a must to replace what they lost in Jacob Otts.
I have no idea how it’s going to work out this offseason, but the offensive line needs to be the No.1 priority.
Defensive Line
The second biggest priority must be the defensive line. Initially, I thought they would be fine here and just needed to add some depth, but that’s no longer the case.
Damonte Smith graduated, which was a huge loss, but you trust the guys in-house to make up for him with another offseason to develop.
However, the departures of Shakai Woods and Anthony Bynum were detrimental, leaving Middle Tennessee in a position where it must replace its entire defensive line.
They return no key contributors from this year’s squad outside of Zeion Simpson-Smith. Adding Emmanuel Gyamfi was huge, as he can fill the void of Woods, but you still need to get two starters and quality depth.
Defensive line coach Vernon Hargreaves has done a fantastic job at developing talent in his two seasons at MTSU, but they’re in a blender at the moment after key departures.
Defensive Back
You don’t need me to explain how bad this Blue Raider secondary was in 2025, but I’m going to do it anyway. They gave up 3,074 yards, 31 touchdowns, 8.2 yards per attempt and a 64% completion percentage, all of which are some of the worst in the NCAA.
Then, when you consider losing six starters or rotational players, it’s a terrible spot for this coaching staff. Returning Chris Noble, Jackson Lowe and Kalen Woods is great, but that’s where the list ends when talking about proven production.
Locke Kennedy and Jordan Chestnut have high ceilings, but we didn’t see them play in 2025, so you have no idea what to expect.
This, along with the first two positions I listed, are absolute must gets. If the staff doesn’t hit on those players, it could be another long season.
Wide Receiver
This is where my dark and gloomy conversations stop. I like several wide receivers that Middle Tennessee returns, including Cam Lacy, Landon Collins and AJ Jones, but they need to add a few more players.
High school signee Bryson Maddox is somebody who could be an immediate impact player to pair with Collins as two big outside receivers.
Then you have Lacy, who is your do-it-all guy and can play in the slot, but I think you need to add another weapon and some depth to fill out that room.
You don’t necessarily need to acquire a huge name that takes away from funds for the trenches and secondary, but getting a proven guy if he fits your scheme would be nice.
Similar to what they did with Nahzae Cox, except you’re probably set on bigger wide receivers.
This is more of a want than a need, but it would help the offense after losing Cox and All-CUSA running back Jekail Middlebrook.
Outside Linebacker
This is another want, rather than a huge need. However, it would be great to find someone who can replace the production that Brandon Buckner and Reggie Johnson left behind.
MTSU returns Mathias Malaki-Donaldson, who was productive when he got on the field, totaling 10 tackles and four for a loss in 133 defensive snaps.
He’s a long, athletic outside linebacker who showed promise in his first season as a Blue Raider.
They also signed JUCO defensive end/edge rusher BJ Ausmer, who appears to be a future star if they can develop him correctly.
He’s big, explosive, highly athletic and plays with his hair on fire.
Those two would be alright, but you’d like more, especially with how bare the defensive line room is at the moment.
The staff likes those two guys, but acquiring a true starting outside linebacker would not only make that group stronger but also bring good competition to the position room.