Tigers looking for new key pieces in spring
Roster turnover is one of Memphis football coach Ryan Silverfield’s favorite words the past two years. This spring, he navigates a roster with more new faces and questions than perhaps ever before in his tenure.
Four of the Tigers’ five leading receivers have transferred, and with spring practice having started Sunday, a key issue is how the Tigers will reconstruct their offense around quarterback Seth Henigan. For Silverfield, it’s wait and see.
“You never want to make or overjudge a quick reaction, right,” Silverfield said. “Every single one of us as coaches are going to say wow, this guy’s a difference maker or this guy can’t help us. We’ve got 15 opportunities to do so … when we start putting on the pads, (we’ll) get an opportunity to see what we’re about.”
ALL-AAC tight end Caden Prieskorn (Ole Miss) transferred as did running back Asa Martin (Troy) and starting receivers Eddie Lewis (South Carolina) and Javon Ivory (South Alabama). Receiver Gabe Rogers exhausted his eligibility. Those five players represented 71.4% of the Tigers’ receiving total last season and 55.1% of their all-purpose yards.
So how will they fix that? It starts with leading rusher Jevyon Ducker coming back along with receivers Joseph Scates and Roc Taylor. In the transfer portal, offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey said the team prioritized players who had significant experience at their past schools.
Receivers Tauskie Dove and Demeer Blankumsee were contributors at Missouri and Toledo, respectively. Blake Watson led Old Dominion in rushing the past two seasons. Junior college signee Marcello Bussey had solid numbers (455 yards, three touchdowns) last season at Hutchinson Community College.
But Cramsey noted another priority. Speed. Something Memphis lacked last season with Calvin Austin III gone.
“I think right now, without watching live football with these guys, we have put people around Seth who are faster, more athletic,” Cramsey said. “Potentially, guys that you can throw a five-yard pass to and turn it into a 1520 yard gain.”
The Tigers had just 29 plays from scrimmage last season that went at least 30 yards, the program’s fewest since 2014. Scates is one of the team’s fastest players but he’ll need more help downfield and that’s where Memphis hopes to improve.
Henigan saw the speed upgrade
when he trained with the receivers more this winter. It was the first time he primarily worked with the skill position players in the offseason and it helped build early chemistry.
“I wanted to be around them more so I worked out with them,” Henigan said. “Just getting to know them and dealing with them, that will just help our game develop to what we want it to be, which is even better than it was in previous years.”
Ducker, Scates and Taylor will still be competing to maintain their places.
Cramsey said Ducker’s improved in drills knowing Watson has been pushing him. Junior running back Brandon Thomas is also in the mix as he recovers from a season-ending injury.
But who steps up for good remains to be seen.
The Tigers’ hunt for playmakers will continue through August but since Sunday was the first time for on-field evaluations, Silverfield was fine being patient as the search plays out.
“Let me get to day five and then I think we’ll have an idea. Sometimes the dust settles,” Silverfield said. “There’s also guys that see it, feel it and all of sudden, it really slows down for them and they can speed up their process (for) what it looks like on the field.”