2008 Memphis Tigers - Recruiting Class

Memphis Tigers 2008 Head Coach: Tommy West

Memphis Tigers

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Arkelon Hall QB 6-3 220 Jr. Fresno, Calif./Edison/College of the Sequoias
Signed with the Tigers in December and is enrolled at the U of M...Will work out with the squad this spring...Played one season for coach Curtis Allen at College of the Sequoias in Visalia, Calif., after transferring from Washington State...Former teammate of Kindly Jacques and Larry Landry who both signed with Memphis today...Passed for 2,398 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2007...Averaged 239.8 yards per game and completed 53.1 percent of his passing attempts while also running for five touchdowns and 144 yards in 2007... Threw for more than 300 yards in his final two games at COS, including a 350-yard effort in a 59-57 loss to Sierra in the final game of the season...Rated as the nation's No. 8 quarterback prospect by ESPN.com after throwing for 56 touchdowns and nearly 5,000 yards in two years as a starter for Edison High ...Signed with Washington State out of high school and redshirted in 2005 at WSU. ...Broke his leg in a preseason scrimmage in 2006 and later transferred to the College of the Sequoias..., Was invited to participate in the 2004 EA SPORTS Elite 11 Quarterback Camp and Competition...Rated as a four-star athlete by Scout.com... and was also ranked No. 81 in the ESPN Top 100 Players in America.

Potential Instant Impact Players

Kindly Jacques OT 6-7 325 Jr. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Stranahan/College of the Sequoias
Played two seasons for coach Curtis Allen at College of the Sequoias in Visalia, Calif....Teammate of Arkelon Hall who signed with the Tigers in December and Larry Landry who inked with Memphis today...Was part of an offensive line that helped the Giants amass 3,819 yards of total offense in 2007...Helped protect Hall, who totaled 2,398 yards and 13 passing touchdowns...Helped 2006 team to a 7-3 record as the Giants averaged 412 yards of total offense...Squad also averaged 32.9 points per game in 2006.

Colton Jenkins DL 6-6 290 So. Winona, Miss./Winona Secondary/Holmes CC
Signed with the Tigers in December and is enrolled at the U of M...Will work out with the squad this spring...Played one season at Holmes Community College...Started five games in 2007 before being sidelined with a shoulder injury...Was listed as a Top 25 Junior College Prospect by the Sun Herald...Lettered three seasons at Winona Secondary School, playing on both sides of the ball as a senior...Ranked among the top 60 offensive linemen in the Southeast by PrepStar recruiting magazine in its season-ending yearbook.

Rest of the Class
Demetrius Culpepper DE 6-5 245 Jr. Alexander City, Ala./Benjamin Russell/East Miss. CC
DajLeon Farr TE 6-5 252 Sr. Houston, Texas/North Shore/Univ. of Miami
Marcus Hightower WR 6-2 180 Fr. Memphis, Tenn./Whitehaven
Ricky Holloway LB 6-2 225 Fr. Somerville, Tenn./Fayette-Ware
Steven Joachim WR 6-4 205 Jr. Miami, Fla./N. Miami Sr./Mendocino College
Curtis Johnson WR 6-0 182 Fr. Miami, Fla./Coral Gables
Larry Landry OL 6-3 285 Jr. New Orleans, La./John Ehret/College of the Sequoias
Donald Law TE 6-5 260 Fr. Memphis, Tenn./Hamilton
Clay Lee DB 6-1 215 Fr. Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips
Derrick Odom LB 6-2 202 Jr. Jackson, Miss.Callaway/LSU
Dontari Poe DT 6-3 315 Fr. Memphis, Tenn./Wooddale
Greg Ray RB 5-10 205 Jr. Los Angeles, Calif./Westchester/El Camino CC
Brandon Ross RB 6-0 205 Fr. Auburn, Ala./Auburn
Marcus Rucker WR 6-3 180 Fr. Memphis, Tenn./Whitehaven
Mike Shepard DB 6-2 205 Fr. Citronelle, Ala./Citronelle
Frank Trotter DT 6-2 260 Fr. Mobile, Ala./John LeFlore

- 2007 Memphis Season
- 2007 Memphis Preview
- 2006 Memphis Season

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 6-6
2007 Record: 7-6

Sept. 1 Ole Miss L 23-21
Sept. 15 Jville State W 35-14
Sept. 22 at UCF L 56-20
Sept. 27 at Arkansas St L 35-31
Oct. 2 Marshall W 24-21
Oct. 13 Middle Tenn L 21-7
Oct. 20 at Rice W 38-35
Oct. 27 at Tulane W 28-27
Nov. 3 East Carolina L 56-40
Nov. 10 at So Miss W 29-26
Nov. 17 UAB W 25-9
Nov. 24 SMU W 59-52 3OT
New Orleans Bowl
Dec. 21 Memphis L 44-27

2007 Recap

Recap: After plummeting to 2-10 a year ago, the Tigers did rather well to finish with seven wins, tie for second place in the Eastern Division, and qualify for a fourth bowl game in the last five years.  Memphis stayed above water behind the nation’s 13^th-ranked passing attack and a knack for pulling out close games, winning five by a field goal or less.  The defense, however, was a glaring and incessant liability, collecting just 15 sacks in 13 games, and finishing near the bottom of Conference USA in just about every statistical category.       

