Memphis football announces three more NFL opportunities

Memphis football had one player selected in last month’s NFL Draft, but in the days following the seven-round draft, several players signed contracts as undrafted free agents. Greg Desrosiers Jr., Cortez Braham Jr. and Jayden Flaker all signed with NFL teams, but on Monday, the Tigers announced that linebacker Sam Brumfield, cornerback Omarion Cooper and quarterback Brendon Lewis will head to NFL rookie minicamps.

Brumfield signed a contract with the New Orleans Saints after the draft and will head to their minicamp. 

Brumfield finished his college career at Memphis after spending a season at Middle Tennessee State and Virginia Tech. During his lone season with the Tigers, he recorded 113 tackles, leading the team, 4.5 sacks and an interception, and he had a five-game stretch recording 11 or more tackles in each game, including 17 against Navy.

Cooper is heading to Washington for rookie minicamp with the Commanders. The cornerback spent five seasons in college football, and he’ll look to either make the roster or practice squad for a defense that struggled a year ago.

Cooper started his career at Florida State, where he played two seasons before transferring to Colorado. After one season with the Buffaloes, the cornerback returned to Florida State for the 2024 season, but he only appeared in three games.

He entered the transfer portal again and landed at Memphis, where he started all 13 games. Cooper finished the season with 39 tackles, six pass deflections, a forced fumble and an interception, and opposing quarterbacks completed 55 percent of the throws when targeting him. 

Brendon Lewis is another player heading to a rookie minicamp after playing only one season for the Tigers. Lewis, who spent last season as Memphis’ starting quarterback, will head to Charlotte for rookie minicamp with the Panthers.

Lewis started his career at Colorado, where he played three seasons before transferring to Nevada. At Nevada, he threw for 3,603 yards and 18 touchdowns over two seasons. 

He entered the transfer portal with one season of eligibility remaining and landed at Memphis. He threw for 2,673 yards and 16 touchdowns, and he added 665 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.

With the recent announcements, seven Tigers are heading to camp with an NFL team, and that number could go up. Offensive lineman Chris Adams participated in the NFL Scouting Combine in March, but he has yet to sign with a team after going undrafted.