The Middle Tennessee football team is coming off back-to-back three-win seasons and is in danger of finishing with a sub-.500 record for a fourth-straight year, but the Blue Raiders saw a glimmer of hope late last season.
Quarterback Roman Gagliano started the final three games and gave the offense the spark it was missing all year. The 6-foot-3, 226-pound redshirt sophomore posted 383 passing yards and two touchdowns and added 88 rushing yards in his first start at Western Kentucky.
He threw a touchdown and scored two with his legs in a win over Sam Houston and capped the season with three touchdown passes against New Mexico State, including the game-winner in overtime.
Gagliano is the starter as the Blue Raiders open fall camp in what may be an important season for head coach Derek Mason. He’s 6-18 in two seasons, and his seat is going to get hot if he can’t produce a few more wins.
Middle Tennessee Season Preview
The Blue Raiders have some key pieces back at the skill positions, but the offensive line will be mostly new. There’s experience in the secondary, but the defense as a whole left a lot to be desired last season as it gave up 30.9 points and 399.3 yards a game.
The Passing Game Could Be A Plus
Middle Tennessee’s passing attack should be a problem for defenses.
Cam’ron Lacy is back after leading the team with 549 receiving yards and a 14.4 yard-per-catch average. He totaled six catches for 114 yards and two touchdowns against Missouri State and added 108 yards and a score on five catches against FIU.
AJ Jones is back after leading the team with five touchdown catches last fall, and Landon Collins saw action in five games.
There are also reinforcements on the way via the transfer portal. Markus Allen played in all 12 games at Mississippi State last season but never really made an impact. In 2024, he hauled in 43 passes for 651 yards and three touchdowns at Eastern Michigan.
Santana Fleming is an explosive option from the JUCO ranks, and UCF transfer Tyree Patterson is healthy after suffering a season-ending injury in fall camp last year.
Can The Running Game Get Going?
Middle Tennessee ranked near the bottom of Conference USA with just 105.5 rushing yards a game last season. Only New Mexico State was worse, averaging a meager 77.3 yards per contest.
Last season’s leading rusher, Jekail Middlebrook, left for Virginia, but a mix of returners and transfers have the backfield looking solid.
DJ Taylor saw action in 10 games last year, and Ashton Jones is a promising young back who rushed for more than 5,000 yards in high school. Austin Clemons saw a few touches last year, but he moved to linebacker this spring.
Two transfers should see commanding roles in the backfield. Terrence Brown is a versatile senior from Saginaw Valley State, and Antonio Martin is a 230-pound wrecking ball who spent last season at Kansas State. In 2024, he posted 1,228 yards and 11 touchdowns at Southeastern Louisiana, where current Middle Tennessee offensive coordinator Anthony Scelfo ran the offense.
Can The Defense Reload?
The Blue Raiders had one of Conference USA’s top rushing defenses last season, but leading tackler Parker Hughes is gone.
Korey Smith should play an expanded role at inside linebacker after finishing with 40 tackles last year. He’ll be joined by Jackson State transfer Ashton Taylor, who posted 99 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 24 games the past two seasons.
The defense got a gift when outside linebacker Reggie Johnson removed his name from the transfer portal. He racked up 10.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks last season.
The defensive line is full of new starters, led by defensive end Aidan Butts and anchored by 308-pound nose tackle Felix Hixon.
The secondary got shredded last fall, but it should be improved with safety Kalen Woods and cornerback Jackson Lowe back after seeing extended action last season. Washington transfer Dyson McCutcheon should make an early impact in the secondary.
Middle Tennessee’s Breakout Candidate
RB Terrence Brown – The fifth-year senior saw snaps at running back and slot receiver at Saginaw Valley State. He was named Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in 2023 and earned first-team all-conference honors as a receiver with 57 catches for 689 yards and eight touchdowns last fall. He has 1,484 career rushing yards since 2023.
Middle Tennessee’s Conference USA Championship Betting Odds
Middle Tennessee’s college football betting odds of winning the Conference USA championship are +2500, according to BetMGM. Liberty is the favorite at +260.
Middle Tennessee’s Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
- Middle Tennessee’s Over/Under win total is 3.5 games
- The Over is at -150
- The Under is at +125
2026 Middle Tennessee Schedule
Sept. 5 vs. Murray State
Sept. 12 at Marshall
Sept. 19 vs. Nevada
Sept. 26 at Jacksonville State
Oct. 3 at Kansas
Oct. 13 vs. Delaware
Oct. 20 at FIU
Oct. 28 vs. Kennesaw State
Nov. 7 vs. Western Kentucky
Nov. 14 at Liberty
Nov. 21 at Sam Houston
Nov. 28 vs New Mexico State
Bold indicates Conference USA games
Middle Tennessee Season Prediction
I predict Middle Tennessee will not win the Conference USA championship but the Blue Raiders will win more than 3.5 games.
Gagliano and the offense should be just fine if the offensive line jells quickly. I think the running game and pass defense have to drastically improve from last year, and both should, given the experience in the backfield and the secondary. Getting Johnson back is a gift for the pass rush, but I think Smith or Taylor have to step up and lead the defense.
