2025 Memphis Football Predictions: Tigers Ranked 45th in RJ Young's Ultimate 136
Updated
Aug. 10, 2025 9:29 p.m. ET
share
x
link
This isn't your average college football ranking.
My Ultimate 136 is a set of rankings that is fluid, but it's my job to look ahead and make a claim for all FBS teams based on what I know and why I know it. Here are the three pressing questions I started by asking when putting together this list:
Who do I think is good?
Why do I think they're good?
What are the chances they will finish above or below my expectations?
Here is a look at where Memphis lands in my Ultimate 136.
Memphis ranking: 45
Last year's ranking: 37
Top player: DB Kamari Wilson: Played in 16 games over two seasons at Florida, playing the most snaps of any true freshman in FBS in 2022; played in 13 games for Arizona State last season.
[Memphis' 2025 schedule]
RJ's take: There's a lot riding on transfer QB Brendon Lewis, who threw for 2,290 yards with 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2024. However, this is his sixth year of college football and teams like Oregon and Louisville saw the benefit of that experience on the field last season. He'll have a veteran in Greg Desrosiers Jr. in the backfield with him, but Lewis has also carried the ball more than 50 times in a season. The bet is that with more touches, Desrosiers will be something like Makhi Hughes was at Tulane last year: Desrosiers has averaged 7.5 yards per carry over the last two years with a small sample size.
ADVERTISEMENT
Head coach Ryan Silverfield loaded up in the portal, especially defensively, with six new linebackers and 10 new defensive backs. Former Florida State safety Omarion Cooper could be the gem in this portal class on that side of the ball. Silverfield has won twice as many games as he has lost, going 42-21 in five years. Winning the American title this season is within reach, but the playoffs are not if they don't find a way to win at least 11 games in a slate where the Tigers' toughest game is against Arkansas.
[Check out RJ Young's Ultimate 136 College Football Rankings here]
Memphis Win Total Odds: Over 8.5 (+108) Under 8.5 (-130)
Have an issue with my rankings? Think your alma mater is too low, or your school's rival is too high? Get at me on X, @RJ_Young , and I'll select my favorite tweets and respond to them in a future article.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him at @RJ_Young.
FOLLOW
Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience
College Football
Memphis Tigers
share
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
2025 Alabama Fall Football Preview: Are Running Backs a Concern?
In 2023 with the Washington Huskies, Kalen DeBoer produced his first 1,000+ yard rusher as an FBS head coach when Dillon Johnson went for 1,195 yard and 16 touchdowns. In DeBoer's first Alabama season, the decision was made that utilizing quarterback Jalen Milroe as the primary ball carrier was the best path to success. As a result, Milroe dashed for 726 yards and 20 scores. Those are good numbers to be sure, but they came at the expense of the running backs corps. Jam Miller was the Tide's leading running back rusher last season with 668 yards. That total represents the lowest single season leading number by an Alabama running back since Ahmaad Galloway tallied 659 in the difficult 3-8 season of 2000. With Milroe is Seattle, that trend is bound to change. The Crimson Tide running backs will be leaned on much more in 2025 as the primary ball carriers as well as receivers. For a program that has had seven running backs drafted from 2018 to 2024, Alabama is an unusual position of not having a marquee running back on the team – the kind of guy that the whole college football world talks about. Of all the question marks on this team, running back is a big one and nobody seems to be talking about it. Miller's experience puts him at the top of the depth chart for now. However, it's not outside the realm of possibilities that he finds himself unseated by one of the younger guys or the transfer. COACHSPEAK Following the second practice of fall camp, Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb spoke with the media. One discussion led to the Crimson Tide running backs. 'They all have different skillsets. Jam, again another one of our leaders on the football team. Jam is a super smart player, good hands out of the backfield. Really physical, he's running strong at 220 right now. Good top-end speed. Daniel (Hill) is your bigger back downhill, Richard (Young) is that kind of guy. Dre Washington is a guy who's really showed up the first few days. I was really impressed with his vision. 'I think the big thing, they all have their style of running that they are good at. I think the pass protection, the consistency and understanding their rules and things like that, I think everybody's playing catch-up to Jam. Making sure those guys come along and get there. Coach G (Robert Gillespie) does a phenomenal job getting those running backs ready for that.' One of the biggest obstacles for running backs moving from the high school ranks up to the FBS – and more importantly the SEC level – is pass blocking 6-2, 235 lbs maniac blitzers who already have half of a dozen steps of momentum to get to ramming speed. Miller definitely has a step up on the rest of the contenders in this category. More recently after the first scrimmage last Saturday, DeBoer had some nice things to say about Miller and some seriously vague comments about others. 