At one point, it seemed like Memphis was going to appear in the College Football Playoff as a Group of Six program in 2025.
The Tigers started out 6-0 overall, including a win over Arkansas. They suffered a setback with an upset loss at UAB, but then they bounced back with wins over South Florida and Rice.
Memphis, though, closed the season with four straight losses against top-notch American Conference teams like Tulane, East Carolina and Navy and then fell to NC State in the Gasparilla Bowl.
Memphis will need to find a way to move on from that final stretch of the season under new leadership. Former Tigers coach Ryan Silverfield is now at Arkansas, and former Southern Miss and Marshall head coach Charles Huff is at the helm.
Can Huff lead Memphis to a championship in the American? He’s already won a league title in the Sun Belt while he was at Marshall.
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Memphis Season Preview
Memphis has a pretty strong roster, which is highlighted by a few players that thrived at Southern Miss with Huff. But the Tigers do need to figure out who their next signal caller will be.
Who Will Be Memphis’ Starting Quarterback?
South Carolina transfer Air Noland and West Florida transfer Marcus Stokes appear to be the frontrunners to be the next starter at QB for Memphis.
Noland, a redshirt sophomore who also previously played at Ohio State, threw just three passes for 13 years last season at South Carolina. Stokes, a redshirt junior, was the 2025 Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Year as he threw for 3,297 yards and 30 touchdowns while rushing for 367 yards and 10 TDs.
Memphis’ Offensive Supporting Cast
Whoever plays at quarterback for the Tigers will have a great group of players around him.
Tychaun Chapman and Terrell Timmons Jr. are expected to be among the Tigers’ top wide receivers. Chapman caught 25 passes for 448 yards and scored three touchdowns last season for Southern Miss. Timmons tallied 58 yards on three receptions in four games while at Colorado in 2025.
Hunter Tipton should also be a solid contributor in the passing game. The tight end transferred from Middle Tennessee after racking up 39 catches for 411 yards and two TDs in 2025.
Memphis’ offensive line may look much different this season, but the Tigers brought in several transfers who should contribute quickly. Aaron Karas (Colorado State), Maarten Woudsma (Old Dominion), Riley McGehee (Arkansas State) and Phillip Gray (Richmond) are among them.
Memphis Putting Together Strong Defense
Memphis’ defense should be pretty strong in 2026 considering the number of stars the Tigers have on that side of the ball.
J’Mond Tapp, a HERO Sports Group of Five All-American last year at Southern Miss, followed Huff to Memphis. He recorded 69 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss a season ago. The Tigers also added defensive lineman Jaden McKinney, who added 27 tackles and two TFLs at USM in 2025.
USM transfer linebacker Mike Montgomery and safety Ian Foster are also expected to stand out for Memphis. Montgomery logged 106 tackles, eight TFLs, three sacks and two interceptions last year, while Foster chalked up 72 tackles, seven pass breakups and three INTs, returning two for touchdowns. Foster is also a stellar kick returner and could impact games on special teams.
Foster’s brother, Ahmere Foster, is an excellent safety as well who transferred to Memphis from USM after totaling 47 tackles and three INTs last season.
Memphis’ 2026 Schedule
- 8/29 @ UNLV
- 9/5 vs. Arkansas State
- 9/12 @ Boise State
- 9/19 vs. UT Martin
- 10/3 @ Charlotte
- 10/10 vs. UAB
- 10/16 @ Tulane
- 10/22 vs. East Carolina
- 10/31 vs. Army
- 11/12 @ USF
- 11/21 @ Navy
- 11/27 vs. Temple
Bold indicates American contests
Memphis’ American Conference Title Betting Odds
Memphis’ college football betting odds to win the conference are +550, via BetMGM. The Tigers are third in those odds behind Navy and UTSA.
Memphis’ Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
- Memphis’ win total Over/Under is 7.5.
- The Under is at -115.
- The Over is at -105.
Memphis Season Prediction
I predict Memphis won’t win the American Conference Championship but will go Over 7.5 wins.
It’s very tempting to pick the Tigers to win the league title, though. I think Huff is a fantastic coach who could one day lead this program to a championship just like he did at Marshall. But right now, I have UTSA winning the American.
Memphis is capable of winning eight games nonetheless. But the Tigers’ schedule is brutal for a G6 team.
They have to take on Boise State and UNLV on the road as non-conference games. I currently have those teams ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in my G6 preseason rankings. The Tigers also have to go on the road to take on Tulane, South Florida and Navy.
But I think Memphis’ games against Arkansas State, UT Martin, Charlotte, UAB and Temple are winnable. I also think home games against East Carolina and Army, while they may be close, will go Memphis’ way.
So if the Tigers win just one more game, they should be capable of reaching eight victories, which would be a solid start to the Huff era.
