Memphis potential draft prospects, according to Phil Steele

Phil Steele released his annual college football magazine earlier this month, and he picked the Tigers to finish sixth in the American Conference. While he predicts Memphis will finish towards the middle of the pack, there are a ton of notes about players on the Tigers' roster throughout the magazine.

In addition to previews for every FBS team, Phil Steele makes a number of predictions and lists ahead of the 2026 season in his college football preseason magazine. One of the lists he posts is the top draft prospects at each position heading into the season, and the Tigers have four players who appear as top draft prospects.

All four of Memphis’ projected draft prospects are transfers that Charles Huff and his staff brought in over the offseason, and all four play different positions. Two of the prospects followed Huff and his staff from Southern Miss, while the other two are from different programs. 

Here’s a look at which Tigers Steele views as a draft prospect ahead of the 2026 season.

C Phillip Gray III (Center No. 25)

Phillip Gray joins the program after spending the last four seasons at FCS Richmond. The offensive lineman started all 12 games last season for the Spiders, and he allowed only two sacks in 358 opportunities. 

As a junior, Pro Football Focus gave him a 90.4 pass-block grade after he allowed only a sack and a hurry in 145 opportunities. 

Steele is high on Gray and predicts that he will start at center for the Tigers, but both Athlon Sports and Lindy’s Sports predict Gray will be a backup. It will be interesting to see how the coaching staff uses him, but Steele thinks he could be one of the best players on Memphis’ offensive line.

EDGE J’Mond Tapp (Edge No. 26)

J’Mond Tapp could be Memphis best player entering the season, and most people expect Tapp to be one of the best defensive players in the conference. Steele ranks Tapp as the No. 26 edge draft prospect in the 2027 draft.

Tapp joined the Tigers after spending a season with Huff at Southern Miss. The defensive edge recorded 70 tackles and 7.5 sacks, and he was named to the All-Sun Belt First Team.

CB Dylan Smith (Cornerback No. 56)

Dylan Smith joins the Tigers after spending three seasons with Oklahoma State. He appeared in only four games in 2025 before he entered the transfer portal, following the firing of head coach Mike Gundy.

In 2024, he recorded 42 tackles and a pass deflection, and he recorded two interceptions in 2023. He served a redshirt season last year, so he still has two years of eligibility, and he should be a starter for Memphis in the fall.

Steele has Smith as the No. 56 cornerback prospect, and he looks to be a nice addition to the secondary.

FS Ian Foster (Safety No. 31)

Ian Foster is another player Steele thinks could have NFL aspirations. Steele ranks the safety as the No. 31 draft prospect at his position, and he could be one of the top players on Huff’s defense.

Last season, the safety recorded 75 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack in 13 games. He was one of the best players in Southern Miss’ secondary that led the country in interceptions.

He finished the year with three interceptions and 10 pass deflections, and he recorded two touchdowns on the season.