With the high school early signing period now over, all attention turns to adding talent from the transfer portal. An immediate priority has been the trenches, especially on the interior. One player that was immediately looked at and offered by Middle Tennessee was Princeton transfer Tommy Matheson.

He spent four seasons at Princeton, appearing in all 31 games during the last three seasons, including 24 starts along the interior. That experience playing at a high level against strong Ivy League competition has piqued the interest of a lot of programs and Middle Tennessee was no different.

"I had just gotten off the plane back home for Thanksgiving and Coach Simmons gave me a call to give me the good news," he told GoMiddle, "We talked for a bit about how I fit in at MTSU as an offensive lineman among some other things, but the football pedigree that the offensive line coaches have between Coach Simmons and Coach Hunter really stood out to me.

The playing pedigree of offensive line coaches Kendall Simmons and Baer Hunter has earned respect from prospective transfers like Matheson. As he began to go further in-depth with Simmons, he was informed of what the Blue Raiders liked from him.

"The coaches liked my versatility as an interior lineman who can contribute immediately as a center or guard. They also appreciated my experience as someone who has played a lot of football, and they said they could see how my instincts, thanks to that experience, carry over to the film," said Matheson.

With him graduating from Princeton, he will be taking a serious look at the programs interested in him as he has one final eligible season to use in his collegiate career. As he takes a look at his prospective options, he is hoping to come in and contribute to winning immediately.

"I am looking for a school where I can go to contribute immediately, that has a winning culture, and a focus on winning now. I want to make the most of my last year and do my best to take football as far as I can."