Memphis kicked off the early signing period by securing 15 signatures. There were a lot of questions about how many guys would sign with the Tigers – who are currently looking for a head coach – but they were able to sign 15 of the current 20 commits.
Memphis entered the week with 23 commits, but four players de-committed ahead of the early signing day period. Offensive tackle Dawson Matthews announced his decision on Tuesday before signing with Tulsa on Wednesday, and JUCO defensive lineman Antonio Sandel-Bascomb reopened his recruitment on Wednesday.
Wide receiver Jude Hall and cornerback Brandon Ford – who flipped to Memphis on November 23 – both flipped on Wednesday to follow Ryan Silverfield at Arkansas.
One of the bigger surprises of the day came when 3-star cornerback Nick Burden flipped from Liberty to Memphis. The Georgia native had offers from several power four teams, including Georgia Tech, SMU and Cincinnati.
The Tigers signed a pair of local prospects in Collierville defensive lineman Marshall Smith Jr. and Desoto Central running back Eric Perry. Perry flipped from Auburn after the school fired Hugh Freeze, and he was a player that people were watching on signing day.
Memphis also signed a quarterback on the first day of the early signing period. Gavin Owens signed with the Tigers after throwing for over 12,000 yards and 109 touchdowns in high school.
Here’s who Memphis signed on the first day of the early signing period:
QB Gavin Owens (6’5/200) (Rabun Gap-Nacoochee HS/Greenville, SC)
TE Garrett Essner (6’6/245) (Rock Bridge HS/Columbia, MO)
WR Jaylin Taylor (5’11/180) (Oxford HS/Oxford, AL)
DL Marshall Smith Jr. (6’3/240) (Douglas County HS/Douglasville, GA)
LB Desmond Cox (6’0/210) (Red Oak HS/Red Oak, TX)
DB Trey Moody (6’2/180) (Parker HS/Birmingham, AL)
DL Evan Harvey (6’2/245) (Sandy Creek HS/Tyrone, GA)
LB Kaden Spratling (6’1/235) (Carrollton HS/Carrollton, GA)
P Jake Snyder (6’1/185) (Denmark HS/Cumming, GA)
DB JT Barlow (6’0/180) (Hillcrest HS/Evergreen, AL)
DB Nick Burden (6’1/190) (Douglas County HS/Douglasville, GA)
WR Zechariah Jenkins (6’0/195) (Laurel HS/Laurel, MS)
RB Eric Perry (5’11/200) (Desoto Central HS/Southaven, MS)
DB Josiah Brown (5’11/180) (Booker T. Washington HS/Pensacola, FL)