Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 27-21@ UNLV | 3 | 31 | 10.3 | 1 | 16 | |
| Wk 1 | W 42-24vs Arkansas State | 2 | 31 | 15.5 | 0 | 22 | |
| Wk 2 | L 20-38@ Boise State | 9 | 229 | 25.4 | 1 | 87 | Season-high 229 yds |
| Total | 14 | 291 | 17.1 | 2 | 87 |
#82
Hunter Tipton
No.131 3★, national recruit is what Hunter Tipton has put on film since landing at Memphis — the bet is starting to settle.
6′5″ · 241 lb · Timpson, TX · Timpson HS
CFB Index 62 · #34 of 156 TEsMedium-low confidenceTransferred Middle Tennessee → Memphis for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
How he plays
Creates mismatches lined up all over the formation.
Rec yards: 93rd percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
291
receiving yards · 2026
14 catches · 2 TD · 20.8 per catch
3 games into 2026 so far -- Backed by 9 rec · 229 yds · 1 TD -- top 0.1% receiving yards game. -- Best game: 9 rec, 229 yds, 1 TD, at Boise State
The play that turned itSwung Middle Tennessee from 7% to 46% to win.Middle Tennessee at Delaware · 31-28
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 tight end for Memphis. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Louisiana Tech in 2024.
- Transferred from Middle Tennessee to Memphis in 2026.
Hunter Tipton
Filling the Shoesas of 2026-09-15
Hunter Tipton arrives at Memphis with a new fit to prove and an old chapter behind him.
291REC YDS14REC2REC TD
3★ · NATIONAL RECRUIT
No.131
recruiting national rank
Read the story so far
AI-generated narrative · may contain errors · not journalism · updated 2026-09-15
His career
20243 games
- Signed with Louisiana Tech3-star out of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M
202512 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
20263 games
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024–2025
Memphis
Coaching transition mid-career: Ryan Silverfield → Charles Huff. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Memphis
2025Middle Tennessee
2026Memphis
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024Louisiana Tech5-8HC: Sonny Cumbie · Run-leaning
2025Middle Tennessee3-9HC: Derek Mason · Pass-leaning
2026Memphis2-1HC: Charles Huff · Run-heavy, slow tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the TE cohort
Box-score percentiles
Medium-low confidence
Elite: rec yards (93rd percentile). Strength: receptions (93rd percentile).
Box-score rates (5)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home1g | 2.0 | 31.0 | 15.5 | 0.0 |
| Road2g | 6.0 | 130 | 17.9 | 1.0 |
First half vs Second half
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 4.7 | 97.0 | 17.1 | 0.7 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Charles Huff
Pass share
38.2%
66 pass / 107 run
Plays / game
57.7
3 games
Team sack rate
5.2%
77 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy, slow tempo.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Memphis | 14 | 291 | 20.8 | 2 | -- |
| 2025 | Middle Tennessee | 39 | 411 | 10.5 | 2 | -- |
| 2024 | Louisiana Tech | 5 | 23 | 4.6 | 0 | -- |
| Career | 58 | 725 | 12.5 | 4 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 27–21
at UNLV
Signature plays
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
- Week 2 · Boise State · 2&23 · Q1 · EPA +7.34Hunter Tipton 87 Yd pass from Marcus Stokes (Philippe Laforge Kick)
- Week 2 · Boise State · 2&11 · Q2 · EPA +3.74(00:44) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Stokes pass complete deep left to #0 H.Tipton caught at BOI39, for 37 yards to the BOI39 (#9 D.Ganter Jr.), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · UNLV · 2&16 · Q2 · EPA +3.18(05:26) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Stokes pass complete short middle to #0 H.Tipton caught at UNLV10, for 16 yards to the UNLV00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 05:24 #80 P.Laforge kick attempt good (H: #30 H.Tuck, LS: #34 W.Simmons)
- Week 2 · Boise State · 2&10 · Q3 · EPA +2.12(06:02) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Stokes pass complete short middle to #0 H.Tipton caught at MEM28, for 16 yards to the MEM41 QB hurried by #92 D.Latu (#20 K.Hall), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Boise State · 2&7 · Q1 · EPA +2.08(08:33) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Stokes pass complete deep left to #0 H.Tipton caught at BOI09, for 41 yards to the BOI09 (#8 S.Smith), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Arkansas State · 3&4 · Q4 · EPA +1.86(14:34) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Stokes pass complete short right to #0 H.Tipton caught at MEM34, for 9 yards to the MEM40 (#4 M.Shahid), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · Arkansas State · 2&8 · Q3 · EPA +1.68(14:00) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Stokes pass complete short middle to #0 H.Tipton caught at ASU46, for 22 yards to the ASU25 (#0 D.Henderson), 1ST DOWN
- Week 1 · UNLV · 2&9 · Q1 · EPA +1.45(07:38) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Stokes pass complete short left to #0 H.Tipton caught at MEM34, for 11 yards to the MEM34 (#24 A.Helm), 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Boise State · 2&5 · Q4 · EPA +1.23(06:55) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Stokes pass complete short left to #0 H.Tipton caught at MEM37, for 10 yards to the MEM40 (#22 R.Tillmon), out of bounds, 1ST DOWN
- Week 2 · Boise State · 1&10 · Q2 · EPA +1.14(02:06) No Huddle-Shotgun #2 M.Stokes pass complete short left to #0 H.Tipton caught at MEM40, for 13 yards to the BOI47 (#17 L.Brantley), 1ST DOWN
Game log
Game by game
Hunter Tipton's 2026 production
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
How he plays
Play style
Creates mismatches lined up all over the formation.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Move TE
Lined up out wide as often as inline. Creates mismatches downfield.
TE
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Isaiah Likely’s 2020 season.
67%match
All-Sun BeltNFL Rd 4
Matches Isaiah on
Weight
Height
Differs from Isaiah on
EPA / play (adj) (higher)
Reception volume (higher)
Total EPA (college ability) (higher)
Through 3 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Cade Keith’s path through New Mexico.
83%match
Matches Cade on
Height
Yards per reception
Weight
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Carsen Ryan's junior season at Utah (2024).
67%match
NFL Rd 7
Matches Carsen on
Height
Yards / reception
Total EPA (college ability)
Differs from Carsen on
Recruiting rating (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Hunter Tipton
The tight end room · Memphis
- Hunter Tipton411 receiving yards · 2025
- #10TJ Johnson7 receiving yards · 2025
- #14Aidan O'Callaghan2 games · 2026
- #87Garrett Essnerno box-score line yet
- #86Jonathan Hardingno box-score line yet
1 more on the roster · Memphis team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology