AAC media day: Most pressing questions for Ryan Silverfield, Memphis football | Giannotto
This American Athletic Conference football media day will be different for Memphis football coach Ryan Silverfield. So different from the previous three.
There’s a new-look league – goodbye Cincinnati, Houston and UCF; hello UTSA, North Texas, UAB, Florida Atlantic, Charlotte and Rice.
There’s a new setting – this year’s event in Arlington, Texas, will be the first time Silverfield participates in an in-person media day due to measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There’s also a new level of pressure.
Silverfield, coming off back-to-back 6-6 regular seasons, is showing up on those preseason “hot seat” lists. CBS Sports, ESPN, BetMGM – they’ve each earmarked the fourth-year Tigers coach as in danger of losing his job if this season doesn’t go well.
So the tone and urgency at AAC media day, perhaps that too will sound different when Silverfield – along with quarterback Seth Henigan, defensive end Jaylon Allen, offensive lineman Jacob Likes and defensive back Simeon Blair – meet with reporters Tuesday.
Silverfield’s fate will hover over the conversation, this week and throughout this pivotal 2023 season. There are pressing questions and the answers might dictate what the program looks like for years to come. Here are four on the top of my mind heading into media day.
What does a successful season look like?
It has to involve generating momentum again, right? That’s the most tangible loss Memphis suffered during these years under Silverfield. The Tigers were darlings of the Group of Five when he took over, operating at peak proficiency under Mike Norvell in 2019. They’ve just muddled along the last two seasons, finding ways to lose games that should've been won and not even cracking .500 in league play. There’s a belief, given the diminished make-up of the AAC, that Memphis should be challenging for the league title regularly. The Tigers haven’t done that under Silverfield yet. A favorable schedule in a transition year suggests it should happen now, if only because that’s the best way to get the city excited about the product again. How many wins does that mean? At least eight. But it'll take nine or more to convince fans Memphis football is a legitimate New Year's Six bowl game contender again.
Why is Seth Henigan poised to become an all-conference quarterback?
There’s a confidence in and comfort level with Henigan after 24 games as the starting quarterback. But his sophomore season featured ups and downs that mirrored the team’s inconsistency. For Memphis to make a leap, it will likely involve Henigan’s own leap in year three. Silverfield’s potential answer to this might come down to four variables. Will there be a decent rushing attack to support the pass game? Can Henigan be more consistently accurate? Are his weapons better? Is the offense more creative? Memphis needs them to break in a positive manner.
Who’s Henigan going to throw to?
The short answer: At least some guys who didn’t play at Memphis last year, or didn’t play much for Memphis last year. The Tigers lost four of their five leading receivers from the 2022 team. Spring practice didn’t seem to provide complete clarity on how exactly the wide receivers and running backs will shake out by the time Memphis opens the season Sept. 2 against Bethune-Cookman. The players Silverfield and Henigan mention at media day will be the first hints in a while at the best bets to be the program's best targets this season.
What transfers are going to be difference makers right away?
Memphis added at least 19 players through the transfer portal (and therefore lost just as many to other schools), according to 247Sports, in addition to signing more than 20 new players out of the junior college and high school ranks. The key spots to watch, in terms of immediate impact needs, appear to be receiver, the offensive and defensive lines, and the defensive backfield. There will have to be new difference makers for the final record to be improved. Once again, the names mentioned by Silverfield starting Tuesday will be telling. That Blair, who transferred from Arkansas this offseason, is representing the Tigers at media is probably our first clue.
You can reach Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto via email at mgiannotto@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter: @mgiannotto
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Biggest AAC media day questions for Ryan Silverfield, Memphis football
