Derek Mason is no stranger to taking over for legends, so maybe it isn’t surprising that the new Middle Tennessee head coach brushed off talks of 2024 being a rebuilding year for the Blue Raiders when he took the podium at Conference USA Media Days.
What else did the new head coach say on Tuesday?
Derek Mason Says Middle Tennessee “Can Compete This Season”
Following a legend isn’t easy, but Derek Mason has experience in that regard, as he took over at Vanderbilt for James Franklin and coached at Staford after Jim Harbaugh left. So Mason isn’t backing down from the challenge of following the longest-tenured head coach in the FBS after the firing of Rick Stockstill.
As is customary in the current landscape of college football, the Blue Raiders were decimated by transfer portal departures following Stockstill’s firing.
But new head coach Derek Mason isn’t worried, stating that the Blue Raiders are more than ready to play this year.
“This is not a rebuild,” Mason said. “We feel we can compete this season.”
The Blue Raiders have some key pieces back, including quarterback Nick Vattitato, who threw for over 3,000 yards last season. They’ll also rely on several transfers, including safety Brendonn Harris, who was recruited by Mason at Vanderbilt and enters his seventh year of college football.
Middle Tennessee will face an uphill climb after finishing 4-8 in 2023. However, outside of Liberty, Conference USA is wide open, and the Blue Raiders have several winnable games on the schedule.
It will likely come down to the consistency of the offense, something that was a struggle at times in 2023. In all likelihood, the Blue Raiders will start transfers at both tackle positions and on the outside at one of the receiver positions. But they might have enough talent to make some noise in Conference USA.
Regardless, Mason isn’t acting like this is a “Year Zero” situation, instead opting for optimism in 2024.
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