The biggest question Memphis fans are asking ahead of the 2025 season is one they’ve asked for years: Will Ryan Silverfield finally lead the Tigers to the AAC Championship Game? Under Silverfield’s watch, Memphis has posted back-to-back double-digit winning seasons, five consecutive bowl wins, and one of the more elite offenses in the Group of Five landscape. But what remains the only blemish on Silverfield’s resume? An appearance in the conference championship game.
When Mike Norvell decided to part ways with the program to become Florida State’s new head coach, Silverfield was deemed the best qualified to lead the Tigers into the future. However, expectations were through the roof at the time of Silverfield’s hiring. The Tigers had just completed one of their best seasons in program history. In 2019, Norvell led Memphis to a 12-1 record, an AAC title victory over Cincinnati, and a berth in the Cotton Bowl as the Group of Five representative in the New Year’s Six. Memphis would fall to Penn State in the bowl game, but the real takeaway was that the program had established a new standard. Fans hoped the Tigers’ 2019 success could be sustained or surpassed in the coming years.
Memphis has experienced bright moments under Silverfield, but they haven’t measured up to the lofty expectations left behind by Norvell. After an impressive 36-26 victory over Iowa State in the 2023 AutoZone Liberty Bowl, the Tigers emerged as a preseason favorite in the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff format for 2024. The Tigers returned most of their key players, and with programs like SMU, UCF, Cincinnati, and Houston moving on to Power 4 leagues, Memphis was expected to rise to the top of the AAC.
Things appeared on track early in 2024. Memphis defeated Florida State on the road in one of the biggest wins of the Silverfield era. That performance pushed Memphis into serious playoff and AAC title contention.
But the Navy Midshipmen derailed the Tigers’ momentum just a week later. In a stunning upset, Navy rolled up over 500 yards of offense and defeated Memphis 56-44. That single loss turned the tide. Although there was still a path to the title game, the Tigers stumbled again in a critical loss to UTSA.
Despite those two setbacks, Memphis still posted a highly successful season—an 11-2 record, a win over Tulane to snap a two-game skid, and a fifth straight bowl win. But those milestones weren’t enough to satisfy all corners of the fanbase.
The lack of an AAC title appearance continues to divide supporters. Some fans praise the consistency Silverfield has brought to the program. Others argue that with the top contenders out of the league, Memphis should have no excuses not to dominate the American.
One of the arguments in Silverfield’s favor is Memphis’ strong NIL infrastructure. The Tigers now have one of the more lucrative budgets in the Group of Five, putting them in a position to reload quickly rather than rebuild. The 2025 roster features more than 30 new faces, but thanks to NIL and transfer portal flexibility, this overhaul no longer means a lost season.
Still, the pressure is real. Memphis lost four-year starter Seth Henigan, top wide receivers Roc Taylor, Demeer Blankumsee, and Koby Drake, and defensive standouts Chandler Martin, Koby Minor, and Greg Rubin. The only returning defensive starter from the Week 1 lineup is William Whitlow Jr., who briefly entered the portal but ultimately returned.
If Silverfield is going to deliver on the long-awaited AAC title berth, he must integrate this new group quickly. The margin for error is slim, but the resources are there. With strong recruiting, competitive NIL backing, and a favorable conference slate, no more structural barriers stand in Memphis’ way.
The 2025 season may not bring playoff buzz like the year before, but it presents a clearer target: win the conference. Anything less, and the question may no longer be “Will Silverfield get there eventually?”—but rather, “Is he the one to get them there at all?”
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