'Jam started out really well. I thought the offensive line did a nice job creating some seams for Jam to hit; got to the second level and broke a couple tackles. I thought it was one of the better showings I've seen Jam have in a scrimmage. 'Daniel Hill is a guy we're getting more and more comfortable with. He's a big back, but I think he's deceiving when it comes to what he does from a skillset standpoint because he can catch the ball out of the backfield. 'Dre has been consistent all camp long. I thought he poured a couple balls – a couple runs up in there. Did a nice job, maybe when there's not even something there, just moving the pile and getting those 3-yard gains that are important to setting your offensive up for good down and distances. 'Rich continues to do his thing, too… All of them. 'I think Jam certainly had the best day, and that's been consistent. Feel good about all of them in pass protection, first with their responsibilities and the ability to go up there and execute, too, and get the job done with blitzes and things like that. Our running backs are doing a good job and when they get out, they've been effective pass-catchers, as well. In both instances, DeBoer and Grubb raved about Miller, who is clearly the No. 1. They both also mentioned Daniel Hill, Richard Young, and ULL transfer Dre Washington with Hill mentioned second after Jam in both instances. These two quotes seem to give some insight into how the rotation might unfold. DEPARTED Justice Haynes (448 yds, 7 TD) – The Tide's No. 2 from last season never quite lived up to the lofty expectations of a 5-star recruit. He was good but not great. Plus, he battled injuries in his two season in Tuscaloosa. He never could take over the top spot. Haynes has transferred to Michigan and is expected to be their No. 1. RETURNING Now in his fifth season, running backs coach Robert Gillespie is the most tenured Crimson Tide assistants after DL coach Freddie Roach (Year 6). The 45-year old has coached at the Capstone since 2021. This might be a pivotal season for Gillespie. # 26 Jam Miller (Sr., 5' 10''/221) – As mentioned, Miller was the leading running back rusher in 2024. As a freshman, he was the fourth team running back. In 2023, he moved up one notch. Last year, he was the No. 1 and most experienced back. He had some good moments but did not quite feel like RBs of the past decade and a half. Against SEC opponents, only once did he rush for 50 yards or more, and that was against Auburn. He tallied 84 yards in that game on a career-high 28 carries, but that averages out to only 3.0 yards per carry. In fact, from the first SEC game (vs Georgia) to the end of the season, he averaged 3.5 ypc. That is not to say Miller not a good football player. It's just that he has yet to be tasked with carrying a team through a game. Tide fans have been spoiled by the riches of Nick Saban-era running backs. Yet, there was one among that group who seemed to languish deep in the depth chart for most of his college career until he got to his last season, and that guy just happens to now be the starting running back for the Washington NFL team. Let's hope Jam turns into a B-Rob instead of a forgotten back in the annals of Alabama history. With six scholarship running backs on the roster, depth is not a problem. The real issues are the lack of experience for these younger guys and keeping everyone healthy. # 9 Richard Young (R-So., 5' 11''/212) did not get too many opportunities to tote the rock in 2024 – 27 rushes, 146 yards, 2 TD – mostly due to a leg injury he suffered in Week 3 against Wisconsin. However, he did play in seven games and had some flashes of brilliance, including exclamation points against Mizzou and LSU. Young received a fair amount of buzz during spring practice and should get plenty of chances to show what he can do. # 4 Daniel Hill (So., 6' 1''/244) played in nine games as a freshman between offense and special teams. He tallied 61 yards on 21 carries, all in garbage time. The numbers aren't great but the fact that the staff saw fit to burn his redshirt speaks volumes to their belief in his immediate value to the team. Along with the current attaboys, Hill also received some praise from the coaching staff back during the spring practices. He is by far the biggest back on the roster by 20+ pounds. # 28 Kevin Riley (R-Fr., 5' 11''/191) played in only two games as a true freshman (4th quarters vs WKU and Mercer). With no A-Day Game this past spring, it is difficult to get a handle on what he brings to the table. DeBoer previously eluded that Riley may have been battling an injury a season ago but is healthy now. The scouting report on the Tuscaloosa native