Middle Tennessee is back on the recruiting trail, offering 2026 defensive lineman Iverson Garcia-Ponce from in-state Powell High School. The 6’2, 291lb lineman is raw but had a breakout season where he was named Region 2-5A First Team and led to MTSU tight ends coach Joe Ganz offering the junior on Jan. 30.

"I like Coach Ganz and all the coaches I met on my visit last season. They have personalities and treat the recruiting process as something they'd rather be doing than anything else, and it's not just another day on the job," Garcia-Ponce says. "They've connected with me, and I've felt everybody's love and loyalty."

Ganz began recruiting the physical defensive lineman when he came to watch Powell practice on September 10, 2024, followed by an invite to visit for the MTSU homecoming game against Duke. Garcia-Ponce tells GoMiddle he loved his visit and is ready to return to campus soon.

The East Tennessee native has only played football for a few years but has already become one of the more sought-after linemen in the state after a stellar 2024 campaign. Recording 81 tackles, 37 QB pressures, 11 TFLs, six sacks, and two forced fumbles in 12 games for the Panthers.

He’s a do-it-all player, but the coaching staff loves his leadership skills and the ability to shut down the run, hustle downfield, and shed a blocker to make a play. Garcia-Ponce plays the defensive tackle position and is an ideal fit for MTSU’s 4-2-5 defense with his ability to do the dirt work on the interior line.

He has been invited to Middle’s junior day, which is coming up soon, and can’t wait to see the coaches again as he raved about their hospitality and the recognition he received from them. Those dates aren’t finalized, but he says he will be there once they are.

Garcia-Ponce has heard from over 15 schools, including Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, etc., and was offered by Middle Tennessee and Memphis this week. He’s recently become a hot commodity around the Southeast region and continues racking up interest from other programs.

Watch for him to be a big in-state name for the ’26 class with another offseason of training and weightlifting under his belt.