Since taking the reins of MTSU football’s offense, quarterback Roman Gagliano has been flying all over the field while keeping a smile across his face, and leading the Blue Raiders to success too. 

“It’s cool how he sees the game through a five-year old’s eyes,” MTSU head coach Derek Mason said. “Every time you watch the kid, he’s just a little red-headed kid out there playing ball and having fun with it.” 

One of the earliest signs of Gagliano’s ability came during a trip off the field.  

Members of the team took a trip to the Conference USA basketball tournament in March of 2025 to cheer on the Blue Raiders and Lady Raiders. Gagliano walked out onto the court and took a basketball to the half court line. 

“He said, ‘Coach watch this,’” Mason said. “My man walks out, drains a half-court shot… That dude’s always been that way. He’s always had a high belief in himself.” 

Gagliano most recently led the Blue Raiders to their first win inside Floyd Stadium in over a year after taking down the Sam Houston State Bearkats 31-10. 

With 268 passing yards and three total touchdowns, the redshirt freshman has rallied the rest of MTSU’s team around him while bringing fun to a team that is fresh off breaking a seven-game losing streak. 

“He’s just a kid, he’s just loving the game,” Mason said. “He’s like a kid playing marbles. He’s got a fistful of marbles in his pocket, with some jacks and some spin tops and he’s just going out there having fun playing a game that he loves to play.” 

The 6-foot-2 quarterback stepped into the limelight for the Blue Raiders after spending the first nine games backing up his predecessor, redshirt senior Nick Vattiato. 

MTSU’s starting quarterback for the last two-plus seasons, Vattiato gave way to Gagliano due to an injury that was originally reported on Nov. 13.

While Vattiato was having a strong season statistically, the Blue Raiders weren’t winning, as the team was 1-8 prior to Gagliano’s starting debut. It wasn’t always his fault; MTSU has struggled with penalties, inconsistent defense and just been outclassed by its opponents. 

But the signal caller still couldn’t find a win outside of the Blue Raiders’ week three victory over the Nevada Wolf Pack (3-8, 2-5 MWC), where Vattiato willed 14 unanswered points in the second half for the win. 

Since Gagliano stepped into the starting role, he’s taken off for the Blue Raiders. 

 In his first career start on the road against Western Kentucky, the young signal caller totaled 25-of-42 passes for 389 yards while running for 82 yards. Although MTSU fell 42-26, the game showed some promising signs for his first real action as a starting quarterback. 

“I think knowing that Nick wasn’t there, everybody else was kind of like we got to step up and play for me, and definitely is playing harder,” Gagliano said. 

Gagliano’s success continued into his first home start, as he led the Blue Raiders to victory over the Bearkats. He found running back Jekail Middlebrook for a 16-yard passing touchdown, while scampering for his other two scores on the ground. 

“That’s the coolest thing in the world,” Mason said following MTSU’s victory over SHSU. “To see a dude just having fun with his dudes. And you know what? They love him just as much as he loves it.” 

Overall, Gagliano totaled 268 yards through the air on 21-for-34 passing, and the Blue Raiders highest point total this season with 31. He also added 67 rushing yards in the win;a newfound aspect of the MTSU offense. 

“When you look at it, those things haven’t been designed runs, and sometimes those are some of the most problematic for defenses,” Mason said. “… I think the ability of any quarterback to extend plays gives you a chance to be a little more diverse in what you can do.” 

Gagliano is also adding a shade of toughness to MTSU’s offense. The 220-pound quarterback hasn’t been afraid to take hits, or dish them out to defenders at times as well. 

“I look up to Cam Newton a lot, and he didn’t do that,” Gagliano said on his unwillingness to slide at times. 

While the Opelika, Alabama native may not carry the same height or stature as the former NFL MVP, the comparison certainly fits along with the youthful exuberance that Gagliano has brought to the gridiron for MTSU.  

Gagliano will carry his self-confidence into his third career start on Nov. 29 on the road against the New Mexico State Aggies (4-7, 2-5 CUSA). A win would give MTSU its first win streak of the Derek Mason era, and mark the first since Nov. 11 and 18 of 2023 with wins over Florida International and the University of Texas at El Paso. 

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