For a Group of Five team that had aspirations of making it to the College Football Playoff, the 2024 season couldn’t have started better for Memphis.
The Tigers shut out North Alabama 40-0, then beat Troy 38-17 before defeating Florida State 20-12. A 3-0 record with a Power Four victory set the Tigers up nicely.
Then they fell 56-44 at Navy. Though the Tigers would go on to lose only one more game, at UTSA, and would conclude the year with a triumph over Tulane in the regular season finale and a Frisco Bowl win over West Virginia, Memphis fell short of those preseason hopes.
But with a strong roster once again, Memphis may be in position to make it to the AAC Championship and the CFP in 2025.
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Memphis Football’s College Football Playoff Betting Odds
Memphis’ betting odds to make the College Football Playoff are +825, via BetMGM. The odds of the Tigers not making the CFP are -2000.
Memphis Football’s Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
Memphis’ win total Over/Under is 8.5, with Under 8.5 at -135 and Over 8.5 at +110.
Memphis Football’s 2025 Schedule
8/30 vs. Chattanooga
9/6 @ Georgia St.
9/13 @ Troy
9/20 vs. Arkansas
9/27 @ FAU
10/4 vs. Tulsa
10/18 @ UAB
10/25 vs. USF
10/31 @ Rice
11/7 vs. Tulane
11/15 @ East Carolina
11/27 vs. Navy
12/5 AAC Championship
Bold indicates AAC contests
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Key Memphis Football Returners
2024 All-AAC 1st Team
DL William Whitlow Jr.
Memphis Football Entering New Era
Memphis will be without quarterback Seth Henigan for the first time in years. He is now in the NFL after climbing up to 13th in NCAA Division I history with 14,266 passing yards and is tied for 26th with 104 passing touchdowns.
Considering they were first in the AAC in scoring offense (35.7 points per game) and third in total offense (444.5 yards per game), the Tigers need someone to step up behind center.
The Tigers went out and added Brendon Lewis from Nevada in the transfer portal this offseason. He made the Mountain West honorable mention list in 2024, recording 2,290 passing yards, 775 rushing yards, 16 passing touchdowns, eight rushing TDs, and seven interceptions while completing 68% of his throws. He seems to be the leading candidate to start for Memphis, but Arrington Maiden and AJ Hill are also in the mix.
The Tigers will also be without Mario Anderson Jr., who was first on the team with 1,362 yards and 18 touchdowns rushing while ranking second with 312 yards on 52 receptions. Roc Taylor, who paced Memphis with 950 yards on 66 catches to go with two touchdowns in 2024, is also gone.
Running back Greg Desrosiers Jr. is the team’s leading returning rusher and receiver after running for 228 yards and three touchdowns and catching 21 passes for 175 yards and four scores a season ago.
Memphis’ offensive line returns two primary starters from last year, tackle Chris Adams and guard Malachi Breland.
The Tigers also added some playmakers and offensive linemen through the transfer portal. In fact, Memphis’ transfer class was ranked first by 247Sports and was in the top five among G5 programs.
But the Tigers especially prioritized defense in the portal. And that makes sense considering the Tigers lost their top eight tacklers from a season ago. First-team All-AAC defensive lineman William Whitlow Jr. is the team’s leading returning tackler after totaling 24 tackles, seven for loss, as well as four sacks in 2024.
Memphis Football Season Prediction
I predict Memphis will win the AAC Championship and will go Over 8.5 wins during the regular season.
Memphis isn’t a favorite for many people to win the AAC, but neither was Army a year ago. The Tigers’ schedule is nearly perfect for a G5 team with CFP hopes.
They play a Power Four team – Arkansas – that isn’t predicted to have a winning record in 2025 at home. And they play two non-conference Group of Five teams, Georgia State and Troy, which also aren’t expected to be spectacular by any means. I could see Memphis entering AAC play with a 4-0 record.
As for their conference slate, the Tigers get most of their tougher games at home. They will face USF, Tulane, and Navy at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis while facing beatable teams like FAU, Tulsa, UAB, and Rice on the road. A clash against East Carolina on the road in November could prove difficult, but I could see Memphis winning that game as well.
Even if the Tigers slip up once or twice, maybe against Navy again or at ECU, that would still put the Tigers at 10 wins for the regular season. But I think Memphis will go 7-1 in league play, will appear in the AAC Championship, and will be in the College Football Playoff discussion in December.
