Class of 2027 quarterback Ethan Tisdale commits to Memphis

Memphis picked up a commitment from 2027 quarterback recruit Ethan Tisdale on Friday. The recruit from Franklin, Georgia, announced his decision on social media Friday morning.

Tisdale becomes the first commitment of the 2027 recruiting class, which will be Charles Huff’s first full recruiting class at Memphis. The quarterback held 13 offers, including a pair from Cincinnati and Wake Forest, but he chose the Tigers over the Power Four programs.

Tisdale didn’t take any official visits, but he was on campus at several schools  during the spring. He spent time at Georgia Southern, Austin Peay, Samford, Coastal Carolina, Charlotte, Marshall, Mercer and Memphis over the last few months, and he posted pictures with several coaches who visited him at his house in recent weeks. 

During his sophomore season, he threw for 2,607 yards, 28 touchdowns and only three interceptions. He completed 68 percent of his passing attempts and helped lead Heard County to a 13-1 record. 

The Braves went through the regular season undefeated before losing their only game of the season in the state semifinals against Toombs County. In the loss, Tisdale threw for 203 yards and a touchdown and added 42 yards on the ground.

Tisdale started all 14 games for Heard County, and he led an offense that scored 40 or more points in eight games, including two games with 54 or more points. The quarterback threw for more than 200 yards in six games last season, and he threw for a  season-high 278 yards in a 47-28 win over Pepperell in October.

The quarterback can also use his legs, and he ran for 1,173 yards and 22 touchdowns during his junior campaign.

It appears that Huff and offensive coordinator Kevin Decker value dual-threat quarterbacks, and Tisdale flashes a lot of playmaking abilities with his arm and with his legs. The quarterback has a lot of speed, and he does a nice job throwing on the run.

The Tigers have five quarterbacks on the roster heading into the 2026 season, and all five have eligibility remaining after this season. Four of the five quarterbacks are newcomers to the roster, including true freshman Gavin Owens.

Owens was the only quarterback recruit in the class of 2026.

Huff also brought in Southern Miss transfer Denzel Gardner, who redshirted during his true freshman season in 2025. Grant Troutman is another redshirt freshman signal caller on the roster after he signed with Memphis as a preferred walk-on out of the class of 2025.

West Florida transfer Marcus Stokes and South Carolina transfer Air Noland will battle for the starting quarterback spot, but both players could stay with the Tigers for more than one year.

It appears to be a perfect situation for Tisdale to get to campus and learn the collegiate game before he’s called on. The quarterback has a lot of potential, and it looks like he’s already recruiting for the Tigers, interacting with several other recruits on social media after announcing his commitment.