Offensive Player of the Year: QB Martin Hankins

Defensive Player of the Year: LB Jake Kasser

Biggest Surprise: In a crucial game for both programs, Memphis stunned Southern Miss in Hattiesburg on Nov. 10, 29-26, climbing one step closer to a berth in the New Orleans Bowl.  The Tigers trailed by 12 late in the game, but got a couple of Hankins touchdown passes in the waning minutes to pull out the victory.

Biggest Disappointment: Memphis was a no-show on Oct. 13 against Middle Tennessee State, losing badly to a mid-level Sun Belt program.  The Tigers managed just a single touchdown, the first time in 14 games that they’d been held below 10 points.               

Looking Ahead: Although head coach Tommy West has his sights set on another bowl invitation in 2008, to get there, he’ll need to completely recharge the defense and find an adequate replacement for Hankins under center.  A name to monitor is Arkelon Hall, a JUCO transfer that was considered one of the nation’s brightest quarterback prospects when he originally signed to play for Washington State in 2005.

Nov. 24
Memphis 55 ... SMU 52 3OT
Memphis stuffed SMU on fourth and goal from the two in the third overtime, and then Matt Reagan ended the thriller with a 32-yard field goal. Reagan had a shot to win it in regulation, but a bobbled snap caused a 32-yard attempt to go wide. The two teams traded field goals in the first overtime, Memphis scored first in the second overtime on Martin Hankins' fourth touchdown pass of the game on a six-yard throw to Greg Hinds, but SMU answered with a one-yard Chris Butler scoring run. The two teams traded punches all game long with SMU's Justin Willis putting on a show with four touchdown passes and a 48-yard touchdown dash. The offenses combined for 1,103 yards of total offense and 49 first downs.
Player of the game: In a losing cause, SMU QB Justin Willis completed 35 of 48 passes for 375 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions, and ran 23 times for 114 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: SMU - Passing: Justin Willis, 35-48, 375 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Justin Willis, 23-114, 1 TD. Receiving: Emmanuel Sanders, 13-118, 3 TD
Memphis - Passing: Martin Hankins, 30-59, 336 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: T.J. Pitts, 19-110, 1 TD. Receiving: Steven Black, 12-112
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Memphis flexed its offensive muscle against SMU, but the defense went bye-bye in the wild shootout. It didn't matter as the Tigers pulled off a key seventh win and will now be off to the New Orleans Bowl to face either Troy or Florida Atlantic. If the offense is as balanced as it's been the last few weeks, the Tigers should be able to outgun their way to a win. This might not have been a special season, but after last year's 2-10 debacle, going to a bowl is important.

Nov. 17
Memphis 25 ... UAB 9
Matt Reagan hit four field goals, Will Hudgens punched it in from one-yard out, and Joseph Doss ran for a 20-yard touchdown as Memphis cranked out 563 yards and had few problems in the win. UAB only managed a field goal and a one-yard Brandon Thornton touchdown run, but couldn't keep up with the Tiger offense. Jake Kasser and LeRico Mathis combined for 25 tackles for the Tigers.
Player of the game: Memphis RB Joseph Doss ran 19 times for 168 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: UAB - Passing: Sam Hunt, 11-19, 121 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Joseph Webb, 9-44. Receiving: Frantell Forrest, 7-48
Memphis - Passing: Martin Hankins, 14-26, 298 yds
Rushing: Joe Doss, 19-168, 1 TD. Receiving: Duke Calhoun, 4-159
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Now that Memphis is bowl eligible, it's time to make a statement with a win over SMU. The offense is cranking out yards in chunks, moving the ball at will on UAB, but it needs to finish off drives better than it did this week. Doing more on third downs will be a must in a bowl game, which the Tigers will get to as long as they don't mail it in against the Mustangs.