is that he is a shifty kind of runner with explosiveness. Clues to his future with the team may lay on how much he participates on special teams this fall. NEWBIES #20 Dre'lyn 'Dre' Washington (R-Sr., 5' 9''/216 ) was the third option at RB for Louisiana-Lafayette in 2024. He had 73 rushes for 478 yards and 5 TD for the Ragin' Cajuns in that campaign. Even so, the Bama staff must see something in him that they think is special. With this being his final season of eligibility, there must be a common sentiment between the two parties that Washington can be a significant contributor to the Tide offense in 2025. He has a good burst at the line and can turn on the jets with breakaway speed when in the open field. It will be interesting to see what he can do behind a competent offensive line. #0 AK Dear (Fr., 6' 1''/212) – Not to be outdone, Alabama signed this high 4-star prospect who was the No. 2 ranked running back in the nation for the Class of 2025. The Quitman, MS native ran for 2,016 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns in his senior year. As long as everyone else stays relatively healthy, he may be looking a redshirt this season. ACCOLADES Along with being added to the The Doak Walker Award watch list, given annually to the nation's top running back, Miller was named preseason third team All-SEC by the media at SEC Media Days. PREDICTED DEPTH CHART It may be a running back by committee sort of campaign this fall. The pecking order could look like the following: JAM MILLER DANIEL HILL DRE WASHINGTON RICHARD YOUNG KEVIN RILEY/AK DEAR Who is second behind Jam Miller?
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ryder Cup cheer for Tommy Fleetwood after heartbreak in Memphis
Tommy Fleetwood's disappointment at another failure to secure his first PGA Tour victory has been tempered by confirmation he has secured his place on Europe's Ryder Cup team. The English golfer went into the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis on Sunday with a one-shot lead. But a poor finish saw him miss out on a playoff by a stroke and lose the chance to add a PGA Tour title to his wins around the world. The playoff was won by Justin Rose, who has also booked his place at Bethpage Black in New York for the Sept. 26-28 showdown. 'Amazing to have both of these guys back on the Team. They bring so much both on and off the course. Let's Go!" Luke Donald, Europe's Ryder Cup captain, said on X on Monday above a photo of Fleetwood and Rose. Fleetwood, who is set to make his fourth consecutive appearance for Europe, wrote on X: 'Yes!!! Very proud.' ___ AP golf: The Associated Press
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Most important developments from 1st week of NFL preseason, including Shedeur Sanders
We've now seen every team play this preseason. Or, at least there were players in all 32 team uniforms on an NFL field. As we know, some teams won't play starters at all in the preseason. In the first week of the preseason, half of the teams did not play their starting quarterback or many starters overall. Some starters played very little, like Patrick Mahomes who threw just one pass. At least it was for a touchdown. So we don't have interesting developments on every team. But there were some important news items from the first week of the preseason: Shedeur Sanders' critics don't have much to say Sanders hasn't played a real NFL game and he might be the most divisive player in the league already. He moves the needle both ways, but those tuning in to see him fail in his preseason debut didn't have much to work with. There wasn't much negative about it. Sanders was pretty good in his surprise start, and it was even more impressive considering it was a difficult situation. Sanders, who started due to injuries to Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel and also Joe Flacco being held out, did everything expected of him. He was safe early with short throws but got warmer as the game went on. He was comfortable and confident, and both touchdown passes were excellent in different ways. All in all, it was a successful debut. But with Sanders being the most discussed rookie fifth-round pick ever, the reactions weren't going to be measured. Sanders still is very unlikely to be QB1 before the season starts, and a half of football doesn't prove much for the long term either. But it was a promising beginning and it was a good step in a competition that does matter, and that's with Gabriel for the top rookie on the depth chart entering the season. Anthony Richardson's mistake isn't good for him The issue with Richardson in the NFL has rarely been physical. He is still incredibly inexperienced, and that was amplified in his first preseason action this year because his mistake ended up getting him injured. Richardson got blasted on an outside rush by Ravens linebacker David Ojabo, and plenty of former quarterbacks and film analysts quickly identified that it was an error by Richardson. He had to identify that the Ravens would have a free rusher to his right and hit the outlet, which was the running