University of Memphis Athletics
Seven Tigers Garner Phil Steele All-Conference Recognition
Jun 11, 2026 | Football
CLEVELAND – Seven University of Memphis football student-athletes were named to preseason all-conference teams in the American by Phil Steele, announced today by the publication. All seven honorees will be in their first seasons as Tigers, with four being selected to the first team: defensive lineman J'Mond Tapp, defensive lineman Jaden McKinney, linebacker Mike Montgomery and safety Ian Foster.
Tapp, a redshirt senior transfer from Southern Miss, was a First-Team All-Sun Belt selection in 2025 while playing for head coach Charles Huff. In his most recent season, Tapp logged 7.5 sacks, 69 tackles with 15 tackles for loss and had a pair of pass breakups. He was also recently named to a group of the top 15 non-quarterback playmakers by ESPN's Adam Ritternberg, notably being the only player on that list to play in a non-power conference.
McKinney, a Collierville, Tennessee native and Southern Miss transfer, anchored a defensive line that helped the Golden Eagles finish within the top 50 at the FBS level in turnovers gained, sacks, tackles for loss, interceptions and defensive touchdowns.
Montgomery had a stellar 2025 campaign after transferring from Portland State to Southern Miss, logging 106 tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks and two interceptions in the middle of the Golden Eagle defense, culminating in a nod on the All-Sun Belt Third Team. In his two seasons at Portland State and one at Southern Miss, Montgomery has amassed 255 tackles and ranked 26th in the FBS last season in tackles per game (8.8).
Foster enters his fourth season under head coach Charles Huff after spending two seasons at Marshall and last season at Southern Miss. Foster's 2025 season saw him shine in a hybrid role in the defensive backfield, recording 72 tackles, seven pass breakups and three interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. At Marshall in 2024, Foster was an All-Sun Belt First Team honoree as a returner with an FBS-leading return average of 32.4 yards and had the most kickoff returns of 40-plus (5) and 50-plus (3) yards in the FBS. Foster, a projected safety for the Tigers, was selected as a linebacker in the format utilized by Phil Steele.
In addition to the Tigers' four first-team honorees, a trio of Memphis offensive linemen were named to all-conference teams, with Phillip Gray earning a third-team nod and Maarten Woudsma and Riley McGehee being selected to the all-conference fourth team.
Head coach Charles Huff's first season in Memphis is set to be an exciting one with eight of Memphis' 11 FBS opponents earning bowl berths in 2025.
The Tigers will have a six-game home slate at the new-look Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, hosting Arkansas State (Sept. 5) and UT Martin (Sept. 19) in the nonconference slate before American Conference contests against UAB (Oct. 10) in the "Battle for the Bones", East Carolina (Oct. 22), Army (Oct. 31) and Temple (Nov. 27).
Memphis also has a stout road slate against the two top Mountain West programs in UNLV (Aug. 29) and Boise State (Sept. 12), along with conference matchups at Charlotte (Oct. 3), Tulane (Oct. 16), South Florida (Nov. 12) and Navy (Nov. 21), with the Green Wave, Bulls and Midshipmen all finishing in the top five in the American in 2025.
Season Tickets Available Now
Fans can purchase new season tickets by visiting HERE.
Current season ticket members can renew their seats by logging into their account HERE.
Season tickets for the 2026 campaign start at just $99, a $50 reduction from last season, providing fans one of the most affordable ways to experience Memphis football while returning to a transformed Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
A new feature for the 2026 campaign is the addition of the West Side Plaza. All fans with seats in the west side chairbacks (Sections 131, 132, 101-109) will have access to this new area. The full pricing map can be viewed HERE.
Stadium Seating Update
As part of the ongoing modernization of Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis Athletics has also introduced an updated section and row numbering system for 2026. While section and row identifiers have been adjusted to improve wayfinding throughout the stadium, season ticket members will keep the same seats - only how they are labeled has changed. Updated seating maps and renewal information will be provided directly to ticket holders.
