When Charles Huff accepted the head coaching job at Memphis, he did not inherit a roster. He inherited a rebuild. The 2025 Tigers finished 8-5, but the foundation was stripped away almost immediately by a mass exodus from the transfer portal, leaving entire position groups empty. Quarterback, running back, defensive back, and defensive line were all gutted. With only one portal window available under the new rules, January 2 through January 16 became the most important stretch of Huff’s early tenure.
By the time the window closed, the message was clear. This was not a patch job. This was a full-scale reset built on relationships, familiarity with the system, and targeted experience.
Memphis signed more than 30 portal players in one decisive push, forming the backbone of its 2026 roster. The class reflects Huff’s philosophy: build the middle first, stabilize the trenches, then stack skill talent around it.
Quarterback and Offensive Identity
The most critical question entering the portal was the quarterback position. Memphis lost Brendon Lewis to eligibility and both AJ Hill and Arrington Maiden to the portal. Huff responded by aggressively attacking the position.
Marcus Stokes arrives from West Florida as one of the most productive quarterbacks in all of college football, regardless of level. He threw for more than 3,200 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2025 and was a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy. His experience running a full offense and commanding a huddle gives Memphis immediate stability.
Denzel Gardner followed Huff from Southern Miss and brings developmental upside as a former three-star recruit. While he redshirted in 2025, he fits the system and provides long-term depth.
Air Noland, a former four-star recruit who spent time at Ohio State and South Carolina, adds the highest ceiling in the room. With three years of eligibility remaining, Noland represents the future of the position if he develops as expected.
Together, the trio gives Memphis options, competition, and continuity at quarterback for the first time in years.
Running Back Reset
The Tigers lost essentially their entire running back room. Huff answered by bringing in two very different pieces.
Dallan Hayden is the headline. A Memphis native and former Ohio State back, Hayden returns home for his final season with more than 1,100 career rushing yards and Power Four experience. He immediately becomes the most proven back on the roster.
Jaylin Carter arrives from Southern Miss as a versatile piece who can run and catch. His role may not be flashy, but his familiarity with the system gives him value in pass protection and tempo control.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
Memphis added a mix of experience and upside on the perimeter.
Tychaun Chapman is a trusted target who followed Huff through multiple stops and brings reliability. Terrell Timmons Jr brings Power Four experience from NC State and Colorado. Jermane Hayes and others provide depth and development potential.
At tight end, Hunter Tipton was one of the most productive portal adds on offense. His 41 catches at Middle Tennessee give Memphis a proven middle-of-the-field weapon it lacked late in 2025.
Offensive Line Stabilization
Huff clearly prioritized the trenches.
Riley McGehee arrives as a proven left tackle from Arkansas State. Maarten Woudsma started all 13 games at right guard for Old Dominion. Phillip Gray III brings first-team all-conference experience from Richmond. Koby Keenum adds a former four-star pedigree and SEC experience from Kentucky and Mississippi State.
For a roster that was dangerously thin up front, these additions were essential and likely to determine whether Memphis can compete in the American Conference immediately.
Defensive Rebuild and Identity
Defense was where Huff made his strongest statement.
J Mond Tapp is the centerpiece. The first team All-Sun Belt defensive lineman recorded 7.5 sacks and 70 tackles in 2025 and immediately became the Tigers’ defensive anchor. His presence changes the front seven on day one.
Mike Montgomery adds 105 tackle production at linebacker and becomes the emotional core of the defense. Christian Thatcher and Jayden Parrish add a former four-star pedigree and long-term depth.
In the secondary, Memphis added volume and experience. Ian Foster, Anthony Richard Jr, Ahmere Foster, Dylan King, Dylan Smith, Stonka Burnside, Khalil Foster, and Darius Malcolm Jr give the Tigers an entirely new defensive back room. Malcolm’s FCS Freshman All-American season stands out as a major upside addition.
Up front, Memphis loaded the rotation with Stone Chaney, Joseph Head Jr, Devon Lowe, Xavier Miles, KJ Miles, Leonard Jean Charles, Elijah Kinsler, and Chris Stokes. The strategy is clear. Build depth, rotate aggressively, and wear teams down.
Special Teams and Overlooked Wins
Philippe Laforge may be one of the most underrated additions. His experience as a kickoff specialist at Coastal Carolina stabilizes a phase of the game that Memphis struggled with late in 2025.
What It All Means
This was not a flashy portal class. It was a functional one.
Huff did not chase stars. He chased familiarity, production, and system fit. Nearly half the class came from programs where he coached or recruited directly, reducing transition risk. He rebuilt the roster from the inside out, prioritizing lines of scrimmage, defensive structure, and quarterback stability.
Memphis will not look like the 2025 Tigers. It will look like a Charles Huff team. Tough, physical, deep, and built to survive the grind of the American.
The rebuild is not complete. It rarely is after one window. But Memphis is no longer empty. It is organized. And for a program that lost almost everything in December, that is the most important win of the offseason.
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