Charles Huff’s first Memphis roster is beginning to earn national recognition, and the six Pro Football Network preseason All-American Conference selections show how aggressively the Tigers rebuilt through the transfer portal.
Memphis football has not played a game under Charles Huff, but the Tigers are already collecting evidence that the new roster has legitimate conference-level talent.
Memphis Has Six Preseason All-Conference Selections, but the Bigger Story Is Where the Tigers Found Them
Six Memphis players earned recognition on Pro Football Network’s 2026 Preseason All-American Conference teams. Defensive lineman J’Mond Tapp, safety Ian Foster and running back/punt returner Manny Covey made the first team. Offensive lineman Riley McGehee and cornerback Anthony Richard Jr. were second-team selections, while safety Ahmere Foster landed on the third team.
The six selections are significant, but the distribution of the honors is even more revealing. Memphis placed players on offense, defense and special teams. The Tigers also had veterans with established production, players familiar with Huff’s program and transfers who could quickly become foundational pieces in the new era.
Tapp and Foster Are the Defensive Headliners
Tapp’s selection is no longer surprising. The Southern Miss transfer has become one of the most decorated preseason players in the American Conference, earning his fourth first-team preseason all-conference honor.
The redshirt senior enters Memphis after recording 70 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks while earning first-team All-Sun Belt recognition in 2025. Those numbers are the type of production Memphis needs from its defensive front, especially as the Tigers prepare to face mobile quarterbacks such as UNLV’s Jackson Arnold and navigate a difficult American Conference schedule.
Tapp is more than a pass rusher. He is a potential tone-setter for a defense that has added significant transfer talent and must quickly create cohesion. His familiarity with Huff’s expectations from Southern Miss gives him a chance to become a culture carrier as well as a disruptive edge player.
Ian Foster is another key part of that defensive foundation. Foster earned his fifth preseason all-conference honor, including four first-team selections and a third-team nod as a kick returner. That level of recognition reflects his projected importance as a versatile defender who can play in the secondary, contribute on special teams and help organize a rebuilt back end.
Memphis also received preseason recognition for Ahmere Foster, who was named to the PFN third team after previously earning second-team honors from Athlon Sports. Foster intercepted three passes last season and has blocked a punt in each of the past two seasons.
For a Memphis defense replacing major production, the Foster-Tapp combination gives Huff two established leaders in different parts of the field. Tapp can affect the quarterback. Foster can help limit explosive plays and create takeaways. That is a valuable starting point for a new defensive identity.
Covey Gives Memphis a Special Teams Weapon
Manny Covey may be the most intriguing offensive selection because PFN recognized him as a first-team punt returner rather than as a running back.
The Cincinnati transfer produced 436 all-purpose yards in 2025, including 198 rushing yards, 82 receiving yards and 156 punt-return yards. He also recorded a 100-yard receiving game against Oklahoma State as a true freshman.
That versatility gives Memphis options. Covey is competing for carries in a backfield that includes Jaylin Carter and Dallan Hayden, but he does not need to win a traditional starting role to make a major impact. He can be involved as a runner, receiver, returner and change-of-pace player.
That is especially important in Week 0 at UNLV. Memphis will be playing in a difficult road environment against a team with high expectations, and field position could become a major factor. A dependable punt returner who can flip the field or create an explosive play gives the Tigers an advantage they cannot afford to overlook.
Covey’s first-team selection also reinforces the importance Huff has placed on special teams during fall camp. The Tigers have used Fan Fest and their early practice periods to evaluate return roles, coverage contributors and the players who can make the travel roster through special-teams value.
The Newcomers Must Become a Unit
Riley McGehee and Anthony Richard Jr. may be the most important selections from a roster-building perspective.
McGehee earned second-team recognition after previously making Phil Steele’s preseason all-conference fourth team. Offensive line play may be the most decisive factor in how quickly Memphis’ new offense develops. The Tigers are settling a quarterback battle and building chemistry across a largely rebuilt front. McGehee’s ability to become a dependable part of that unit could determine whether Memphis can establish the run and protect its quarterback early in the season.
Richard is another Southern Miss transfer who has followed Huff through multiple stops. He played for Huff at Marshall and Southern Miss, then arrived at Memphis after recording four interceptions last season for a Golden Eagles defense that led the FBS in total interceptions.
That history matters. Richard knows the coaching staff’s expectations and has proven he can create takeaways. Memphis needs that kind of production in a secondary that will be tested immediately against UNLV quarterback Jackson Arnold and throughout a schedule that includes Tulane, South Florida and Navy.
The six PFN honors do not guarantee victories. Preseason teams are projections, not results. But they do show that Memphis has identified players with conference-level credentials across its roster.
The next step is turning that recognition into production. Tapp must create disruption. Foster and Richard must stabilize the secondary. McGehee must help build the offensive line. Covey must provide value in every phase available to him.
If those players become what the preseason honors suggest they can be, Huff’s first Memphis team will have more than individual accolades.
It will have the building blocks of a competitive football team.