Example of the New Numbering
Under the updated system, seats will reflect the new level-based layout:
How to follow the Tigers: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Football, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Tapp, a redshirt senior transfer from Southern Miss, was a First-Team All-Sun Belt selection in 2025 while playing for head coach Charles Huff. In his most recent season, Tapp logged 7.5 sacks, 69 tackles with 15 tackles for loss and had a pair of pass breakups. He was also recently named to a group of the top 15 non-quarterback playmakers by ESPN's Adam Ritternberg, notably being the only player on that list to play in a non-power conference.
McKinney, a Collierville, Tennessee native and Southern Miss transfer, anchored a defensive line that helped the Golden Eagles finish within the top 50 at the FBS level in turnovers gained, sacks, tackles for loss, interceptions and defensive touchdowns.
Montgomery had a stellar 2025 campaign after transferring from Portland State to Southern Miss, logging 106 tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks and two interceptions in the middle of the Golden Eagle defense, culminating in a nod on the All-Sun Belt Third Team. In his two seasons at Portland State and one at Southern Miss, Montgomery has amassed 255 tackles and ranked 26th in the FBS last season in tackles per game (8.8).
Foster enters his fourth season under head coach Charles Huff after spending two seasons at Marshall and last season at Southern Miss. Foster's 2025 season saw him shine in a hybrid role in the defensive backfield, recording 72 tackles, seven pass breakups and three interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. At Marshall in 2024, Foster was an All-Sun Belt First Team honoree as a returner with an FBS-leading return average of 32.4 yards and had the most kickoff returns of 40-plus (5) and 50-plus (3) yards in the FBS. Foster, a projected safety for the Tigers, was selected as a linebacker in the format utilized by Phil Steele.
In addition to the Tigers' four first-team honorees, a trio of Memphis offensive linemen were named to all-conference teams, with Phillip Gray earning a third-team nod and Maarten Woudsma and Riley McGehee being selected to the all-conference fourth team.
Head coach Charles Huff's first season in Memphis is set to be an exciting one with eight of Memphis' 11 FBS opponents earning bowl berths in 2025.
The Tigers will have a six-game home slate at the new-look Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, hosting Arkansas State (Sept. 5) and UT Martin (Sept. 19) in the nonconference slate before American Conference contests against UAB (Oct. 10) in the "Battle for the Bones", East Carolina (Oct. 22), Army (Oct. 31) and Temple (Nov. 27).
Memphis also has a stout road slate against the two top Mountain West programs in UNLV (Aug. 29) and Boise State (Sept. 12), along with conference matchups at Charlotte (Oct. 3), Tulane (Oct. 16), South Florida (Nov. 12) and Navy (Nov. 21), with the Green Wave, Bulls and Midshipmen all finishing in the top five in the American in 2025.
Season Tickets Available Now
Fans can purchase new season tickets by visiting HERE.
Current season ticket members can renew their seats by logging into their account HERE.
Season tickets for the 2026 campaign start at just $99, a $50 reduction from last season, providing fans one of the most affordable ways to experience Memphis football while returning to a transformed Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
A new feature for the 2026 campaign is the addition of the West Side Plaza. All fans with seats in the west side chairbacks (Sections 131, 132, 101-109) will have access to this new area. The full pricing map can be viewed HERE.
Stadium Seating Update
As part of the ongoing modernization of Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis Athletics has also introduced an updated section and row numbering system for 2026. While section and row identifiers have been adjusted to improve wayfinding throughout the stadium, season ticket members will keep the same seats - only how they are labeled has changed. Updated seating maps and renewal information will be provided directly to ticket holders.
Example of the New Numbering
Under the updated system, seats will reflect the new level-based layout:
- Previously Section 120, Row 40 is now Section 220, Row 12
- Previously Section 101, Row 8 is now Section 101, Row 1
How to follow the Tigers: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Football, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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