In anticipation of the best Tiger football season of all time, I answered your questions.
With the College Football Playoff extending to 12 teams and making space for at least one representative from the group of five, Memphis finally has a shot at eternal glory.
Is this a must-win year for Ryan Silverfield? Do his Tigers have to make the playoffs for this season to be considered a success?
I don't want to play both sides of the question, but it does depend on your definition of “must-win.”
If Silverfield has Power Four or NFL head coaching aspirations, it is a “must win the conference” season.
Although the season hasn’t begun yet, the stars seem to have aligned for Memphis. The Tigers get the senior year of their best quarterback in program history, the college football playoffs opened up to 12 teams, one from a group of five school, a format only guaranteed through 2025, and the American Athletic Conference may be the worst it has been since Memphis joined in 2013.
Although Tiger football's historical precedent is far below what he has already accomplished, this is a must-win season if Silverfield wants to capitalize on his best chance to make noise.
In 2025, will Ryan Silverfield bring in a transfer quarterback, or will he be all in on four-star freshman Antwann Hill Jr?
Hill Jr. credited immediate playing time as one of the reasons he chose Memphis. What doesn't hurt is the $600,000+ he is receiving. A program like Memphis doesn't pay six figures to a player they don't plan on using.
There are many nuances here, but my final answer depends on how the Tigers perform in 2024. If Henigan plays out of his mind and turns himself into a pro, it is hard to deny the possibility that a highly touted transfer would want to play in Memphis.
Also, the coaching staff is a big fan of Arrington Maiden, an 18-year-old freshman gunslinger, which leads me to believe the Tigers will roll with an in-house option in 2025
If I had to choose one, Silverfield sticks with Hill Jr.
Can the defense stop the big plays and finish in the top 50 in the country?
Yes. It can. I am confident in the talent here.
Most of the reasons the Tigers had a subpar defense in 2023 have been smoothed over. Last year, there was a lack of depth, especially in the secondary. An average at best secondary paired with exhaustion means constant big plays for opposing offenses.
Luckily, the Tigers have brought in diverse defensive back talent. Whether it's Indiana transfer Kobee Minor or junior college transfer Trey Lubin, Memphis will throw things at the wall. Surely, something will stick.
We all know the embarrassment of riches in the linebacker room headlined by Butkus Award Watchlistee Chandler Martin and Tennessee transfer Elijah Herring.
The defensive line does not have the star power of the linebacker room, but the depth is comparable at worst.
Despite this, games are won on the field, not on paper.
When will Reggie Grimes be available?
Grimes will be available Saturday against North Alabama. When asked about the decision to leave Grimes off the depth chart, head coach Ryan Silverfield said,
“Last year, Reggie wasn’t able to play (a full season) at the University of Oklahoma. We don’t want to put guys on the field who are not fully healthy… We added a lot of D-line depth… I expect Reggie Grimes to play a lot of significant, meaningful football for us this year."
Will Antwann Hill Jr. be attending any home football games?
Yes.
Unfortunately, I could not receive confirmation on which ones, but Hill and his teammate Amir Thomas will be attending multiple games.
What happened to Derrick "Rambo" Hunter Jr?
For context, Memphis fans on X are concerned about Derrick Hunter Jr., a 2023 SEC transfer defensive lineman, and his absence from the team's initial depth chart.
Sources tell me he's been solid in camp but has had a few too many mental lapses, an issue that is not attractive for a player in his fifth year of college football.
To address the concern, nothing is wrong with Hunter Jr. The Tigers have a deep defensive line room, which is an excellent problem to have.
What is the status of Javante Mackey?
Mackey will miss the 2024 season due to injury. A red-shirt year means Mackey will enter the 2025 season with three years of eligibility remaining.
What does Memphis have to do to get out of the AAC and off of ESPN+?
I usually avoid realignment talk and urge Memphis fans to do the same. But for the sake of the exercise, the Tigers need to win. In every sport.
The Commercial Appeal’s Jonah Dylan did a piece earlier (click here to read) this week about what Memphis' athletic director Ed Scott said about a potential move to the ACC for the Tigers:
“We've got to pick it up on the Olympics side if we want to go there,"
With Memphis’ projected success in football and basketball, the 220 million dollar renovation of Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, and the proposed state-of-the-art soccer and track athletic complex, the Tigers are certainly positioning themselves for a transition off of ESPN+.
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