Memphis wrapped up Wednesday by picking up a quarterback commitment from West Florida’s Marcus Stokes. Stokes is the second quarterback to commit out of the transfer portal, but Stokes will be the Tigers’ starter entering 2026.
Stokes originally committed to Florida as a four-star recruit in the class of 2023, but the Gators rescinded his scholarship after he posted a video on social media rapping along to a song that included the N-word. Stokes signed with Division-II West Florida and redshirted as a freshman.
In 2024, he appeared in eight games and threw for 1,540 yards, 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions. As a redshirt sophomore in 2025, Stokes was one of the best quarterbacks in all of Division II and recorded 3,297 passing yards, 30 touchdown and 13 interceptions.
He also showed off his dual-threat ability, adding 367 yards and 10 touchdowns with his legs.
Stokes led West Florida to a 10-2 season before they were knocked out in the second round against Newberry. Stokes was named Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Year, and he was a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, which is given to the most valuable player in Division II.
It was originally reported that Stokes had a visit to Memphis set for January 10, but it appears changes were made and Stokes visited earlier than expected. It was also reported that the quarterback had visits set with Syracuse and Oregon State in addition to Memphis.
Stokes has an impressive arm, but he can also escape the pocket and pick up yards with his legs, perfectly fitting what Huff said he wanted in a quarterback during his introductory press conference. Stokes will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
The quarterback is the 21st player to commit or sign with the Tigers in the transfer portal, and he joins Denzel Gardner as the two quarterbacks to join Huff’s team. Memphis has been extremely active in the portal, and it will be interesting to see what the Tigers add now that they have their starting quarterback.