Middle Tennessee football has been busy since the January portal window opened and already landed a commitment from Iowa Western CC defensive back Devan Carlisle, GoMiddle has learned. The 6’4, 195lb DB has three years remaining eligibility, but he could potentially have more after the Diego Pavia ruling a month ago.

“Coach Mason and the staff are great. It’s close to home, and they have a good thing going regarding their goals for the team,” said Carlisle.

He played high school at Hoover High School, where he stood out and helped the Bucs win back-to-back 7A Region 3 titles in 2021 and 2022. After high school, he went to play for Iowa Western CC, where he redshirted his freshman season in 2023.

However, he broke out in his redshirt sophomore campaign and became a top 60 JUCO player and the No. 5 DB in this cycle.

He quickly picked up 11 FBS offers, including Washington State, Western Kentucky, Liberty, and MTSU.

The Blue Raiders were in contact with him early and eventually hosted him on a visit on January 7th. He loved what he saw from the program and staff, ultimately committing the next day to Middle Tennessee.

Carlisle is the third DB in this transfer class, and it comes at a good time with starting safety Xavier Williams transferring to Cincinnati. So, the JUCO transfer will have an opportunity to work his way into the starting lineup early.

He joins a room with Kalen Woods, Jordan Chestnut, De’Arre McDonald, Abdul Muhammad, and others.