What Marcus Stokes said about transferring to Memphis, QB competition

During Marcus Stokes’ first team meeting with Memphis football, he noticed something he hadn’t heard in his three years at West Florida — a curse word.

At West Florida, there was no cursing around the building.

“I’m not saying either or is bad, but when I heard Coach (Charles) Huff cuss in the first meeting, I was like, ‘Damn. I ain’t used to it,’ ” Stokes said March 28. “You know what I’m saying? So it took some getting used to, probably the first two weeks.”

Stokes arrived at Memphis after a decorated career with the Argonauts. He threw for 3,297 yards, 30 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2025, rushed for 367 yards and 10 touchdowns, and was named Gulf South Conference offensive player of the year. He also was named a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, known as the Division II Heisman.

After entering the portal and signing with Memphis, he’s in a quarterback competition that includes South Carolina transfer Air Noland and Southern Miss transfer Denzel Gardner.

“Ever since I was little, I just always loved competition,” Stokes said. “I ain’t never shied away from it. When I committed to Florida out of high school and then Jaden Rashada committed, me and him started becoming buddies at Elite 11. And once he committed, I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s get this competition going.’ I feel like I’ve always been in a competition throughout my football career.”

Huff said he has been impressed with the quarterbacks through the first week of practice.

“The biggest thing that I’ve seen is self-accountability so far,” he said. “They’re really holding themselves to a high standard. We went into the spring, we told the team, we’re competing with ourself. You are competing with yourself every play, every day, every period. And I’m starting to see the quarterbacks really hold themselves accountable.”

Stokes had plenty of options when he was in the transfer portal, but he chose Memphis after meeting with Huff and projects as a good fit in offensive coordinator Kevin Decker’s new scheme.

There’s plenty of time left before the Tigers have to make a decision on a starter, of course.

“When I had come to Memphis and talked to Coach Huff, instead of explaining to me a dream or trying to sell me a dream, he showed me reality,” Stokes said. “He sold me the real part about Memphis and everything like that.”

Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What Marcus Stokes said of transferring to Memphis football, QB competition