Middle Tennessee has finally begun to add to the edge rusher position this offseason by adding former Power Five signee and junior college standout pass rusher Mathias Malaki-Donaldson.

After spending two seasons at Oregon State, he spent one year at Mt. San Antonio College in California. With the recent 'Diego Pavia Rule,' which eliminated junior college experience against NCAA eligibility for the time being, the new commit will have three seasons of eligibility to use in Murfreesboro.

As a high school recruit, Rivals had the Oregon State signee rated as the 40th-ranked edge rusher in the 2022 recruiting class.

Malaki-Donaldson was a heralded recruit in Oregon State's 2022 recruiting class under Jonathan Smith, who is now the head coach at Michigan State. His 6-foot-5 length and ability to put pressure on a backfield excited people about his potential with the proper development.

He would spend his first year at the Power Five level redshirting on a 10-win Beavers team. In 2023, as a redshirt freshman, he did not appear in a game.

This season, he ultimately chose to go down the junior college route, where he would play for Mt. Sac Antonio College in Walnut, California.

Malaki-Donaldson would have a productive year, registering 24 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, and 3.5 sacks on a deep and talented defensive line.

The new commit is a crucial addition to the recruiting class's incoming wave of talent. His importance can not be understated. He brings length, playmaking ability, and a Power Five pedigree to a position group desperate for serviceable options.

He is listed as an outside linebacker for the Blue Raiders, as he is expected to play the stand-up edge position in Brian Stewart's defense.

He knows how to get behind offensive linemen and is a smart player who knows how to use his long arms to his advantage. While he will primarily start plays from a stand-up position, he showed at the junior college level that he can also play with his hand in the dirt.

With the new ruling that junior college years do not count towards NCAA eligibility, the new Blue Raider will have three years of eligibility to use. This gives the staff someone they can count on for the long term moving forward at a position that sorely needed to be addressed.