Brandon Thomas

Thomas led the Memphis backfield in carries during the 2021 season, but he may have to face some competition to do so again in 2022. The redshirt-sophomore handled 116 carries for 669 yards and eight touchdowns, along with eight receptions for 52 yards in 2021. Memphis has retained the bulk of its backfield group moving into the upcoming season, and the Tigers are likely to continue to utilize multiple running backs in 2022. Northern Illinois freshman-transfer Jay Ducker (218 attempts for 1,184 yards and three touchdowns in 2021) will likely carve out a role for himself in the Tigers backfield, bleeding into the opportunities for other running backs. With Memphis experiencing a lot of changes to their receiving core, the Tigers may be more reliant upon their backfield to move the ball in 2022, leading to additional opportunities for Thomas, but Memphis will likely continue to use a split backfield in 2022.