Memphis football addressed many needs in the offseason through the transfer portal, but one of the biggest holes on the roster was the quarterback position. With all three quarterbacks who saw playing time last year now gone, Charles Huff and his staff have brought in four new quarterbacks since taking over in December.
Memphis knew it would need to replace its starting quarterback with Brendon Lewis only having one season of eligibility remaining when he signed with the Tigers, but many thought that next year’s quarterback was already on the roster before the coaching change. Both Antawann Hill and Arrington Maiden had eligibility remaining, but they both elected to enter the transfer portal after Ryan Silverfield took the Arkansas job.
Hill followed Silverfield to Fayetteville, while Maiden committed to James Madison.
Huff brought in Denzel Gardner, Marcus Stokes and Air Noland through the transfer portal, while Gavin Owens signed in the 2026 high school recruiting class.
Former Collierville quarterback Grant Troutman is the only quarterback returning from last year’s roster.
Marcus Stokes
Stokes signed with Memphis on January 9 after visiting the campus shortly after the transfer portal opened. The quarterback spent the last three seasons at West Florida, and he recorded 3,297 yards and 30 touchdowns through the air and added 367 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns on the ground last season for the Argonauts.
Stokes was named the Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Year, and he was named a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, which is equivalent to the Heisman Trophy at the Division II level.
Air Noland
Noland signed a few days later, on January 13, after spending his first two collegiate seasons at Ohio State and South Carolina. Noland was rated as a four-star recruit and a top 10 quarterback in the class of 2024, but he hasn’t seen much action at two Power Four programs.
After redshirting with the Buckeyes, the quarterback only appeared in two games and went 2-for-3 for 13 yards with the Gamecocks.
Denzel Gardner
Gardner was one of the first players to sign with the Tigers out of the transfer portal, and he followed Huff from Southern Miss. Gardner signed with the Golden Eagles in the class of 2025, and he didn’t see any action last season.
Gardner had a couple of P4 offers out of high school, but he picked Southern Miss over offers from Houston, Boston College and South Florida. The 6-foot quarterback flashed a lot of potential in high school, and it feels like he’s a player that Huff’s staff plans to develop for the future.
Gavin Owens
Owens committed and signed with Memphis before Huff accepted the head coaching job, but he remained signed with the program. The Rabun Gap, Georgia native chose the Tigers over several P4 offers, including Kentucky, Louisville and Virginia Tech.
According to MaxPreps, the 6-foot-4 quarterback recorded 2,409 yards, 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions during his senior season, leading his team to a 7-5 record. It feels like a long shot that Owens sees the field this season, but with his size, he becomes an intriguing quarterback option in the future.
Grant Troutman
Troutman returns after spending his freshman season with the Tigers, and he’ll be the only quarterback on the roster who has spent time with the Tigers. The local quarterback threw for 2,079 yards and 25 touchdowns and added four rushing touchdowns during his senior season at Collierville.
Troutman signed with Memphis as a preferred walk-on, and it appears that he remains a walk-on heading into his second year with the program.