Can Memphis Win The AAC? One Publication Has High Praise Entering 2025
We are now just twelve short weeks from the start of the Memphis Tigers football season. With this, we at 4 Star Sports will begin our yearly countdown to kickoff article series. As we begin, we look at how Steele ranked the American and the Memphis program through the eyes of a top analyst. In addition, we analyze how Memphis can meet its standards.
Each year, the college football world is blessed with the Phil Steele Publications magazine, which analyzes each conference and program across the country. In this season, the 31st edition of Steele, he named six Tigers to his 2025 Preseason AAC Team, which exhibits talents on the roster for head coach Ryan Silverfield and his staff.
How Did Steele Rank The AAC?
After Memphis, Steele ranked the American in the following order: UTSA, Tulane, and a 3-way tie between USF, Navy, and Army in the 4th slot. In 7th place in his “Forecast” is North Texas. From here, Steele sees ECU, UAB, and FAU closing the top 9.
The final three in his rankings are Charlotte, Temple, and Tulsa. Will we see a team surprise the conference? Will these rankings hold? This conference is one that will be focused on in the CFP, especially with the changes on the horizon.
Why did Steele choose Memphis? We take a deeper look.
Why Memphis?
In addition to the roster, Steele detects success in continuing this program. This, despite many who feel the program will, again, be a letdown in conference play. While many pundits favor teams in the conference, such as the Tulane Green Wave, South Florida Bulls, and UTSA RoadRunners to finish the season hoisting the conference championship, with Commissioner Tim Pernetti.
To further this, Steele has the Tigers pegged as the top team in the American as we near the season. When disclosing why he feels this way, Steele stated a “Manageable schedule” as the Tigers face the Bulls, Green Wave, and Navy Midshipmen inside the friendly confines of Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Speaking of the home of the Tigers, since the 2019 season, Memphis is 43-6, including a 28-6 record under Silverfield.
Despite the program being tasked with replacing the Seth Henigan, the nation’s lone four-year starter last season, Steele feels the room has “talent” with Nevada transfer Brandon Lewis as well as highly recruited AJ Hill.
Can Memphis Meet Expectations?
We mentioned the schedule, which starts with Chattanooga, as the Tigers will play six consecutive games before their first bye on October 11th. Following the Mocs, Memphis will again play on the road in back-to-back weeks as they travel to Georgia State and Troy before hosting SEC foe Arkansas on September 20th for a massive non-conference meeting.
Memphis hosts their toughest competition yet and travels to UAB, Rice, and East Carolina in conference play. For the fans who bet on games, in the last three seasons, the Tigers are 18-6 to the over in AAC play.
Along with the schedule is continuity on the sidelines. With the retention of Tim Cramsey, Offensive Coordinator, and Jordon Hankins, Defensive Coordinator, this staff can continue to build this program for now and the future.
Can Memphis make a historic run in 2025?
Steele visualizes the Tigers as a program to watch closely in the College Football Playoff race for the “G5” programs. With returners such as running back and return specialist Sutton Smith and Greg Derosiers on offense, along with William Whitlow and others defensively, this team cannot be slept on by any opponent or fan.
We hear and see the constant putting down of Silverfield despite continuing to win games, including bowl games, over “P5” competition. After back-to-back 10-win seasons, this season will be scrutinized through a microscope for a coach who does not deserve the micromanaging from a small group of fans and media in Memphis.
In closing, for a program that was taken over by former coach Mike Norvell, anchored off the success of his predecessor Justin Fuente, Silverfield has done what fans want: Win. In 2025, one national publication has the Tigers as a program to watch, and we agree. We will soon learn if Steele is correct in his analysis.
We will be back next week with our week eleven piece as we take a deeper look into the coaching staff for Memphis.
