Welcome to the first of our position group previews for the Memphis Tigers. Having recently completed this series with the New Orleans Saints on our main site, Sports View 360, we will dive into the college game and explore the Memphis Tigers’ roster. The position groups we will be focusing on are quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, linebackers, and cornerbacks. First, look at the most important position in sports, the quarterback.
Expectations are high in 2024. Ryan Silverfield is fresh off his fourth season in charge, in which his boys produced the best play of his tenure. The 10-3 season finished with a Liberty Bowl win over Iowa State, but with the changes in playoff structure, the Tigers have a much bigger goal for 2024. As is the case with most teams, playoff hopes depend very much on the health of the starting quarterback. Memphis will benefit from one of the very best in the Group of 5 conferences, Seth Henigan, who will have the most talented group of playmakers he has ever had at his disposal.
With him at the helm, Memphis has been pinned as the preseason favorite in the AAC. Henigan’s ability to produce another good season will be critical in helping the Tigers come good on their preseason hype. Should he suffer an injury, there is an interesting collection of youthful upside and veteran experience waiting in the wings. The camp battle for the backup job will likely run into the season, so let’s look at all the runners and riders.
Quarterback (QB) Position
Overview:
Seth Henigan is the man in charge of the offense, and there is very little threat to his position as a starter. He has started in all three seasons of his time at Memphis, posting at least 3,300 yards and 22 touchdowns every season, never exceeding nine interceptions. In 2023, he posted career-highs all around, with 3,883 yards, 32 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He completed 66.8% of his passes and registered a rating of 153.7. While he isn’t known for using his legs, he still contributed 274 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
His return for the 2024 season was the best news of the offseason, but there was other big news. Arrington Maiden joins as a promising three-star recruit to fight for the backup duties this year. Still, even more exciting than that, four-star recruit Antwann Hill recently announced that he will be joining Memphis in 2025 instead of Florida. Hill is a top-15 quarterback in his class and a true blue-chip prospect, which is not something that Memphis has been used to in recent years. Hill said he chose Memphis because it allows him to play early, which suggests he has already been promised the starting role next year. That’s something to look forward to for Memphis fans in 2025, but it will be fascinating to see if Arrington can stake his claim for the job throughout the 2024 campaign.
2. Current Depth Chart:
1. Seth Henigan
2. Cade Cunnigham
3. Harris Boyd
4. Arrington Maiden
The incumbent starter on the roster is, of course, Seth Henigan. We have already discussed his consistent play over his three years at Memphis, culminating in a career year in 2023. He is a reliable quarterback who makes the right throws. With him at the helm, Memphis posted 303 passing yards per game, tied for the 10th most in the nation. His primary weapons, Roc Taylor and Demeer Blankumsee, are also back in 2024, and with the addition of Mario Anderson as running back, this offense can take off in 2024.
However, the danger of injury is always closer than we would like in American football, and an injury to Henigan could turn the whole season on its head. If the worst-case scenario happens, can the backups help to deliver an AAC title and college playoff berth, or will Memphis be doomed to a season of frustration?
Well, that is a difficult question to answer. Primarily because none of the three backups have thrown a single pass in college football, as a junior, Cade Cunningham has the most experience and may be the most reliable option. Harris Boyd is still relatively unknown as a redshirt freshman, and Arrington Maiden faces the biggest challenge of convincing the coaching staff, given that he is a true freshman.
Ryan Silverfield is not a big fan of using true freshmen, but Arrington undoubtedly has the most upside and excitement of the three. He has just turned 18, but the coaching staff have said some positive things about him. You can expect this three-way battle for backup duties to be hotly contested and stretch into the season.
3. Strengths and Weaknesses:
The strength of this room is very clearly the starter, Seth Henigan. He is a smart and sensible quarterback with many starts under his belt. He led the team to a 10-3 record 2023 and produced a top-10 passing offense. The weakness is undoubtedly the unknown quantities behind him. It could quickly become a strength if Arrington Maiden proves himself to be the real deal, but that is a lot to ask of an 18-year-old in their true freshman season. None of the three players behind Henigan have thrown a single pass in college football, which makes the idea of a Henigan injury seem very scary.
4. Key Players to Watch:
Arrington Maiden is the guy to keep an eye on. He is the most exciting name in the three-way battle for backup duties. Maiden turned his back on a Power Four offer from Boston College to become a Tiger, joining Memphis after a stellar high school career at College Station. He took over starter duties in his junior season before leading the Cougars on a deep playoff run as a senior. During which, he completed 67% of his passes for 2,803 yards and 30 touchdowns.
Maiden is a very effective ball passer who shows composure in the pocket and delivers accurate passes while on the move. He has the power to fit the ball into tight windows and retains his accuracy when aiming further downfield. There are things to work on, but his natural talent causes people to believe that he might be able to trouble Antwaan Hill for the starting job in 2025 and potentially earn the backup role in 2024.
5. Expectations for the Season:
Things are looking up in Memphis, and there is no reason to believe they can’t improve what was a very strong year in 2023. The new NIL deal with FedEx gives the Tigers a real boost regarding their ambitions to win the AAC and represent the Group of 5 in the College Football Playoffs.
Seth Henigan will be the key to that this year, and he will benefit from a very talented group of playmakers. Roc Taylor and Demeer Blankumsee had 1,083 and 901 yards, respectively, in 2023, which gives Henigan two familiar targets to aim for this year. He will also enjoy the addition of transfer Jyaire Shorter, a big-bodied vertical threat who can stretch the field.
With the running back room looking as strong as ever through the addition of Mario Anderson, it is hard to see anything other than a dominant season from the Memphis Tigers. The only injury would take Seth Henigan off the field, which means we will likely see very few backups. Nevertheless, any practice reports or snaps in blow-outs should be watched with an eagle eye to see who wins the three-way battle for second place on the depth chart.
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