Memphis football transfer tracker 2023: Who is joining, leaving via portal

What will Memphis football's roster look like next season? It's a little bit different every day.

The portal officially opens Dec. 4 and closes on Jan. 2. Memphis will likely build a significant part of its roster from the transfer portal. This season, Memphis got key contributions from Old Dominion transfer running back Blake Watson, Arkansas transfer safety Simeon Blair, ETSU transfer linebacker Chandler Martin, Toledo transfer wide receiver Demeer Blankumsee and others.

There's been plenty of movement already, both with Tigers players announcing their intentions to transfer and other players committing to the Tigers. Read on for a full tracker.

Who is transferring to Memphis?

DB Tahj Ra-El

Another transfer in the defensive backfield, Ra-El initially committed to West Virginia but flipped to Memphis. He made 84 tackles and had one interception for Old Dominion last season.

DB Jordan Grier

Grier committed to Memphis after three seasons at Indiana. He had 23 tackles in 2023 and made three starts for the Hoosiers.

DB AJ Watts

Watts made 50 tackles and had three interceptions in 2023 for UL Monroe. He played three seasons at Akron before that.

DB Jaidyn Denis

Denis played three years at Elon before entering the transfer portal. He made 40 tackles and had three interceptions in 2023.

WR Jyaire Shorter

Shorter signed with Memphis for his final year of eligibility. He began his career at North Texas and spent last season at Auburn.

DB Kourtlan Marsh

Marsh comes to Memphis from Samford, where he played three seasons. He had 51 tackles and an interception in 2023.

P Joshua Sloan

Sloan is from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and has played four years with UTEP. He was the starting punter for the Miners' the last two seasons and was a Conference USA honorable mention in 2022.

OL Izaiah Reed

Reed signed with Memphis on signing day and comes to the Bluff City from Louisville, where he played sparingly this season. He has three years of eligibility remaining.

LB Jayden Flaker

Flaker made 85 tackles for North Carolina Central in 2023. He also had 4.5 sacks and was a highly productive linebacker in his time with the Eagles. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

LB Brett Karhu

Karhu is a transfer from Division-II Oklahoma Baptist. He had 41 tackles and 11.5 sacks in 2023 and earned second team all-region honors this season.

OL Trent Holler

Holler committed to the Tigers after spending two seasons with Marshall. He's a graduate transfer center who spent time at East Carolina before going to Marshall and will compete for a spot on the offensive line.

LB Matt Hudson

Hudson signed with Memphis on national signing day. He's a linebacker with one year of eligibility remaining who comes to the Bluff City from Harvard. He made 66 tackles for the Crimson last season.

DL PJ Lucas

Lucas announced he would transfer to Memphis after playing two season at Indiana. He made 14 tackles for the Hoosiers in 2023. Before that, Lucas spent two seasons at Ole Miss. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

LB Javante Mackey

Mackey will come home to Memphis after spending two seasons at Arkansas State. He made 84 tackles for the Red Wolves this season and had eight tackles against Memphis on Sept. 9. He's a Whitehaven alum who was one of the top linebackers in the transfer portal.

OL Keydrell Lewis

Lewis played in all 12 games as the right tackle for Louisiana-Monroe this season. He played three years there after transferring from San Jose State and has one year of eligibility remaining.

DB Samson Israel

Israel committed to Memphis after playing two seasons in junior college, most recently with Itawamba Community College. He went to Douglas County High School in Douglasville, Georgia.

RB Mario Anderson

Anderson chose Memphis over offers from USC and Oklahoma. He spent three years at Division-II Newberry before transferring to South Carolina for the 2023 season. He was the leading rusher for the Gamecocks and has one year of eligibility remaining.

Kicker Caden Costa

Costa announced he would transfer to Memphis from Ole Miss. Formerly the No. 7 kicking prospect in the country out of high school, Costa played in 11 games for the Rebels in 2021. He didn't play in 2022 and only played in three games in 2023.

Which Tigers players have entered the portal?

QB Tevin Carter

Carter, a redshirt freshman, played sparingly this season in garbage time and as an injury replacement for Seth Henigan. Carter had a key moment in Memphis' win over South Florida, when he entered the game after Henigan injured his shoulder and threw an 85-yard touchdown pass to Roc Taylor on his first play. But with Henigan likely to return next season, Carter did not have a clear path to consistent playing time.

Carter announced on Dec. 19 he would be transferring to Tennessee State.

RG Davion Carter

Carter started 11 games in 2022 and all 12 games in 2023 for the Tigers. He transferred to Memphis from Northwest Mississippi Community College and has been a stabilizing force on the right side of the offensive line.

Carter announced on Dec. 14 that he's committed to Texas Tech for his final year of eligibility.

DL Zy Brockington

Brockington, a junior, played sparingly this season and appeared in only two games. He recorded one tackle in the season opener against Bethune-Cookman and two tackles against Tulane. He had five tackles in 2021 and 10 in 2022.

LB Spencer Rich

Rich recorded a tackle in the opener against Bethune-Cookman but did not record any stats after that. He's a redshirt sophomore from Brentwood High School and said in a social media post he had "2 or 3" years of eligibility remaining.

Rich committed to Utah Tech.

K Seth Morgan

Morgan transferred to Memphis from Sam Houston State and won the starting job in the offseason. He served as the Tigers' kicker for the first three games of the season before he suffered a season-ending injury. He went 3-for-5 on field goals and 14-for-14 on extra points. Morgan enters the portal with two years of eligibility remaining.

OT Makylan Pounders

Pounders entered the transfer portal and immediately picked up a few Power Five offers. The redshirt sophomore from Byhalia, Mississippi was Memphis' left tackle this season and started most games. He struggled with injuries in 2022 but had a good 2023 and decided to enter the portal with two years of eligibility remaining.

Pounders signed with Mississippi State on the first day of the early signing period.

DB Cameron Smith

Smith played a significant role in 2023 as a safety for the Tigers. He made 57 tackles and had three interceptions. He's a junior with one year of eligibility remaining.

Smith committed to TCU for his final year of collegiate eligibility.

RB Ke'Travion Hargrove

Hargrove entered the portal at the beginning of the year, according to On3 and 247Sports. He transferred to Memphis from Mississippi State before the 2023 season but was buried on the running back depth chart. He had 11 carries for 43 yards and a touchdown in 2023.

This will be updated as players announce their transfer intentions.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis football 2023-24 transfer portal tracker: Latest updates