Memphis starts spring practice on Monday, so it’s a good time to look through the 2026 roster. After previewing the quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers, it’s time to take a look at the offensive line and tight ends.
Memphis lost a significant amount of production on the offensive line, including a pair of players who accepted invites to the NFL scouting combine, but it added a lot of players from the transfer portal who joined the program with a ton of experience.
Jonathan Harding (TE)
Harding is the only tight end on the 2026 roster from 2025, and he’ll be looking to get extended run after playing only three snaps in 2025. Harding committed as a three-star recruit in the class of 2025 and chose Memphis over offers from App State, Arkansas State and South Florida.
Hunter Tipton (TE)
Tipton joined the team through the transfer portal after spending 2025 with Middle Tennessee. With the Blue Raiders, the tight end recorded 411 yards and two touchdowns on 39 receptions.
Tipton has one season of eligibility remaining.
Garrett Essner (TE)
Essner committed to the Tigers as a three-star recruit out of Columbia, MO. The 6-foot-6 tight end chose the Tigers over offers from USF, Army and Air Force.
Chance Holloman
Holloman joined the program ahead of the 2025 season, but he didn’t see any playing time as a junior. Holloman, who stands at 6-foot-4 and 286 pounds, is one of three senior linemen returning from last year’s team.
Bryce Vaughn
Vaughn returns to Memphis for his sophomore season after not seeing the field as a freshman.
Jonathan Young
Young returns for his redshirt senior campaign after playing 76 snaps in 2025. The left tackle gave up a sack and seven quarterback pressures in two games, mainly in the bowl game against NC State.
Parker Mitchell
Mitchell started all 13 games in 2025 at right guard, and he’ll be a leader for the offensive line in 2026. The guard allowed seven sacks and 17 hurries, and he finished the season with a 67.6 pass block grade, according to Pro Football Focus.
Riley McGehee
McGehee heads to Memphis after two seasons at Arkansas State, and he made 13 starts last year, splitting time at left guard and right guard. The guard, who stands at 6-foot-6 and 307 pounds, only allowed four sacks on 577 opportunities, and he finished the year with a 67.9 offensive grade on Pro Football Focus.
Koby Keenum
Keenum joins the program following two years in the SEC, most recently at Mississippi State, and he’ll look for a larger role after only playing four games last season for the Bulldogs. The center only played 20 snaps, but he had an 80.5 offensive grade on PFF.
Maarten Woudsma
Woudsma followed offensive coordinator Kevin Decker to Memphis from Old Dominion, and he played 871 snaps for the Monarchs in 2025.
Phillip Gray III
Gray played at Richmond over the last four seasons, and he was one of their best offensive linemen over the last two years. Gray played nearly 1,300 snaps, and he only allowed three sacks in 589 opportunities.
Gray has played all over the offensive line, and he had a 90.4 pass blocking grade in 2024.
Aaron Karas
Karas played the last three seasons at Colorado State and logged 1,692 snaps for the Rams. The right tackle has been extremely solid for most of his career, but he allowed 10 sacks last season.
Xavier Allen
Allen spent the last three seasons at Bucknell, and he logged 1,924 snaps before transferring to Memphis. The left tackle finished the season with only a 64.8 offensive grade, but he only gave up one sack in 2025.
Carde Smith
Smith spent his freshman year at Colorado, and he appeared in the final three games of the year before taking a redshirt. The Alabama native committed to Colorado as a four-star recruit, and he was ranked the No. 15 Big 12 Lindy’s Top Freshman last season.
Skylar Grant
Like Woudsma, Grant followed his offensive coordinator to Memphis after starting all 13 games for ODU last year. Grant played 1,231 snaps in four seasons, and he has only allowed three sacks in 541 opportunities.
Brian Grant
Grant spent four seasons at Tennessee, but he only appeared in four games last season. The right tackle didn’t allow a sack in 23 opportunities in 2025.
Richard Thigpen
Thigpen flipped his commitment from Southern Miss to the Tigers, and he signed as a three-star recruit. The offensive tackle, who stands 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, is a Nashville native and played at Ensworth.
Eddie Alford
Alford signed with the Tigers as a three-star recruit, and he picked Memphis over offers from Duke, Arkansas State and South Florida.