5 transfers who could jump right in for Memphis Tigers football this season

Every college football team will rely on transfers in 2023, and Memphis is no different. The Tigers lost production in key areas such as wide receiver and defensive tackle, but coach Ryan Silverfield has more than a dozen players transferring in from other colleges.

“I think the guys we added, some of them are going to be immediate starters, they’re going to have a major impact on our team in a successful way," Silverfield said at AAC media days last week. "And then other guys we brought in and said, ‘Hey, you’ve still got a couple years, and we’re going to develop you to get you where you need to. I think everybody thinks a transfer has to be an immediate starter. Sometimes that’s not the case.”

Here are five players who could make an immediate impact this season.

Tauskie Dove (wide receiver/Missouri)

Dove comes to Memphis after four years in Columbia, but still has a connection with quarterback Seth Henigan — they went to the same high school in Denton, Texas. While Henigan spent two seasons at the helm of Memphis' aerial attack, Dove was a starter at Missouri, with 86 receptions for 1,164 yards and three touchdowns. With the majority of Memphis' receiving production from last season gone with transfers or to graduations, Dove has a chance to step into a major role from day one.

Blake Watson (running back/Old Dominion)

The Tigers actually return most of their production at running back, but still got Watson, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards with the Monarchs and led the rushing attack for the past two seasons. Watson, who also returned kicks, rushed for an Old Dominion record 259 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Coastal Carolina. Memphis did not have a 100-yard rusher in a game last season.

Josh Ellison (defensive lineman/Oklahoma)

The 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive lineman comes to Memphis after playing in 37 games for the Sooners across three seasons. He was named to the Phil Steele preseason AAC fourth team and could slot in as a day-one starter for the Tigers. Last season, he had 10 tackles and appeared in 12 games as a depth piece on the defensive line. He had 42 career tackles at Oklahoma, starting six times across 36 games.

DeMeer Blankumsee (wide receiver/Toledo)

There are plenty of snaps up for grabs at wide receiver, and Blankumsee could be in line for a significant share of them. He played a major role for the Rockets across three seasons, totaling 57 receptions for 677 yards and four touchdowns. Most of that came in 2022, when he caught 41 passes for 512 yards and three touchdowns. Blankumsee was one of several transfers Henigan mentioned at AAC media day when he was asked which transfers could play a role in 2023.

More: Ryan Silverfield says he understands why Memphis football was picked fourth in AAC poll

Simeon Blair (defensive back/Arkansas)

Blair comes to Memphis having already completed a productive career with the Razorbacks. He was a team captain in 2022 and a starter for two seasons against SEC-level competition. The Tigers secondary lost two starters and almost certainly will be relying on Blair to play a major role to stabilize it. And though he hasn't played a game for Memphis yet, he already has impressed the coaching staff.

“Being really good at playing the game is a combination of being smart and tough,” defensive coordinator Matt Barnes said this summer. “And he’s off the charts with those things. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s a great tackler. Not a good tackler. A great tackler.”

Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @thejonahdylan.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Tigers football could get immediate help from these transfers