A Memphis Football Player Reportedly Sent the Tigers' Defensive Playbook to UTSA's Quarterback Before Their 2024 Game

On3 — Last week, TigerSportsReport reported that multiple sources alleged former Memphis safety Tahj Ra-El leaked elements of Memphis’ defensive playbook to UTSA ahead of the teams’ November 2nd showdown, where the Roadrunners won 44-36. Since then, the alleged direct message conversation between Ra-El and UTSA quarterback Owen McCown has been obtained by TigerSportsReport.

Ra-El was previously reported to have left the team in October, but a source close to Memphis tells TigerSportsReport that he was dismissed from the team, adding more context for an alleged motive.

In the alleged DM, Ra-El also notes a weak link in Memphis’ defense with injured safety, Kourtlan Marsh, who, when healthy, started ahead of Ra-El. Marsh’s injury held him out of the Tigers’ loss to UTSA.A former player from Memphis’ 2024 squad told us, “We’re on the field, and their offense has a check for every single one of our defenses’ checks.” TigerSportsReport made Ra-El aware of the alleged claims against him, but he declined to comment.

Sign-stealing has been a hot button issue in college football the last few years, but this is the first I've seen of a team having an opponent's signals because a player on the other team simply DM'd it to the opposing quarterback on Instagram. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

Safety Tahj Ra-El announced in October he was leaving the Memphis football program and entering the transfer portal, but he had actually been kicked off the team, according to TigerSportsReport. So seemingly as an act of revenge, he just sent all the Tigers' defensive calls to UTSA quarterback Owen McCown ahead of their matchup with Memphis on November 2. The Tigers scored 36 points, but UTSA obviously had their number defensively and put up 44 to win the game.

Memphis was still in College Football Playoff contention at this point in the season, by the way. If the Tigers had won that game, they'd have finished the season 12-1 and probably wouldn't have gotten in over Boise State, but on November 2, nobody knew what would happen the rest of the way. This directly led to the end of their Playoff hopes.

I would just love to see footage of McCown walking into the coaches' offices upon receiving those DMs. There's nothing you could ever do on the practice field that would garner the kind of raise that was heaped on him that day.

Ra-El has since transferred to Purdue and as of Friday morning, his player profile is still up on the school's website. I wouldn't imagine any college football coach in America lets this guy stay on the team after something like this comes out, but there's no news on that front yet.