Nov. 10
Memphis 29 ... Southern Miss 26
Martin Hankins connected with Carlos Singleton on a 52-yard touchdown pass with 1:04 to play, after getting the Tigers close with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Earnest Williams with 4:21 to play, to pull off the shocker. Southern Miss got two Justin Estes field goals and an 82-yard Brandon Sumrall interception return for a touchdown in the second half, but couldn't hold on late with the Tigers holding on to the ball for 12:32 in the fourth. Hankins finished with four touchdown passes, but Memphis only ran for 26 yards.
Player of the game: Memphis QB Martin Hankins completed 35 of 48 passes for 396 yards and four touchdowns and two interceptions
Stat Leaders: Memphis - Passing: Martin Hankins, 35-48, 396 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Joseph Doss, 13-13. Receiving: Duke Calhoun, 8-124, 1 TD
Southern Miss - Passing: Jeremy Young, 11-17, 123 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Damion Fletcher, 21-97, 1 TD. Receiving: Torris Magee, 4-76, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... With the shocking win over Southern Miss, Memphis is back on track for a possible bowl bid. With few Conference USA teams to be eligible for the spots. all the Tigers need to do is get by UAB and SMU, the league's two worst teams, and it's off to a bowl game. Martin Hankins continues to be as effective and productive as any quarter back in the country, but it would be nice if he got more help from a running game. Against the Blazers and Mustangs, he should be able to bomb his way to wins.

Nov. 3
East Carolina 56 ... Memphis 40
East Carolina ran for 491 yards helped by 301 yards from Chris Johnson along with four touchdowns. Jonson tore off scoring runs from 16, 44, and 70 yards, and then put the game out of reach with a 50-yard dash late in the fourth. The Memphis defense couldn't slow down the Pirates, but the offense exploded with Martin Hankins and the passing game bombing away for 416 yards with four touchdown passes. Down 21-6, the Tigers got back in the game with two Hankins touchdown throws only to see ECU pull away with a 28-point third quarter. The ECU passing game also got involved as Pat Pinkney threw two touchdown passes in the third. In all, the two teams combined for 1,134 yards of total offense.
Player of the game: East Carolina RB Chris Johnson ran 20 times for 301 yards and four touchdowns and caught two passes for 12 yards..
Stat Leaders: East Carolina - Passing: Patrick Pinkney, 8-16, 105 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Chris Johnson, 20-301, 4 TD. Receiving: Dwayne Harris, 4-26
Memphis - Passing: Martin Hankins, 34-60, 416 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Miguel Barnes, 5-42. Receiving: Duke Calhoun, 8-107, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The run defense got plowed over for the second straight week allowing 301 rushing yards to Chris Johnson after giving up 278 to Tulane's Matt Forte. Martin Hankins has been amazing in an attempt to bomb the Tigers back into games, but it wasn't enough this week. Still in the hunt for a bowl spot, MU has to win two of its final three games. An upset over Southern Miss would be a nice start, but to have any shot, the run D will have to keep Damion Fletcher and the Golden Eagles to under 200 yards on the ground.

Oct. 27
Memphis 28 ... Tulane 27
Duke Calhoun caught a five-yard touchdown pass with 36 seconds to play to overcome a 278-yard rushing day from Tulane's Matt Forte. The Green Wave got a Forte 51-yard touchdown dash in the second quarter, and a one-yard score in the fourth for a 27-21 lead, but the Tigers were able to go 80 yards in nine plays to get the win. Earnest Williams scored twice for the Tigers including a 47-yard pass play in the final moments of the first half.
Player of the game: Memphis QB Martin Hankins completed 25 of 38 passes for 355 yards and two touchdowns with an interception
Stat Leaders: Memphis - Passing: Martin Hankins, 25-38, 355 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Joseph Doss, 15-50. Receiving: Maurice Jones, 4-117
Tulane - Passing: Anthony Scelfo, 7-15, 84 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Matt Forte, 44-278, 2 TD. Receiving: Matt Forte, 2-15
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... For the second straight week, Martin Hankins bailed out the defense with a big late drive. The defense got ripped apart by Matt Forte and the Tulane running game, but Hankins was able to keep pace with key throw after key throw when the Tigers absolutely needed one. Now in range for bowl eligibility, a win over East Carolina would do wonders. With three of the final four games at home, there's no reason to not finish at least 6-6.

