Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
COLUMN: Five Transfer Portal adds that have popped in August Camp
8/13/2023 5:27:00 PM | Football
The Blue Raiders are reaping the rewards of guys looking for a fresh start
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Cliché as it is to say, the transfer portal has changed the entire MO of roster construction at all levels of the NCAA. And while MTSU football lost several important contributors earlier than they would have under the old system for the 2023 season, they've also been able to add a plethora of guys looking for a new opportunity at the FBS level.
While it's rare for an incoming true freshman to work his way into serious playing time during August camp, transfer players, who typically come into programs with in-game experience and at a minimum years of collegiate practice experience, will be expected to make their impact known early.
With August camp a little under halfway through, here's five of those incoming transfers that have impressed me in one way or another so far this fall.
Jaiden Credle – Sophomore Running Back, Northern Illinois
Long-time readers of GoBlueRaiders.com will know all about 'Flip,' who burst onto the scene in spring ball with a smooth running style that made people miss in the open field. He was trusted enough by the Huskies in 2022 to get the rock 72 times, rushing for 288 yards and a touchdown during his true freshman season.
By the team's first scrimmage of camp earlier this week, Credle had worked his way into being, at minimum, a key cog in the Blue Raiders' rushing attack, earning plenty of snaps with the first team offense on the field and doing well when called upon. What's more apparent now that the players are starting to tackle, however, is the sneaky power the Columbus, Ga. native has out of the backfield. Not only can he make people miss in space, but he can run through arm tackles as well.
Competition to get on the field at running back will be fierce, with returning starter Frank Peasant, an improved Terry Wilkins and freshman surprise Jekail Middlebrook all giving Mitch Stewart and Jeff Beckles plenty of reasons to trust them early. But Credle has continued a strong spring on the field and found his voice off of it, with Beckles noting he's become a leader in the room in a short amount of time.
Brandon Buckner – Redshirt Sophomore Defensive End, Oregon
The son of Jacksonville Jaguars defensive line coach (and 12-year NFL veteran) Brentson Buckner, the younger Buckner entered perhaps the toughest position room to break through when he joined the Blue Raiders from Eugene this spring. But the coach's son quickly earned the reputation as someone who was putting in the work, learning from his teammates.
That rotation will still be a tough one to crack on the defensive line this fall, but days like Buckner had in the scrimmage on Friday will help, recording both a sack and an interception while working with the second unit on the field. A self-described "high motor" guy is perhaps a shade small on the line, listed at 6-0, 255 lbs., but is very quick, particularly if he finds his way into the interior of the offensive line on a stunt.
While the defensive line returns all but two guys out of their top eight last season, Buckner has earned his spot in this season's top eight so far. And after seeing him this fall, I wouldn't be shocked if, like his teammate Quindarius Dunnigan last season, he didn't have one game in which he has the hot hand in the trenches and won MTSU the battle on defense.
Tyrell Raby – Redshirt Sophomore Defensive Back, Memphis
Teldrick Ross, Jakobe Thomas, Tra Fluellen. Three of the five defensive back spots have incumbent starters that most will expect to start when MTSU runs out onto the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. But who else will accompany them in the base nickel package? That's been a much tougher question to answer.
One player that's certainly getting a long look early is Tyrell Raby, who joined the Blue Raiders this summer after transferring from Memphis, where he redshirted and then did not appear in a game for the Tigers as a redshirt freshman in 2022. His size is comparable to Ross' at outside corner and he's shown some good speed to keep up with some of the faster receivers in the MTSU wideout room.
DJ England-Chisolm described Raby as a "patient" corner and that certainly tracks after watching his craftiness a bit closer in practice these past few days. There's plenty of competition for his spot on the field, with fellow transfer Rickey Smith (Purdue) and returning Blue Raiders like Deonte Stanley, James Shellman IV and Emmanuel Mann. But Raby has been played in the key spots often enough early in camp that I expect he'll likely find a role in the secondary in 2023.
Julius Pierce – Redshirt Junior Offensive Lineman, FIU
Pierce was one of the transfers I was most excited about the Blue Raiders picking up this offseason, a center with eight games of starting experience in Conference USA and plenty of rotational reps beyond that during his two years on the field with the Panthers. Offensive linemen with that experience, plus good size at 6-4, 288 lbs., are very hard to find in the transfer portal for any team.
Pierce hasn't gotten many reps with the first team in camp (which is more of a credit to Wilson Kelly's play at center), but the second team offensive line has never looked better since I started covering this team than with Pierce on it. Additionally, as any long-time college football fan will know, teams will need more than one starting offensive line combination during the year given the physicality of the position.
Pierce, due to his experience, is likely to be one of the first pieces called off the bench, particularly if the hole is in the interior of the offensive line. If MTSU reaches its potential, I suspect Pierce will play a role in that growth.
Justin Olson – Redshirt Junior Wide Receiver, UNC
This one is my wild card pick of the set of five, as Olson has only just arrived on campus in Murfreesboro this summer, putting him a bit further behind on install compared to his peers in the wide receiver room. But the former North Carolina Tar Heel has certainly shown flashes thus far in camp that made him a seven-time starter at receiver in 2021 for UNC.
His height, 6-2, is good for a collegiate wide receiver, but excellent for the Blue Raiders, who have just two other receivers on the roster that aren't H receivers that are listed at 6-2. And Olson made contested catches in Friday's scrimmage that look pretty similar to the spectacular catches he had for the Tar Heels.
