Head coach Mike Norvell held three footballs in his arms while Brady White stood in front of him. Three quarterbacks and a student manager stood in a line across the 40-yard line.

A focus on bolstering the Memphis secondary was evident over the weekend as three prospects – including a pair of defensive backs – committed to the Tigers on Sunday.

Mike Norvell had just returned to his office from a day of recruiting in Memphis high schools when he saw a tweet from my former colleague Mark Giannotto speculating about his future.

The departures from Memphis coach Mike Norvell’s coaching staff continued Monday afternoon as defensive coordinator Chris Ball was named the head coach at Northern Arizona.

Memphis head coach Mike Norvell indicated Monday he is not pursuing any other college coaching jobs and intends to stay at the University of Memphis.

Running back Darrell Henderson and head coach Mike Norvell planned to meet Saturday afternoon to discuss whether Henderson will forgo the Birmingham Bowl and his senior season for the NFL Draft.

Memphis running back Darrell Henderson didn't practice with his team Friday as the Tigers began preparation for the Dec. 22 Birmingham Bowl.

Mike Norvell continued to pseudo-avoid questions regarding whether he is a candidate for other coaching jobs, repeating that he is pleased with his role as Tigers coach.

When offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham and wide receiver coach Desmond Lindsey sat down with quarterback Sheldon Layman the conversation didn’t focus on football.

Geoff Calkins and Jonah Jordan talk about the future of Memphis football coach Mike Norvell, the disgrace that was the AAC title game, the state of football and basketball recruiting and the progress of Penny Hardaway’s basketball team.

Three-star defensive end Jalil Clemons and three-star running back Rodrigues Clark will officially visit the University of Memphis this weekend, according to Starkville High coach Chris Jones.

Geoff Calkins, Don Wade and Jonah Jordan discuss another big week in University of Memphis sports.

Memphis offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham had a simple message for his quarterbacks when he opened practice Tuesday.

Memphis faces a Wake Forest team with some question marks on both sides of the football when they take on the Demon Deacons in the Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 22. 

Memphis (8-5, 5-4 American Athletic Conference) will play in the Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 22 against Wake Forest of the Atlantic Coast Conference. 

Three-star athlete Jashon Watkins made his commitment to Memphis known Monday evening.

Memphis (8-5 American Athletic Conference) dropped their fourth game in two seasons to No. 9 UCF (12-0, 9-0 AAC) Saturday afternoon. 

Quarterback Brady White and the Memphis offense went three-and-out, leaving punter Adam Williams to punt from the Houston 49-yard line. Williams faced a punt from his "dead zone" – a spot on the field where he may not put the ball anywhere but the end zone. He needed room so the Tigers called a shift and took a delay of game penalty.

They come in all shapes and sizes. They come from near and far. Unless a yellow flag flies, you probably won’t hear their names or their numbers. But that’s understood from day one.

Coaches have changed. Schemes have been tinkered with. Quarterbacks have graduated or suffered horrific injuries. But most of the personnel has remained the same in three matchups between Memphis and UCF spanning the last two seasons.

It’s true that UCF has beaten Memphis three times since Sept. 30 of last year. And it would seem to speak to dominance.

When Memphis and UCF face each other Saturday in the American Athletic Conference championship game, it will mark the first time in the last two seasons Knights star quarterback McKenzie Milton won’t appear against the Tigers.

Memphis coach Mike Norvell set aside rumors associating his name with college coaching vacancies across the country Tuesday, saying his focus is solely on the American Athletic Conference Championship against UCF.

The coaching carousel is spinning, and for the second straight year Memphis fans are watching and wondering if Mike Norvell could head elsewhere.

American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco is taking the approach that the UCF and Memphis offenses did in a 62-55 double-overtime game in last year’s league championship.