Athlon Sports predicts Memphis will finish second in the American

It’s magazine season, and Athlon Sports has released its 2026 Athlon College Football Preview magazine for the upcoming season. 

Athlon Sports ranked every FBS team, and put Charles Huff’s team as the No. 66 team in the country, only behind Navy in the American Conference, and they also predict Memphis will finish second in the American behind Navy. Three Group of Six teams rank ahead of the Tigers, including Boise State, which is predicted to be the No. 12 seed in the College Football Playoffs by Athlon Sports.

The magazine predicts that Navy will beat Memphis in the American Conference championship game, and Huff’s team is projected to play Georgia Tech in the Gasparilla Bowl. 

The Tigers have three of the top 10 transfers in the conference, according to the magazine. Athlon ranks defensive lineman J’Mond Tapp as the top transfer in the conference and added defensive back Ian Foster and quarterback Marcus Stokes in the top 10. 

The magazine predicts that Stokes will be the starting quarterback and pegs Southern Miss running back Jaylin Carter as the starting running back.

Athlon only put together first-team All-Conference projections. No Tiger appeared on the First-Team offense, but three players appeared on the First-Team Defense. 

Tapp, Foster and linebacker Mike Montgomery all appeared on the First-Team defense, making Memphis the only team with three players on the First-Team defense.

While the Tigers are projected to finish second in the American, they will play a tough non-conference schedule, and Athlon predicts UNLV and Boise State to win their conferences. UNLV, which has lost in the Mountain West Championship game in each of the last three seasons, is projected to win the conference, while the Broncos are pegged to win the new-look Pac-12.

Huff’s team opens the season in week zero in Las Vegas against the Rebels before heading back to Memphis for their home opener against Arkansas State. The magazine has the Red Wolves finishing second in the Sun Belt West behind Troy.

After the week one home opener, the Tigers will hit the road again and head to Boise for another important non-conference matchup against Boise State.

Athlon also predicts that former Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield’s Arkansas team will finish last in the SEC. The magazine lists Malachi Ireland as the only Tiger transfer set to start for the Razorbacks, with both AJ Hill and Sutton Smith listed as backups.