The Memphis Tigers are going to look very different in 2025. Not only are none of their defensive starters from the 2024 season opener going to be on the roster, but neither are several key names from the offense, including quarterback Seth Henigan. Henigan oversaw a good four years of football with the Tigers, slowly improving every season, culminating in a 2024 effort that saw the team post 11 wins and just 2 losses. Unfortunately, this was not enough to achieve the preseason goal of playoff football, but Henigan can go out with his head held high. The question is, who will be replacing him under center?
For the first time in a long time, the Tigers will have a quarterback battle to determine their starter for the regular season opener in September. Who that quarterback starts alongside is still to be determined, as there are plenty of future Tiger playmakers for the 2025 season who aren’t even on the roster yet. The turnover is considerable, but Ryan Silverfield is renowned for recruiting and has a very useful stack of NIL cash to spend from FedEx. So, despite the turnover, there is plenty of reason for optimism for Tigers fans, even though their current quarterback room has attempted just one career pass for the team combined.
One of the biggest reasons for excitement is the commitment of 4-star quarterback Antwaan Hill Junior, who headlines the 2025 recruiting class. Hill is rated as the third-best pocket passer in the 2025 cycle by ESPN and 61st on their top 300 players list. He is the highest-rated quarterback commit in Memphis Tigers history, turning down offers from Georgia, Notre Dame, Florida, and more to play for Silverfield.
Standing at an imposing 6-foot-5, Hill has elite arm strength, which he used to throw for 3,373 yards, 44 touchdowns, and just 6 interceptions in his final year of high school, utilizing good anticipation and decision-making. He operates best as a passer, but he can be a handful as a scrambler and a rusher, making him a very exciting option for the Tigers. His talent was recognized when he was recently named the Navy All-American Bowl Offensive Player of the Year, giving a bit of an insight into what is to come for Memphis fans.
With Hill not turning 18 until the summer, it won’t be easy for him to earn the starting job, and to do so, he will have to beat out Arrington Maiden and Harris Boyd, who were both in Memphis in 2024. Boyd was the backup to starter Seth Henigan, while Maiden redshirted the year, although there are many in the building who believe Maiden is the most talented.
Maiden is a three-star recruit from College Station, Texas, who has benefitted from a year of learning behind school legend Seth Henigan. He is familiar with the team, having traveled to all of the road games, and has also got a leg-up on Hill regarding knowing offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey’s playbook. As does Harris Boyd.
Perhaps the hardest quarterback to defeat in the Memphis Tigers quarterback battle will be senior Brendon Lewis, who the team acquired in the transfer portal in December 2024. If Ryan Silverfield wants to go for experience, this will be his choice. Lewis is entering his sixth season of college football, having just completed a season with the Nevada Wolf Pack that saw him complete 67.6% of his passes for 2,290 yards, 16 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. When you factor in Lewis’ 775 yards and 8 more touchdowns on the ground, you have a very useful dual-threat quarterback option who earned a 90.3 offensive grade from PFF in 2024, the highest of all Mountain West Conference quarterbacks heading into 2025.
Nevada did win just 3 games last year, but with a more talented roster around him in Memphis, it is easy to see Brendon Lewis enjoying better results.
The final name for Memphis fans to be aware of is Grant Troutman, who has committed to the team after his high school career at Collierville. He passed for 2,079 yards and 25 touchdowns in his lone season as a starter, en route to an 11-2 record. While he is the group’s outsider, he remains an intriguing player, having been named to the Region 8-6A first team in 2024.
Compared to recent years, this is unchartered territory for Ryan Silverfield, who is no longer entering the season with the reliable Seth Henigan under center. Nevertheless, his crowded quarterback room for 2025 is full of intriguing talent in varying forms. He has the potential upside in freshman Antwann Hill Junior, the familiarity in redshirt freshman Arrington Maiden, and the experience in Brendon Lewis.
Getting a good look at these guys will be essential to ensuring success for the Memphis Tigers in 2025, and it is likely that this camp battle will extend through the summer and potentially very close to the season opener in September. With several key offensive starters leaving the team due to their eligibility expiring, it remains to be seen what this offensive depth chart will look like in 2025, but quality under center is a crucial place to start. Will Ryan Silverfield shoot for the upside with Hill or Maiden or opt for the steady set of hands in Lewis? We will have to wait until Spring to get our first clues.
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