Hunter Tipton spoke to the media on Saturday after practice, and he discussed multiple topics from his new Memphis tattoo to the ongoing quarterback competition. Tipton joined the Tigers in the offseason after spending the 2025 season at Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders were his fourth school in four years after playing at two JUCOs before making the jump to the Division I level. Tipton started his career at Tyler Junior College, where he appeared in only three games, before he transferred to Northeast Oklahoma A&M. After two years at the JUCO level, Tipton transferred to Louisiana Tech, where he played in six games and finished with 23 yards on five receptions. He entered the transfer portal again and landed at Middle Tennessee and had a breakout season. The tight end finished the season with 411yards and two touchdowns on 39 receptions. Hunter Tipton’s Memphis tattoo: On the first day of fall camp, pictures started circulating of Tipton’s new Memphis tattoo on his calf. The tattoo features the back of Tipton’s jersey, the Hernando de Soto bridge and the Tigers logo. He was asked early in the presser about the tattoo. “I’ve been seeing it on twitter a good amount,” Tipton said. “So, I got my jerseys. I’ve got a long sleeve, and I’ve got my jerseys from my previous schools. I knew I wanted to get Memphis, but I just wanted it to be a little different from the previous ones.”
memphis transfer TE hunter tipton already got some elite memphis ink 🔥🐯 pic.twitter.com/bx62opfXJx — Devin Walker (@Devin_Walker2) July 30, 2026 It’s interesting to see a player not from Memphis get a tattoo for the program before fall camp even starts, but it shows his excitement to be part of the program. Kevin Decker’s offense: The tight end was also asked about Kevin Decker’s offense, and Tipton raved about it. “Deck’s offense is amazing, man,” Tipton said. “I feel like, personally, it’s the best offense I’ve been a part of, and he’s had a lot of history with great tight ends and putting tight ends in the league. It’s part of the reason why I chose to come here.” One of the themes through fall camp has been the excitement from the offensive players about Decker’s offense. Quarterbacks Air Noland, Marcus Stokes and receiver Brady Kluse have spoken highly about the new system, and they believe that it will lead to a lot of success this season. Quarterback battle: As the projected starting tight end, Tipton was asked about the quarterback battle, but he didn’t go into too much detail. The Middle Tennessee transfer said both are talented quarterbacks, and he thinks the offense can be successful with either starting. “Air Noland and Marcus Stokes, man, they’re both really good quarterbacks,” Tipton said. “I have full confidence in both of them.”