One of the main narratives surrounding this year’s offense is the transition from Riley Ferguson to Brady White as the team’s starting quarterback.
After a solid performance against Mercer that saw him complete his first nine passes in a row, White appears to be poised to lead the Tigers this season. However, another quarterback on the roster, who may not be receiving as much attention, could be just as pivotal to the future of the Memphis football program.
Brady McBride, a freshman who played at Coppell High School in Texas, earned a fair amount of attention from college programs around the country, including Rice, Indiana and Navy.
McBride is a 6-foot-2 pro-style quarterback who fits the Tigers’ scheme well, and his relationship with current starter White has also been beneficial for the freshman’s development.
“There probably isn’t a better guy to play behind than White (White),” McBride said. “He knows the offense well, is smart with his decisions, and he just always makes the right calls and reads. He’s been really helpful as a mentor. He started helping me as soon as I moved to campus.”
While it may not be uncommon for older quarterbacks to mentor younger ones as they arrive on campus, it is uncommon for that advice to be put to the test as quickly as it was for McBride.
With the Tigers leading 56-0 at halftime of their game against Mercer, McBride got the nod to start the third quarter for the Tigers. During his first action as a Tigers quarterback, McBride finished with six completions on ten attempts for 70 yards.
Despite the lopsided score and only seeing a limited amount of time in the game before being replaced by Connor Adair in the fourth quarter, getting to take the field his first weekend of college isn’t something McBride is taking lightly.
“It was just finally seeing my dreams unfold,” McBride said. “Playing college ball is something I have always wanted to do, and it was just really good to get some experience under my belt and to see the field.”
While the first week of classes may not have been the most challenging, McBride still has a plan in place to ensure he’ll be able to balance his course load and football once the semester gets into full swing.
“My initial plan is just to get ahead in all of my classes, so that I can have extra time to prepare for a shot. I just have to stay prepared if the team needs me,” McBride said. “We have a lot of advisors and academic counselors that help us stay on top of our stuff, so that helps, too.”
As the Tiger football team turns their attention to their road game against Navy this week, all freshman McBride can do is stay prepared. With a support system in place and a veteran familiar with the offense serving as his mentor, McBride is equipped to lead Memphis football into its future.
