Six Former Tigers Ink Contracts with NFL Teams Following 2025 Draft
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis football team had a total of six players (QB Seth Henigan, LB Chandler Martin, WR Roc Taylor, WR Demeer Blankumsee, TE Anthony Landphere, CB Davion Ross) sign with NFL organizations as free agents following the 2025 NFL Draft over the weekend. More live on 92.9 FM ESPN.
They join cornerback Kobee Minor who was selected by the New England Patriots with the 41st pick (257th overall) in the seventh round to make a total of seven Tigers who will have a chance to play at the next level.
Memphis all-time leading passer Seth Henigan is headed to The Sunshine State after signing a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The four-year starter ended his career 13th in NCAA history with 14,266 yards and tied for most touchdown passes in American Athletic Conference history (104). Henigan’s name is atop the all-time Memphis record book in nearly every passing statistic.
In his final two seasons as a Tiger, Henigan – the winningest quarterback in program history – helped lead Memphis to back-to-back 10-plus win seasons and a pair of bowl championships over Big 12 opponents (2023 AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs. Iowa State; 2024 Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl vs. West Virginia).
Chandler Martin will join a top 10 defense from a season ago after signing with the Baltimore Ravens. In 2024, Martin led the Tigers in tackles for the second year in a row, totaling 111 stops with 16 tackles for loss and seven sacks while ranking second in the country with four fumble recoveries. Martin's 111 tackles ranked 29th in FBS while his 16 tackles for loss ranked top 15 nationally. He recorded 10-plus tackles on five occasions and was named an Honorable Mention All-American by Phil Steele.
The Lithonia, Georgia, native was named Defensive MVP of the 2024 Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl after recording a season-high 17 tackles vs. the Mountaineers and tying Shareef White's record for most total tackles in Memphis bowl history.
Roc Taylor inked a contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers after four seasons in Memphis. His breakout junior season in 2023 saw him become the fifth 1,000-yard receiver in program history, recording 1,083 yards on 69 catches. The 6-foot-3 Taylor followed it up with 950 yards on 66 catches in 2024 and was named First Team All-AAC.
Taylor logged 12 games of 85-plus receiving yards between 2023 and 2024, including eight catches for 102 yards in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl triumph over Iowa State and five grabs for 116 yards in the victory over West Virginia in the Frisco Bowl. Taylor joins former Tiger and 2022 fourth-round pick Calvin Austin III in the Pittsburgh receiving room.
Demeer Blankumsee signed with the New England Patriots, joining former Tiger Antonio Gibson in Foxborough, along with Memphis’ lone 2025 draft pick Kobee Minor. In two seasons in Memphis, the wideout caught 98 passes for 1,578 and was named to the 2023 Third Team All-AAC.
Blankumsee had a career day against UTSA on November 2, hauling in six catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns. The Cincinnati native also tallied 57 receptions for 677 yards and four touchdowns at Toldeo from 2020-22.
Tight end Anthony Landphere signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 6-foot-5 pass-catcher was a First Team All-AAC honoree in 2024 and reeled in 62 catches for 639 yards and seven touchdowns during his two seasons in the Bluff City.
Landphere was one of three Tigers to catch four or more touchdowns in 2024, including a two-touchdown performance in a win over UAB on November 16. The San Mateo, California, native had a career-high in catches (seven) and yards (63) in a 44-38 victory over Charlotte on Nov. 11, 2023.
Davion Ross will be staying in the state, signing on with the Tennessee Titans. The First Team All-AAC cornerback filled up the stat sheet on defense, recording three interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 2024. His fourth-quarter interception vs. Tulane helped seal the Tigers’ second-consecutive 10-plus win season.
The Eastern Kentucky transfer was a Phil Steele Fourth Team All-American for the Colonels behind three pick-sixes in 2021. Ross could contend for special teams action in Nashville, as he lead the Tigers with 76 kick return yards in 2024.