back. He also had a wide open receiver on a curl route to the right side. But he looked left, never saw Ojabo coming and took a sack that also dislocated his right pinkie finger. The injury doesn't sound like it will be a long term issue, but Colts coach Shane Steichen will take note that Richardson couldn't identify where to go with the ball on that play before it turned into a negative. It's just one play, but it will have to be in the back of the staff's mind when it decides if Richardson or Daniel Jones wins the job. Bengals defense didn't answer any questions The Eagles gained 432 yards on the Bengals without playing any starters, and Philadelphia backup quarterback Tanner McKee looked like an All-Pro. A lot of the game was taken by the Bengals' backups, but the starters did play some. And they did not play well. Cincinnati's issue isn't a mystery: The offense is great and the defense isn't. The Eagles backups scored a touchdown on the Bengals' starters, then they got a field goal against a Bengals defensive lineup that included many starters. The preseason doesn't matter too much, but the Bengals defense starting the preseason slowly (without last season's NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson, who is holding out) isn't the best news. Jaxson Dart plays well, draws praise Brian Daboll seemed to like what Dart did in his first preseason snaps. Dart was 12 of 19 for 154 yards and a very nice touchdown throw. "Efficient, effective, aggressive, confident in the pocket," Daboll said after the game "Some stuff we can work on, but he's doing good. "Look, there's things he can be better at, but we missed some opportunities on third down, some drops that would have even been better for him and for us. But he's a confident young player. He's improved since he's been here. Still have a long way to go, but I enjoy working with him. I like his demeanor on the sideline. He sees the game well." Often coaches want to tone down praise for first-round quarterbacks, especially those who might begin the season on the bench. No reason to fuel a controversy that will be there regardless. Daboll saying many good things about Dart is interesting. Dart did play well and if that continues this month, it will be harder to keep him out of the starting lineup early in the season. There's still time for Dart to at least make a strong argument to get the start in Week 1, too. Tetairoa McMillan is going to be good It's just one play, and a preseason play at that, but a story can be told from rookie Tetairoa McMillan's 30-yard grab from Bryce Young in the Carolina Panthers' opener. McMillan wasn't open, it's just that Young knew McMillan would be open for him and trusted him enough to drop a deep pass in the bucket. And McMillan, the eighth pick of the draft, made a great adjustment with the ball in the air and a very nice over the shoulder catch. Overreacting to one play is a bad idea. But that is a good preview for how that connection will click right away. Pair of important RB injuries Tyjae Spears and Rachaad White aren't starters, but they are expected to be high-usage backups this season. And both are already dealing with injuries. Spears, Tony Pollard's backup with the Tennessee Titans left on a cart after having his ankle rolled up on a tackle. It was a high ankle sprain and Spears' preseason is likely done, via Turron Davenport of ESPN. Even if Spears comes back for Week 1, high ankle sprains can often limit a player for weeks after he returns. White is behind Bucky Irving in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' running back depth chart, but he was going to play a lot. But a groin injury could change that. While Bucs coach Todd Bowles said White is day to day, we'll see when he returns. What this mostly means is Pollard and Irving might have to carry more of the load in September. Kyler Murray's bad INT The good news is Murray completed seven of his eight passes. The bad news was the other pass. Murray threw a poor interception that was easily picked off by Chiefs safety Jaden Hicks. Murray explained that he 'just didn't get enough on it," and while it's not the end of the world to make a mistake in the preseason, it's not the way the Arizona Cardinals want this season to get going. Murray's potential to be a top-tier quarterback is being hyped again this offseason. And mostly he played well in his preseason action last week. But he can't be making mistakes like that interception anymore. Abdul Carter will have an immediate impact Buffalo Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins is one of the best in the league. The Bills pay him more than $20 million per season. And Carter, the New York Giants' top-drafted rookie, looked really good in a few snaps against him. Carter, the third pick of the draft, had three pressures on three pass-rushing downs according to Pro Football Focus. And the way he moved was eye-popping. Carter was already the most obvious pick to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. If his first preseason action was any indication, he might run away with the award.
