Vanderbilt giveth, and Vanderbilt taketh away.

Coach Rick Stockstill successfully lured quarterback prospect Shaun White away from a verbal commitment to the Commodores to sign with Middle Tennessee. Then, at zero hour, defensive tackle Joe Townsend rescinded on his longtime verbal and went with Vanderbilt instead on national signing day.

It was a blow for a coach who wanted to stock up on wide receivers and defensive tackles in the 2011 signing class, which included nine recruits rated as three-star prospects by Rivals.com. Only Western Kentucky with 11 and Florida International with 10 signed more of Rivals' three-star players.

Quarterback was also a priority, and MTSU did well there by adding White and Timmy Byerly, both of whom rank among the top 100 signal callers in the country according to ESPN.com. They'll compete with returnees Jeff Murphy and Logan Kilgore for the starting job vacated by Dwight Dasher, whose four-game suspension from the NCAA and interception problems greatly disrupted a 2010 season that carried high expectations.

The biggest addition at quarterback might still be on the way, though he would not be eligible until 2012. Former Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier is considering MTSU as one of the schools he might transfer to, according to a report by ESPN.com's Joe Schad on Jan. 25. Miami, Washington, Baylor, San Diego State and New Mexico were the other possibilities.

TOP OF THE CLASS

WR Tracy Hampton (Overton High, Nashville, Tenn.) -- Hampton was one of the first players in the 2011 class to make a verbal pledge to Middle Tennessee. He has the elusive ability and speed to make an immediate impact in a Blue Raiders receiving corps that lacked a consistent big-play element during the 2010 season.

DE Alexandro Antoine (Antioch High, Nashville, Tenn.) -- MTSU sack specialist Jamari Lattimore is gone, and why can't Antoine be the next proficient pass rusher? He generated 17.5 sacks, 28 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles and an interception in his final two seasons at Antioch.

QB Shaun White (Pensacola Catholic High, Pensacola, Fla.) -- A huge get for the Blue Raiders, Vanderbilt's loss was MTSU's gain when White reportedly had his offer yanked by the Commodores for academic reasons. On paper, White has a greater upside than fellow freshman QB Timmy Byerly, though both will push Jeff Murphy and Logan Kilgore in preseason camp.

Copyright (C) 2011 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.