Memphis football fall practices are finally here.
The Tigers kick off their preseason preparations on July 30 ahead of their season opener on Aug. 29 at UNLV. Because Memphis is playing in Week Zero, it is starting practice about a week before most other schools.
It'll be a sprint through the next month, and the Tigers have precious little time to waste. The game against the Rebels looms as a key test for both teams that will have plenty of effect on the framing of the Group of Six playoff race going into the first full week of the college football season.
There are plenty of things for coach Charles Huff to sort out. Here are our top storylines.
Who plays quarterback?
This has to be the top storyline for any team that doesn't have an established starter. Huff has been
clear throughout the offseason that the competition between West Florida transfer Marcus Stokes and South Carolina transfer Air Noland would stretch into the summer, and Huff said on July 28 that he expects to make a decision and tell the team about a week before the season opener.
Offensive coordinator Kevin Decker was recruiting Stokes to Old Dominion before he got the Memphis job, and Stokes looks like an ideal fit for Decker's offensive system. He also has significant experience (albeit at the Division II level), while Noland has played only sparingly through his two collegiate seasons.
Still, there's every opportunity for this competition to feature a few twists and turns.
Who wins position battles in Memphis' defensive backfield?
There are as many as three spots up for grabs in the defensive backfield. Southern Miss transfers Ian Foster and Ahmere Foster (no relation) will both be starters. But defensive coordinator Lance Guidry said on July 28 that he's looking forward to watching the competition at cornerback throughout practices.
Southern Miss transfer Dylan Smith and Oklahoma State transfer Dylan King are competing for the safety spot next to Ahmere Foster, while Ian Foster is likely going to play nickel corner.
The cornerback competition includes Chauncey Logan Jr., Darius Malcom Jr., Anthony Richard Jr., Beni Mwamba, Ellis Ellis Jr. and potentially others.
What do the pecking orders at WR, RB look like?
There's as much uncertainty at the offensive skill positions as there is anywhere on the roster. That's not to say there isn't talent in those rooms, but the depth charts aren't exactly set in stone.
Jaylin Carter, Manny Covey and Dallan Hayden are all set to get snaps at running back. But the workload split will be something to watch into the first few weeks of the season. Receiver is even tougher to handicap, with several players competing to cement themselves as starters heading into the season.
Tychaun Chapman feels like a sure thing to play significant snaps. Terrell Timmons, Jemyri Davis, Bryce Dorsey, Brady Kluse, Alante Brown, Stonka Burnside and Jermane Hayes are among those in the mix, too.
How does everything come together?
Memphis has a roster built almost entirely of transfers. There's plenty of talent, but building team chemistry will be one of Huff's most important goals.
"Talent doesn't matter if you can't get it to jell," Huff said at American Conference media days last week.
To that end, Huff and the rest of the team spent July 29 at Victory Ranch in Bolivar.
Can Tigers work out new schemes in time for opener?
For the past few years, Tigers fans have watched their team start the season at home against an FCS opponent. Those games have allowed Memphis to ease into the season and work things out on the fly during the first game.
That won't be the case in 2026. Memphis is likely going to open as a betting underdog on the road against UNLV, and a win would give the Tigers major momentum as it heads into the rest of the season.
There's going to be pressure to perform at a high level in that game and in the season as a whole, especially with a wide-open American Conference title race.
“Pressure is earned," Huff said at media day. "You earn that. It’s a right to feel pressure. Pressure to unprepared teams and people seems like it’s heavy. But pressure to the prepared is an opportunity.”
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Five things to watch as Memphis football begins preseason practices
