The Tigers haven’t been majorly impacted by the spring transfer portal. Defensive back Ladarian Paulk is the only major contributor from last season who has decided to leave so far. 

It was a low-scoring affair and coach Ryan Silverfield said the defenses played the better game. 

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Here’s what to watch when Memphis holds is annual Friday Night Stripes football game at 7 p.m. Friday.

New receivers coach Larry Smith recently pointed out that he was coaching at Jacksonville State at the same time defensive line coach Kyle Pope was an athlete.

Former Ohio kicker Tristian Vandenberg had 32 touchbacks in 87 kickoffs for the Bobcats last season. He didn’t attempt any field goals.

The NCAA transfer portal officially opened April 15, and the Tigers had four football players enter.

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The Tigers have had back-to-back All-AAC linebackers in the past two years, and Geoffrey Cantin-Arku is prepared to assume the role as one of the anchors of the defense. 

New assistant coaches Larry Smith, Jeff Myers and Chris White will make a combined $640,000 this season. 

The Tigers will split in into a blue and gray team instead of the usual first-string offense against the first-string defense. 

National college football analyst and Memphis native Paul Finebaum believes it was a mistake for the Big 12 to pass on the University of Memphis. 

Memphis football has had seventh and eighth-place finishes in the AAC the past two years. A realistic expectation for the Tigers in the new AAC should be no lower than a third-place finish. 

New Memphis offensive line coach Jeff Myers likes to highlight to recruits that his head coach is an offensive line guy.

Jim Strickland is bullish on the Memphis Tigers as a deserving candidate for promotion from the American Athletic Conference as the Big 12 and Pac-12 look to expand.

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Athletic director Laird Veatch says the Tigers are ‘very engaged’ and positioning themselves for the next round of expansion.

The Tigers lost both starting tackles Austin Myers and Matt Dale who exhausted their eligibility after last season. Coach Ryan Silverfield likes the competition he’s seen from the position group so far. 

Running back Brandon Thomas is out for the remainder of spring practices but coach Ryan Silverfield expects him to be back for fall training camp. In the meantime, Memphis spent much of Tuesday’s practice working on situational football.

The main question mark for NFL scouts surrounding safety Quindell Johnson was his 40-yard dash. Johnson felt confident in the time he ran at Memphis Pro Day. 

Newly hired special teams coach Chris White has known head coach Ryan Silverfield for more than a decade. The two friends are now back on the same staff or the first time since 2012. 

With Houston, Cincinnati and UCF all exiting, the American Athletic Conference will welcome six new members on July 1. The Daily Memphian spoke with ADs from four of the incoming schools. 

Offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey believes healthy competition battles are good for the team.

Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan is entering his third year as the starter and offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey wants to see his leadership jump to the next level. 

Tigers coach Ryan Silverfield said it’s too early to make any major observations after Day 1, but stressed setting the foundation. Meanwhile, QB Seth Henigan is focusing on his pocket presence this offseason and his footwork.

The Tigers brought in a hefty number of transfers to help strengthen the roster, but coach Ryan Silverfield also expects some returnees to step into bigger roles this year.

The 2020 football season was built on coach Ryan Silverfield’s team finding ways to win close games. The 2021 and 2022 seasons were derailed because Memphis lost too many close ones.