Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield and the staff have been on a roll in the transfer portal, but they landed a high school commit on Sunday night. Three-star East Ascension running back Walter Samuel announced via Twitter that he has committed to the Tigers.
Samuel is the No. 67 overall running back in the 2023 class and holds offers from Michigan State, Southern Miss and Tulane among others, according to 247Sports. Samuel is the Tigers sixth highest rated commit in the class behind MarJayvious Moss, Derick Hunter, Karmelo Overton, Chris Morris and Jarra Anderson.
At 6-foot and 200 pounds, Samuel has great size, and he runs a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash according to his Twitter profile. With that kind of size and speed, Samuel will be a very interesting addition to the backfield.
Memphis currently has Sutton Smith and Jey Ducker, but they have added Mississippi State transfer Ke’Travion Hargrove and Old Dominion transfer Blake Watson in the portal. The Tigers also have one other high running back commitment in the ’23 class – three-star Raydrian McKneely.
Needless to say, the staff has added a ton of depth and talent at the position despite the loss of Asa Martin to the transfer portal. With the additions on the offensive line and in the backfield, Memphis has the potential to have a much improved running game in 2023.