The Spring Portal window is coming to a close and Memphis football coach Ryan Silverfield has done all he can to ensure a run at the AAC title. The Tigers have picked up a total of eight transfers so far:
- Javon Denis, DL, Georgia State
- Trey Lubin, DB, Kaiser
- Elijah Herring, LB, Tennessee
- Chris Adams, OT, Old Dominion
- Reggie Grimes II, DL, Oklahoma
- Greg Desrosiers Jr., RB, Massachusetts
- DJ Allen, EDGE, Purdue
- Rodney Dansby, LB, Houston Christian
Filling in the Gaps
Throughout the entire portal process, the Tigers’ theme has been to fill in the gaps of the departing talent. The spring window has been no different. After the departure of star running back Blake Watson, the Tigers looked for the next NFL talent in line.
It looks like they found that in South Carolina transfer Mario Anderson, but Anderson isn’t half the receiver Watson was. Enter Greg Desrosiers Jr., a receiving back out of UMmass with versatility to flex outside. His ability to catch the ball from the backfield as well as Anderson’s ability to run between the tackles will competently replace the production lost by Watson.
Chris Adams, an agile, violent left tackle from Old Dominion, found a home in the Bluff City. Adams replaces Makylan Pounders, who left for Mississippi State in the early portal window.
Both Reggie Grimes II and Javon Denis play with a hand in the dirt on the inside or from a standing position on the outside meaning they have versatility across the line. This helps replace graduating or transferring defensive linemen like Jaylon Allen, Andres Fox, Jarra Anderson, and Josh Ellison.
Other transfers like Trey Lubin, Elijah Herring, and Rodney Dansby help the Tigers’ defense in supplementary roles with the upside to start.
Trust in the Playmakers
The only offensive playmaker the Tigers brought in was Desrosiers, so offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey clearly trusts most of his returners. And understandably so.
Memphis’ 39.4 points per game ranked 6th in the entire nation. Additionally, it returns four-year starting quarterback Seth Henigan, its two top targets in wide receivers Demeer Blankumsee and Roc Taylor, as well as its top two tight ends Anthony Landphere and Brendan Doyle.
What’s interesting here is Memphis didn’t seek any veteran backup quarterback help. The obvious choice for QB2 is Cade Cunningham, a redshirt junior transfer from Marshall.
The wild cards are two Texas boys. Redshirt freshman and former two-star recruit Harris Boyd along with three-star recruit and incoming freshman Arrington Maiden. The problem is none of the three backup options have any college football experience. If Henigan goes down, Memphis will have to rely on one of these three to save the season.
True Contenders
In late April FedEx announced a 25 million dollar NIL pledge towards Tiger athletics over the next 5 years. Since then, Memphis football has made recruiting strides in every facet.
First, they have made waves in the high school recruiting scene after landing visits from offensive lineman Peyton Joseph and his quarterback Antwaan Hill. Both would be the highest-ranked recruit in the recruiting site era if they commit to Memphis. Second, they have made noise in the transfer portal since FedEx owner Fred Smith Sr. dropped a bag of cash at coach Silverfield’s feet.
Stealing a recruit from Deion Sanders is no easy feat. Yet Silverfield pulled it off when he landed Herring, who led Tennessee with 79 tackles last season. The other SEC transfer to come to the 901 is Grimes.
Now that the Tigers have the coaching staff, expectations, and money in place to compete with Power Four schools, recruiting has become abundantly easier.
