Memphis added another Power Four transfer earlier this week with the addition of defensive lineman J’Mari Monette. Monette is the third Power Four transfer to sign with the Tigers after wide receiver Alante Brown and linebacker Trey McDonald earlier in the week.
Monette, who spent the four seasons at Indiana, entered the transfer portal on January 23, just a few days after the national championship, and On3’s Pete Nakos reported that the defensive lineman had signed with the program on Thursday.
This isn’t the first time Monette has received interest from the Tigers. In 2021, Memphis offered the defensive lineman out of high school before he ultimately committed to the Hoosiers.
Monette signed with Indiana as a three-star recruit in the class of 2022 over offers from Tulane, Baylor and Mississippi. The Alexandria, LA product only took two visits in high school, visiting Tulane and the Hoosiers before ultimately committing on signing day.
Monette didn’t see action in either of his first two seasons, but he combined to play 12 games over the last two seasons, including eight games on the national championship team this past year. The defensive lineman played 44 snaps in 2025 and recorded three tackles against Indiana State.
In 2024, Monnette played only 15 snaps, and he recorded one tackle against Western Illinois.
Monette signs with Memphis as a graduate transfer, and he will have one season of eligibility remaining. Head coach Charles Huff often talks about wanting size on the defensive line, and at 6-foot-3 and 285 pounds, Monette adds both size and Power Four experience to the Tigers’ defensive line.
Memphis has yet to announce the signings of any of the last three Power Four transfers as official signees, but when they do, the Tigers will be up to 58 signees since the transfer portal opened at the beginning of January.