Preseason predictions and all conference teams are being announced left and right with the season right around the corner, and Hero Sports released its preseason Group of Six All-American teams. Five Tigers appeared on the list, including a pair on the First Team.
Four of the five players who made the All-American team are transfers from Southern Miss. Memphis is the only Group of Six team to have two defensive players on the First Team, and they’re the only team with four players on the Third Team.
Charles Huff’s team will play two of the top Group of Six teams in the country in non-conference play, including the season-opener against UNLV.
DL J’Mond Tapp
J’Mond Tapp could be one of the best players in the American Conference this season, and most people predict that he will be the Tigers’ best player. He has appeared on nearly every preseason list this season, including ESPN’s “top non-QB playmakers in 2026.”
Tapp followed Huff from Southern Miss, and he recorded 70 tackles, 7.5 sacks and two pass deflections in 2025.
Tapp was listed on Hero Sports’ preseason G6 All-American First Team.
S Ian Foster
Ian Foster is another player who has appeared on a ton of preseason lists and All-Conference teams, and he could be another instant leader on the defense. He has played for Huff since Marshall, and he has developed into an impressive player after signing with the Thundering Herd as an unranked player.
In 2024, he recorded 48 tackles and four pass deflections at Marshall, and he ended the year with 76 tackles, seven pass deflections, a sack and three interceptions last year.
Foster was also listed on Hero Sports’ preseason G6 All-American First Team.
TE Hunter Tipton
Tipton transferred from Middle Tennessee, and he will be the Tigers’ starting tight end. He appeared on Hero Sports’ G6 All-American Third Team.
Tipton played at Tyler Junior College and Northeast Oklahoma A&M before making the jump to the Division I ranks. He joined Louisiana Tech during redshirt sophomore season, but he had his best season last year at Middle Tennessee.
He finished the season with 411 yards and two touchdowns on 39 receptions, and it will be interesting to see how he looks as a redshirt senior.
LB Mike Montgomery
Mike Montgomery also appears on the Third Team after a successful season with the Golden Eagles. He recorded 105 tackles, three sacks, two pass deflections, a forced fumble and two interceptions.
Montgomery started his collegiate career at Portland State, and he recorded 149 tackles in two seasons. The linebacker is playing his senior season, but he will receive an additional year of eligibility due to the new five-for-five rules.
S Ahmere Foster
Ahmere Foster is the final Tiger to appear on the Third Team, and he’s another player to join the Memphis roster after spending time at Southern Miss. Like Ian Foster, Ahmere started at Marshall and is now with the Tigers.
Foster recorded 47 tackles, two pass deflections and three interceptions.