The coaching staff came in right away looking to get the top talent from the state and one of the top priorities was Brentwood Academy receiver Neo Clifton.

Now, after taking multiple visits to see the program under that new staff, the in-state receiver has committed to the Blue Raiders.

He first visited Middle Tennessee for a junior day event at the start of February, where he was able to connect with other targets and coaches, including head coach Derek Mason.

"When I came to visit, the one thing that really caught my attention was Coach Mason's energy and attitude. He's very positive and confident in his ability to coach. I can tell that he really cares about his players outside of football,” he said after the visit.

During the recruiting process and the visits, he was really able to connect with receivers coach Cornelius Williams, who viewed him as a priority recruit at the position.

"On the visit, I mainly talked to Coach Williams. We basically talked about how MTSU runs its offense and how they can implement me into it,” he said after the junior day.

That relationship was a huge reason that MTSU stood where it did with the in-state target who is now committed.

Now, after a recent summer visit, he has decided to commit to play for Coach Williams at the next level in an offense he finds attractive.

Clifton is an outside receiver with the size and athleticism to make contested catches to help his quarterback out. As Middle Tennessee will look to establish a prolific passing game to complement the run game, he sees a lot of opportunity to use his skillset to make plays.

“The coaches say the offense is going to be heavy on the passing game, and obviously, I love to hear that as a wide receiver.”