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There might have been some concern with Memphis only signing 12 during the Early Signing Period, but we knew that Mike Norvell wasn’t done recruiting. Norvell nearly signed as many players today as he did during the early signing period, which was expected. Here’s who signed with Memphis in the 2018 class.
Memphis 2018 Recruiting Class
| NAME | POS | HT | WT | PREVIOUS SCHOOL | STARS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAME | POS | HT | WT | PREVIOUS SCHOOL | STARS |
| Antonio Gibson | WR | 6-2 | 220 | East Central C.C. | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Nigel Brannon | OT | 6-5 | 333 | John Marshall | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Will Lawrence | OG | 6-4 | 285 | Harding Academy of Memphis | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Titus Jones | OG | 6-3 | 265 | Ena Karr | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Troy Hurst | ATH | 6-2 | 185 | St. Helena Central | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Kenny Gainwell | ATH | 5-11 | 185 | Yazoo County | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Keith Brigham | DE | 6-3 | 270 | Pima C.C. | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Jaylon Allen | OLB | 6-2 | 215 | Atascocita | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Brady McBride | QB | 6-0 | 189 | Coppell | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Keith Brown | ILB | 6-2 | 230 | Nortwest Mississippi C.C. | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Manuel Orona | OT | 6-3 | 285 | Glendale C.C. | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Evan Fields | OT | 6-6 | 260 | East Coweta | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Cameron Fleming | RB | 5-7 | 171 | Cedar Hill | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Nyle Love | OLB | 6-1 | 225 | Lausanne Collegiate School | ⭐⭐ |
| Quindell Johnson | S | 6-0 | 185 | Edna Karr | ⭐⭐ |
| Chris Clark | OT | 6-4 | 255 | North Panola | ⭐⭐ |
| Jeremy Tate | WR | 6-4 | 210 | New Hope | ⭐⭐ |
| Corteze Love | DE | 6-3 | 230 | Lausanne Collegiate School | ⭐⭐ |
| Isaac Ellis | OG | 6-2 | 319 | Carroll | ⭐⭐ |
| Kameron Wilson | DE | 6-7 | 225 | Hueytown | ⭐⭐ |
| Montre Bonner | DE | 6-3 | 270 | Fullerton College | N/A |
Analysis
Norvell wanted to target offensive line, and he accomplished that goal. Seven players will suit up for the Tigers on the line, and some of them bring some tremendous size. Nigel Brannon (6-5, 333), Will Lawrence (6-4, 285), and Isaac Ellis (6-2, 319) all are big bodies and should add quality depth to the offensive line. Lawrence will be a preferred walk-on. This was a position of strength for Memphis this past year, and Norvell wants to keep that going in the future.
Receiver Antonio Gibson will be in competition to replace Anthony Miller. At 6-2, 220 pounds, Gibson has great size to keep his name in the mix. Troy Hurst and Kenny Gainwell come in as athletes, but could be used as running backs which only gives the offense more playmakers. They will have to wait at least one year with Darrell Henderson and Patrick Taylor Jr. returning.
The interesting signings were Corteze Love and Kameron Wilson. Love, a defensive end who’s cousin is fellow Memphis signee Nyle Love, was limited to just one game his senior year due to transfer rules. He has been rising up 247Sports boards, and could be a gem in this class. Wilson played tight end and defensive end in high school, but is expected to play defense with Memphis. At 6-7, he’s got great height and length, but will need to add weight to his long frame (225 pounds).
Overall, Norvell did a great job of continuing to pursue recruits even when things didn’t go right. There were a few Signing Day surprises that didn’t go in Memphis’ favor, but Norvell was still working with other recruits like outside linebacker Jaylon Allen, who signed after a couple hiccups from other recruits. Memphis currently ranks 88th in the nation, and seventh in the AAC.