Oct. 20
Memphis 38 ... Rice 35
Martin Hankins threw three touchdown passes, including a 45-yarder to Maurice Jones with just under six minutes to go, to get by the Owls. Rice marched back with a 20-yard James Casey touchdown catch, but down three, never got the ball back. Jarett Dillard caught touchdown passes from five, nine, and 42 yards out in the see-saw battle, while Hankins connected with Brett Russell from ten yards out and Greg Hinds from six yards out, and Joe Doss added a 15-yard touchdown run for the Tigers. Memphis cranked out 571 yards to Rice's 418.
Player of the game: Memphis QB Martin Hankins completed 21 of 32 passes for 306 yards and three touchdowns with an interception
Stat Leaders: Memphis - Passing: Martin Hankins, 21-32, 306 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Joseph Doss, 24-175, 1 TD. Receiving: Steven Black, 6-61
Rice - Passing: Chase Clement, 28-44, 289 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Chase Clement, 6-41, 1 TD. Receiving: Joel Armstrong, 8-71
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Memphis got a near perfect offensive day against Rice, held the ball for 13:22 in the second quarter, and 37:32 for the game, and still had to fight to the finish. Joe Doss ran as well as he had all season long, and Martin Hankins was on fire, mainly because he had ten days to throw the ball. The lost season could quickly turn around against East Carolina next week, but the defense has to be far tighter and the offense has to keep exploding. This isn't a good enough team to make a slew of mistakes and not get big offensive numbers.

Oct. 13
Middle Tennessee 21 ... Memphis 7
DeMarco McNair ran for touchdowns from 55 yards and one yard, and Dwight Dasher tore off a 61-yard scoring run as Middle Tennessee ran for 260 yards in the win. Memphis managed a 19-yard Duke Calhoun touchdown catch late in the first quarter, but couldn't get the offense going from there, finishing with only 248 yards.
Player of the game: Middle Tennessee QB Dwight Dasher completed 16 of 26 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown with an interception, and ran 19 times for 180 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: Middle Tennessee - Passing: Dwight Dasher, 16-26, 230 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Dwight Dasher, 19-180, 1 TD. Receiving: Desmond Gee, 4-41
Memphis - Passing: Will Hudgens, 13-35, 134 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: T.J. Pitts, 14-49. Receiving: Duke Calhoun, 4-51, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Where does Memphis go from here? Just when it seemed like the Tigers were going to go on a big run and turn its season around, it came up with a clunker against Middle Tennessee and now has to win on the road at Rice and Tulane just to get in range for a possible bowl bid. If the offense tanks like it did this week, it's not going to happen. The running game never got on track, and the passing game was inefficient and ineffective. Eventually, the team will come up with a consistent stretch of games. It just might be too late.

Oct. 2
Memphis 24 ... Marshall 21
Playing just two days after the death of defensive tackle Taylor Bradford, Memphis got three Matt Reagan field goals and two second half touchdown passes from Will Hudgens to pull off the win. The two teams traded scores throughout, with Marshall getting a 20-yard Cody Slate touchdown catch for its first points, and a four-yard Darius Passmore scoring grab with 5:22 to play for the final points. The Herd's final drive got to the Memphis 41 before stalling.
Player of the game: Memphis QB Will Hudgens completed 30 of 45 passes for 346 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Memphis - Passing: Will Hudgens, 30-45, 346 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: T.J. Pitts, 14-57. Receiving: Duke Calhoun, 6-74
Marshall - Passing: Bernard Morris, 23-32, 220 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Darius Marshall, 15-90, 1 TD. Receiving: Darius Passmore, 7-69, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Obviously playing with a heavy heart, after the death of a teammate, Memphis came up with a fine performance under the circumstances. With Martin Hankins still suffering from a hip injury, Will Hudgens picked a great time to play a tight, efficient game against Marshall, bombing away all game long. With no running attack to help him out, the offense was all on the passing game. With Middle Tennessee, Rice and Tulane ahead, now is the time to go on a winning streak and get the season started.

Sept. 27
Arkansas State 35 ... Memphis 31
Down 31-6, Arkansas State stormed back in the second half with 29 unanswered points, kicked off by an 89-yard Kevin Jones punt return for a score. and followed up by three Corey Leonard touchdown passes. The final score, on a one-yard throw to Preston Brown, came midway through the fourth quarter, and then ASU held on with the final Memphis drive stalling at midfield. The Tigers got an 80-yard touchdown pass from Dave Thomas to Steven Black, and an 88-yard fumble return for a touchdown from 300-pound defensive tackle Freddie Barnett, but they couldn't get on the board in the second half.
Player of the game: Arkansas State QB Corey Leonard completed 16 of 37 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns, and ran 22 times for 74 yards.
Stat Leaders: Memphis - Passing: Martin Hankins, 10-21, 119 yds
Rushing: Joseph Doss, 17-50, 1 TD. Receiving: Maurice Jones, 3-71
Arkansas State - Passing: Corey Leonard, 16-37, 255 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Corey Leonard, 22-74. Receiving: Levi Dejohnette, 7-99, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Barring a miracle turnaround, the collapse against Arkansas State might mean the end of the the Tommy West era. The Tigers blew a 31-6 lead with inefficient offense, and several bad plays along with penalty after penalty after penalty. The defense wasn't awful, but the entire team broke down with a special teams gaffe, rough offensive play, and not enough key stops. A quarterback has to emerge from the fray. Martin Hankins wasn't the answer this week.

