Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Blue Raiders Sign Pair, Including ESPN Top-75 Recruit
11/12/2025 12:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee head coach Rick Insell announced the addition of two student-athletes during the NCAA Early Signing Period, including an ESPN top-75 prospect, as the Blue Raiders continue to build on their championship standard.
"We are thrilled to welcome Aaliyah and McLayne to our program," Insell said. "Both of these young ladies embody the culture we've built at Middle Tennessee — they're winners, they're hard-nosed competitors, and each brings unique skills that will make an immediate impact. Signing a consensus top-75 player like Aaliyah says a lot about our program, and McLayne has the toughness and versatility we value. We don't rebuild here — we reload — and these two are the perfect example of that standard."
Aaliyah Blanchard | Guard | 5-11 | Hoover, Alabama | Hoover HS
A three-time state champion and Hoover's team captain since 2023, Blanchard enters her senior season as one of Alabama's most productive and efficient perimeter players. As a junior, she averaged 13.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.8 steals per game. Over her high school career, she has shot 73.3 percent from the field (228-of-311), including 36 percent from three (70-of-189), and is 70.6 percent from the free-throw line (151-of-214). With the 2026 Alabama Southern Starz, she averaged 17.0 points on 62.8 percent shooting, including 53.8 percent from three, while adding 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. Her combination of perimeter skill, strength, and ability to score at all three levels has drawn attention nationally, earning her a No. 73 overall ranking by ESPN this offseason.
Blanchard is coming off a breakout junior campaign in which she led Hoover in both scoring and rebounding. She is a two-time All-Region selection and a former All-State honoree. Off the court, she is a member of the National Technical Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society, and Chick-fil-A Leader Academy, where she serves as head of the Communications and Media Team
"When you sign a consensus top-75 player, it speaks volumes about your program," Insell said. "Aaliyah is a big, strong guard who can score the ball in every way you can score it. She's elite at the rim, she can score off the bounce and pull up, and she shoots the three at a very high level. Aaliyah has competed at a championship level in both high school and Nike EYBL. She's a matchup problem, she comes from a winning background, and we expect her to make an immediate impact here at Middle Tennessee. I can't wait to coach her."
McLayne Bobo | Guard | 5-9 | Tullahoma, Tennessee | Tullahoma HS
Bobo is a steady, multi-sport athlete who has already scored over 1,100 career points for Tullahoma HS. She averaged 18 points, 3.0 steals and 2.0 assists per game as a junior and earned District 8-3A MVP honors. A two-time selection to the District 8-AAA season team, she also made the district tournament team twice, winning two District 8-AAA tournament MVPs in addition to her season MVP award. Bobo is known for her versatility on both ends of the court, able to score, defend, and distribute effectively. She is also a standout on the soccer field, lettering in both sports throughout high school, and helped her Nike EYBL program, TN Flight, capture a Nike National Championship in 2024.
"We've known McLayne and her family for a long time, and she has everything we look for in a Lady Raider," Insell said. "She's tough, she's hard-nosed, she competes every possession and she does all the little things you have to do to win at a high level. She can shoot it, she can guard, and she wants to be here. There's no doubt in my mind she's going to make an impact at the next level. I'm excited to have her in Middle Tennessee Blue."