Olson might not see the field right away for MTSU just due to missing the spring. But if he keeps making those types of catches, I expect that by the end of the season, he'll have found a way to get into the receiver rotation for some big moments in Conference USA.
While it's rare for an incoming true freshman to work his way into serious playing time during August camp, transfer players, who typically come into programs with in-game experience and at a minimum years of collegiate practice experience, will be expected to make their impact known early.
With August camp a little under halfway through, here's five of those incoming transfers that have impressed me in one way or another so far this fall.
Jaiden Credle – Sophomore Running Back, Northern Illinois
Long-time readers of GoBlueRaiders.com will know all about 'Flip,' who burst onto the scene in spring ball with a smooth running style that made people miss in the open field. He was trusted enough by the Huskies in 2022 to get the rock 72 times, rushing for 288 yards and a touchdown during his true freshman season.
By the team's first scrimmage of camp earlier this week, Credle had worked his way into being, at minimum, a key cog in the Blue Raiders' rushing attack, earning plenty of snaps with the first team offense on the field and doing well when called upon. What's more apparent now that the players are starting to tackle, however, is the sneaky power the Columbus, Ga. native has out of the backfield. Not only can he make people miss in space, but he can run through arm tackles as well.
Competition to get on the field at running back will be fierce, with returning starter Frank Peasant, an improved Terry Wilkins and freshman surprise Jekail Middlebrook all giving Mitch Stewart and Jeff Beckles plenty of reasons to trust them early. But Credle has continued a strong spring on the field and found his voice off of it, with Beckles noting he's become a leader in the room in a short amount of time.
Brandon Buckner – Redshirt Sophomore Defensive End, Oregon
The son of Jacksonville Jaguars defensive line coach (and 12-year NFL veteran) Brentson Buckner, the younger Buckner entered perhaps the toughest position room to break through when he joined the Blue Raiders from Eugene this spring. But the coach's son quickly earned the reputation as someone who was putting in the work, learning from his teammates.
That rotation will still be a tough one to crack on the defensive line this fall, but days like Buckner had in the scrimmage on Friday will help, recording both a sack and an interception while working with the second unit on the field. A self-described "high motor" guy is perhaps a shade small on the line, listed at 6-0, 255 lbs., but is very quick, particularly if he finds his way into the interior of the offensive line on a stunt.
While the defensive line returns all but two guys out of their top eight last season, Buckner has earned his spot in this season's top eight so far. And after seeing him this fall, I wouldn't be shocked if, like his teammate Quindarius Dunnigan last season, he didn't have one game in which he has the hot hand in the trenches and won MTSU the battle on defense.
Tyrell Raby – Redshirt Sophomore Defensive Back, Memphis
Teldrick Ross, Jakobe Thomas, Tra Fluellen. Three of the five defensive back spots have incumbent starters that most will expect to start when MTSU runs out onto the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. But who else will accompany them in the base nickel package? That's been a much tougher question to answer.
One player that's certainly getting a long look early is Tyrell Raby, who joined the Blue Raiders this summer after transferring from Memphis, where he redshirted and then did not appear in a game for the Tigers as a redshirt freshman in 2022. His size is comparable to Ross' at outside corner and he's shown some good speed to keep up with some of the faster receivers in the MTSU wideout room.
DJ England-Chisolm described Raby as a "patient" corner and that certainly tracks after watching his craftiness a bit closer in practice these past few days. There's plenty of competition for his spot on the field, with fellow transfer Rickey Smith (Purdue) and returning Blue Raiders like Deonte Stanley, James Shellman IV and Emmanuel Mann. But Raby has been played in the key spots often enough early in camp that I expect he'll likely find a role in the secondary in 2023.
Julius Pierce – Redshirt Junior Offensive Lineman, FIU
Pierce was one of the transfers I was most excited about the Blue Raiders picking up this offseason, a center with eight games of starting experience in Conference USA and plenty of rotational reps beyond that during his two years on the field with the Panthers. Offensive linemen with that experience, plus good size at 6-4, 288 lbs., are very hard to find in the transfer portal for any team.
Pierce hasn't gotten many reps with the first team in camp (which is more of a credit to Wilson Kelly's play at center), but the second team offensive line has never looked better since I started covering this team than with Pierce on it. Additionally, as any long-time college football fan will know, teams will need more than one starting offensive line combination during the year given the physicality of the position.
Pierce, due to his experience, is likely to be one of the first pieces called off the bench, particularly if the hole is in the interior of the offensive line. If MTSU reaches its potential, I suspect Pierce will play a role in that growth.
Justin Olson – Redshirt Junior Wide Receiver, UNC
This one is my wild card pick of the set of five, as Olson has only just arrived on campus in Murfreesboro this summer, putting him a bit further behind on install compared to his peers in the wide receiver room. But the former North Carolina Tar Heel has certainly shown flashes thus far in camp that made him a seven-time starter at receiver in 2021 for UNC.
His height, 6-2, is good for a collegiate wide receiver, but excellent for the Blue Raiders, who have just two other receivers on the roster that aren't H receivers that are listed at 6-2. And Olson made contested catches in Friday's scrimmage that look pretty similar to the spectacular catches he had for the Tar Heels.
Olson might not see the field right away for MTSU just due to missing the spring. But if he keeps making those types of catches, I expect that by the end of the season, he'll have found a way to get into the receiver rotation for some big moments in Conference USA.
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