Sept. 22
UCF 56 ... Memphis 20
UCF got up 49-0 by early in the third quarter helped by three Kevin Smith touchdown runs and a 72-yard Kyle Israel pass to Kamar Aikin, and then everyone took the rest of the game off. Memphis scored some cosmetic points with three touchdown passes from three different quarterbacks, but the damage had already been done. UCF cranked out 313 rushing yards for the game, and was able to make it a laugher in the second quarter helped by the special teams and Memphis penalties setting up short touchdown drives.
Player of the game: UCF RB Kevin Smith ran 22 times for 124 yards and three touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Memphis - Passing: Will Hudgens, 5-9, 88 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Joseph Doss, 9-48. Receiving: Maurice Jones, 3-50
UCF - Passing: Michael Greco, 11-12, 151 yds
Rushing: Kevin Smith, 22-124, 3 TD. Receiving: Kamar Aiken, 4-131, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It wasn't just that Memphis got blasted by UCF, it's that it wasn't even a game. The MU passing attack failed to bomb its way back into the game thanks to a great day from the Knight defense, while the Tiger D struggled to hold up against the UCF O line. Watch out for Arkansas State next week. If the Tigers can't figure out how to sell out a little more to make a few key stops, it'll be a long day against the Indian ground attack, if this game was any indication.

Sept. 15
Memphis 35 ... Jacksonville State 14
Memphis jumped out to a 14-0 first half lead on a five-yard Miguel Barnes touchdown run and a 48-yard scoring play from Carlton Robinzine, Jacksonville State started to come back on a two-yard Anthony Jones score, but the Tigers answered as Martin Hankins connected with Maurice Jones for a 58-yard touchdown just before halftime. Hankins' third touchdown pass of the game, a 20-yard play to Greg Hinds, gave the Tigers a comfortable lead. This was a historic game, as it was the first time a female officiated a FCS game. Sarah Thomas served as the line judge.
Player of the game: Memphis QB Martin Hankins completed 16 of 22 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns with an interception
Stat Leaders: Jacksonville State - Passing: Cedric Johnson, 23-39, 214 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Cedric Johnson, 13-71. Receiving: James Wilkerson, 5-73
Memphis - Passing: Martin Hankins, 16-22, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: T.J. Pitts, 11-52. Receiving: Earnest Williams, 5-67
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Tigers can be forgiven for not being razor-sharp against Jacksonville State after last week's game against Arkansas State was postponed. Even so, there was good offensive balance a tremendous game from Martin Hankins, who spread the ball around well to a slew of receivers. Also important was the work gotten in by the backup running backs. In all, ten different Tigers got carries. Now the offense will have to be better and more effective early against UCF team that gave Texas all it could handle.

Sept. 1
Ole Miss 23 ... Memphis 21
In yet another great game before Memphis and Ole Miss, the Rebel defense came through with a stop on a two-point conversion attempt with :31 to play. Down 23-0 late in the third quarter, Memphis came roaring back as Joe Doss ran for a one-yard score and Matt Malouf ran for a four-yard touchdown before Martin Hankins found Duke Calhoun for an eight-yard score in the final moments. The Rebel offense struggled, but got a blocked punt for a score and a 99-yard Dustin Mouzon interception return for a touchdown. Greg Hardy started off the scoring with a 16-yard catch for the Rebels.
Player of the game ... Ole Miss CB Dustin Mouzon had six tackles, a tackle for loss, a fumble recovery and two interceptions, one of which went for a 99-yard touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Ole Miss- Passing: Seth Adams, 19-30, 201 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: BenJarvus Green-Ellis, 23-79  Receiving: Marshay Green, 5-59
Memphis - Passing: Martin Hankins, 41-60, 343 yds, 1 TD, 4 INTs
Rushing: Joseph Doss, 14-59, 1 TD  Receiving: Duke Calhoun, 10-87, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It took a while to get going against Ole Miss, but once the Tigers got down 23-0 and had to bomb away, QB Martin Hankins did a fantastic job of rallying the team into a position to send the game into overtime. While the Tigers came up just short, they showed great fight and have to try to use the momentum to come up with wins over the next two weeks against Arkansas State and Jacksonville State. However, to do anything in Conference USA play, the running game has to get going, while the defense has to play as well as it did against the Rebels.