While the early signing period has come and went last week, one signee had yet to be announced. Now, with the cat out of the bag, GoMiddle can confirm that running back Kiandrea Barker will be a Blue Raider next season, and it will be here soon, as he plans to enroll early in January after signing his Letter of Intent last week.

Barker played his senior season at Newport High School in Arkansas and put forth a highly impressive season, recording over 1,400 all-purpose yards and 21 touchdowns.

Prior to that season, however, Barker would decommit from Penn State to explore other options aside from the school he locked in on so early in the process. When he decommitted, the plan was to wait until December to make a final decision.

Now it is December, and that decision has, in fact, come, this time in favor of the Blue Raiders, who add another talented running back to the 2025 recruiting class.

As a player, Barker offers an intriguing combination of tools for the next level of competition. He already stands in at around six feet and 190 pounds and will be able to add a fair amount to his frame. His best trait is his big play ability with his combination of burst and long speed, adding a home run threat to any offense.

When he gets to Murfreesboro and acquires collegiate coaching and strength training, he has the chance to put that combination of speed and power together to become a true weapon in the running back rotation for this new era of Middle Tennessee football.