The transfer portal officially closed on Saturday evening and turned into Sunday morning (players already in the portal are free game; the current portal halt retains prospective new entrees), and the University of Memphis football team has once again been impressed with roster retention.
During last offseason, the Tigers managed unheard-of continuity as they retained four-year starter and AAC all-time passing yard leader Seth Henigan and his running mates throughout the offense.
Although there is no similar opportunity for renewed continuity due to Memphis' quarterback and top four yard-gainers (3 WRs, RB) losing eligibility, the Tigers still held fast to some key talent.
What they lost:
On the offensive side, the Tigers essentially batted 1,000. The Tigers lost fifth-string QB Cade Cunningham and depth receiver pieces like Ja'Koby Banks and Tyson Edwards. Tightends Brendan Doyle and Jamauri Chisolm also entered the portal, but a source tells me that they were advised by the program that they would not see the field in 2025.
Memphis lost some key defensive players to the portal, including all-AAC first-team and fan-favorite defensive lineman William Whitlow Jr., linebacker Bryce Edmonson, and defensive backs Tyrin Taylor, An'Darius Coffey, and DJ Bell.
Where they impressed:
Offensive Line: Although the Tigers held on to Henigan and other big-name talent, the 2024 portal retention fell short on the offensive line, as Memphis lost Davion Carter and Makylan Pounders to power conference programs.
Entering 2025, Memphis impressed on the offensive line, having no portal entries from a front line that included Chris Adams, Xavier Hill, and Malachi Breland, all high-level talent.
Running Backs: In the running-back room, the Tigers have held onto both Sutton Smith and Greg Desrosiers, which is impressive given their similar skill sets.
Desrosiers came on late for Memphis as he battled injuries but "single-handedly took down the (Tulane) Green Wave," according to offensive lineman Jonah Gambill, after the running back totaled 3 touchdowns.
Smith missed the year with a torn ACL suffered on the first drive of Memphis' season. Freshman running back Makari Bodiford was also a transfer candidate because of his evident talent and lack of reps in 2024.
Pass catchers: Tight end Anthony Landphere will return to the program in 2025 due to the junior college ruling granting players who started their football careers outside the NCAA an additional year of eligibility.
Freshman receiver Keonde Henry was the program's highest-rated receiver commit in the RIvals era and only saw the field on special teams in 2024, yet Memphis retained him.
Kourtlan Marsh: The former Samford transfer defensive back was arguably Memphis' second-best defender when he was on the field in 2024. Because of a wrist injury holding him out of eight games, Marsh's redshirt will allow him to star in the Tigers secondary in 2025.
Count your blessings:
Memphis Tiger fans lamenting the transfer portal has always been trivial.
Since the portal era began (2018), Memphis has benefited from transfers as much as anyone in the group of five.
Sure, they have lost some talent they wanted to keep, but that is the reality of modern-day college football. Even the bluebloods cannot keep everyone.
Army running back Kanye Udoh just finished a season in which he totaled over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. Subsequently, Udoh entered the portal and, less than a week later was committed to Arizona State.
If Army West Point can lose talent to the portal, anyone can.
It is time we applaud head coach Ryan Silverfield, FedEx CEO Fred Smith, and many other staff members and donors for their ability to keep talent in-house.
Note that transfer requests may take up to a full business day to process. Although it is very unlikely, the Tigers may see a buzzer-beater transfer portal entree Monday morning.
This entire process will be repeated when the spring transfer portal opens on April 16th.
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