Three-star commit Ethan Tisdale sees himself as the quarterback of the future

Charles Huff and his staff are busy building their 2027 recruiting class, and while they still have work to do, they’ve secured their quarterback. In May, three-star quarterback Ethan Tisdale announced his commitment to Memphis, becoming the first player to commit to Charles Huff’s program in the class of 2027.

Tisdale attends Heard County High School in Georgia, and he threw for 2,607 yards and 27 touchdowns as a junior. He also ran for 1,134 yards and 23 touchdowns. 

The quarterback has played 37 games on the varsity team, and he has helped lead Heard County to a 22-4 record over the last two seasons. “I would say, first and foremost, I can be a leader on the field, and I’m a winner,” Tisdale said. “At the end of the day, I hate losing more than I like winning, and I’m going to do all I can to make sure it’s done and to make sure there’s a one on the left side of the record book.”

The dual-threat quarterback said he models his game after Lamar Jackson, and he’s comfortable making plays with his arm and with his legs.

“I’d say I model my play after Lamar Jackson. I’m mobile with my feet, and I can do what I can with my arm as well. So, I’m going to get it done regardless of how it needs to be done.”

Tisdale first heard from the Tigers in February, and he announced he received an offer from the program in March. A few weeks after being offered, Tisdale was in Memphis for an unofficial visit during spring practice. 

The Georgia native said he felt the love immediately from the coaching staff, and they were waiting for him before he even pulled into the parking lot. The warm welcome was the start of the strong relationships that ultimately led to his commitment.

“As soon as we got there, getting a feel for everything, I just had a lot of coaches come up to me, and I just felt the love from them,” Tisdale said.

Tisdale spent a lot of time with the quarterbacks and offensive coordinator Kevin Decker during his unofficial visit, and he said the relationships among the quarterbacks stood out to him because they are battling for the starting spot yet have great relationships. He also raved about Decker and what he does as a play caller. 

Decker joined the Memphis staff after spending three seasons at Old Dominion. Last season, he was in charge of a Monarchs offense that finished inside the top 15 in total offense, averaging 454.6 yards per game.

“He’s won everywhere he’s come from,” Tisdale said. “He’s turned every program he’s been at around, and he’s made them a top 15 offense in the nation. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?”

About a month after his unofficial visit, Tisdale announced his commitment to Huff’s program on May 22. The quarterback said his relationship with the staff made it easy, and that they still communicate with him as often as when he was uncommitted. 

Like offensive lineman Jonathan Toney, Tisdale stressed how much of an emphasis the coaching staff puts on relationships and how family oriented Huff is with his players.

“He texts my family group chat every Friday just wishing us a happy Friday,” Tisdale said. “Just trying to keep more than just me in there. He’s trying to show love to my family, which is a great thing that nobody has done, like at all, through this recruiting process.”

After committing in May, Tisdale took an official visit to campus in June. He was one of seven players on campus, and one of his goals during the visit was to get more recruits on board.

“I went from getting recruited, which was a lot, to recruiting,” he said.

The quarterback said that he has a close relationship with fellow commit Gage Luther, and they both tried to recruit the other players to commit to Memphis. By the time the weekend was over, five of the seven visitors were committed to the Tigers, and another, offensive lineman Bryson Sanderson, committed the next weekend.

While the official visit is over, Tisdale said he’s still building relationships with the other commits, and he feels like it’s important for him to show love to them as a quarterback.

“I just tried to text with the boys about every week, just checking in so they feel loved by even me because I will be the quarterback of this team at some point,” he said.

With the recruitment process behind him, Tisdale is relieved that he can give his full attention to his senior season at Heard County. The quarterback will look to have another successful season to finish his high school career before enrolling at Memphis in January.

“When we first committed, we knew it was the right choice. I was so relieved. My summer has been so much easier. I don’t feel stressed. I feel like a more confident player. I feel like I’m more open and feel like I’ve just taken over my team as a high schooler, and it’s just been great to see that.”