The college football season is less than a month away, and while Memphis Football fans are anxiously counting the days until they return to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, the football program has already commenced the most important season of the Ryan Silverfield era.
When the Tigers jog on the field in three weeks, many faces will look quite familiar to Tiger fans. One can confidently assert that Seth Henigan will be the starting quarterback, Jacob Likes will lead the Tigers at center, and Jaylon Allen will again be the go-to at rush end. Other position groups, however, will look quite different. Those alignments are being ironed out at the Billy J. Murphy Athletic Complex as we speak.
What position groups have yet to be decided? Here are five position battles to keep your eye on —
Tackle
There is perhaps no more important position group than the offensive line heading into the 2023 season. After having finished the season ranked 99th in sacks allowed and 75th in rushing offense, the offensive line was nothing short of a hinderance at times in 2022. Former Tigers Austin Myers and Matt Dale have graduated, leaving both the left and right tackle positions wide open for the taking. Makylan Pounders will be expected to take a big leap after starting game one last season before moving into a rotational role following injury. Terrance McClain is another returner that will enter the year having gained a lot of rotational experience in 2022. Memphis added a lot of depth via the transfer portal that should compete for playing time. Marcus Henderson, Xavier Hill, Jack Greer, Flip Carswell and Cullen Montgomery are all P5 additions that will compete to crack the starting rotation in fall camp. With injuries being a part of the game, it would be ideal for the Tigers to solidify a core group of 8-9 guys that are prepared for game action at any time.
Wide Receiver
The WR room is one that received a complete turnover this offseason, as the Tigers lost 4 of their 5 leading receivers to the transfer portal or graduation. Memphis brought in DeMeer Blankumsee and Tauskie Dove with the expectation of both being immediate impact players in 2023. Joseph Scates will enter his second season with the Tigers after showing flashes of superior playmaking ability last season. Roc Taylor has been mentioned numerous times by the coaching staff this offseason as one they hope can have a breakout campaign in a larger role. Koby Drake was used often last year, but will have to compete with other slot-sized receivers such as Christian Carter, Jamari Hawkins, and Marcello Bussey. Justin Hughes, a quiet offseason addition from Arkansas Baptist, brings impressive size and catching ability to the Tigers’ roster. He could be one that surprises Tiger fans by midseason.
Defensive Back/Safeties
Like the prior two position groups, the Memphis coaching staff brought in several transfers to compete in the defensive secondary in 2023. Simeon Blair has been perhaps the most talked about addition for the Tigers this offseason. He’s been mentioned as an early standout and was named a First-Team Preseason All-AAC selection by Phil Steele. Colorado transfer Tyrin Taylor and Ohio State transfer Jaylen Johnson both bring great size to Charles Clark’s unit. Davion Ross ended 2022 as an All-AAC Honorable Mention after putting together a solid season in his first year at the FBS level. Greg Rubin, Cameron Smith, Joe Norwood, and Harold Nash III are four returners that have a lot of experience playing with the Tigers in the AAC. There have been a few murmurs of minor position changes in this room, so it’ll be interesting to see who starts, and where, come September 2nd.
Running Back
On paper, the Tigers’ RB room looks to be one of the deepest position groups on the roster. Memphis returns its leading rusher, Jevyon Ducker, who carried the ball 110 times for 544 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2022. Blake Watson, a transfer from Old Dominion, will complete his final year of eligibility with the Tigers after an impressive career with the Monarchs. Through 33 games at Old Dominion, Watson tallied 2,144 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, and also serves as a receiving threat with 448 yards and 3 touchdowns. Memphis fan favorite Sutton Smith enters his second season with the Tigers and will look to handle a larger role. He’s also been mentioned to be a factor on special teams this upcoming year. Ke’Travion Hargrove, a Mississippi State transfer, showed playmaking potential in limited action during the Tigers’ spring game. RedZone specialist Brandon Thomas also remains in play for the Tigers. Memphis fans may forget that the Redshirt Junior has started 16 games as a Tiger and will likely hold a role in the Tigers’ offense if healthy.
Linebacker
Without question, there are big shoes to fill at the linebacker position. The Tigers lose two of their top four tacklers in Xavier Cullens and Tyler Murray. Thankfully, Memphis has proven when one leader leaves, another rises to effectively fill the void at linebacker. Geoffrey Cantin-Arku ended the 2022 season with 22 total tackles in the final two games against SMU and Utah State. ETSU transfer Chandler Martin led the Buccaneers in tackles, TFLs, and sacks last year as a Redshirt Freshman. JUCO transfer CJ Johnson comes to Memphis with 26 games through 3 seasons and was named a Second-Team JUCO All-American selection in 2022. Cincir Evans has contributed solid minutes in his Tiger career, and Bryce Edmondson hopes to secure an increased role after having mostly played special teams thus far. Memphis lacks proven depth at LB this year; could highly-rated true freshman Karmelo Overton see game action early?
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