Memphis football adds pair of commitments, including punter Reid Bauer from Arkansas

Evan Barnes, Memphis Commercial Appeal
·2 min read

Memphis football got a pair of commitments Monday, including one from the transfer portal.

Running back Raydrian Mckneely committed to the Tigers via Twitter. The Louisiana native had offers from Arkansas State, FAU, Liberty among others.

Mckneely is unranked on 247Sports but is listed as a three-star recruit on Rivals. He's the Tigers' 21st commitment for the 2023 class ahead of the early signing period that starts Wednesday.

The Tigers also added a commitment from former Arkansas punter Reid Bauer. Bauer transferred from the Razorbacks in November and has one year of eligibility remaining after graduating this winter.

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Bauer averaged 42.0 yards per punt in his career. This season, he averaged 44.6 yards on 23 punts, including a career-long 78-yard punt. 39.1% of his punts also landed inside the 20-yard line.

Bauer could be the favorite to replace Joe Doyle, who will exhaust his eligibility at Memphis after the First Responder Bowl on Dec. 27 (2:15 p.m, ESPN)

Nov 20, 2021; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks punter Reid Bauer (30) throws a pass for a touchdown on a fake field goal against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2021; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks punter Reid Bauer (30) throws a pass for a touchdown on a fake field goal against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

Bauer's the third player Memphis has added from the transfer portal so far after getting commitments from offensive lineman RJ Adams (Georgia Tech) and linebacker Chandler Martin (East Tennessee State).

Rodney Owens opts out of bowl game

Senior defensive back Rodney Owens has ended his Memphis career as he announced Monday he will opt of the Tigers' bowl game to start training for the NFL Draft.

Owens started 22 games from 2020-21 but only started one game this season as he was relegated to mostly special teams and reserve duty. During the season, he briefly switched positions from safety to linebacker in an attempt to find more reps.

Memphis Tigers defensive back Rodney Owens secures an interception to seal the 28-25 win over the SMU Mustangs at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium on Saturday Nov. 6, 2021.
Memphis Tigers defensive back Rodney Owens secures an interception to seal the 28-25 win over the SMU Mustangs at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium on Saturday Nov. 6, 2021.

"I'm forever thankful to be a Memphis Tiger! I cherish every moment of being a Tiger these past four years. Unfortunately this past season didn't go as planned. I will grow and learn from any situation or obstacle that I face," Owens wrote on Twitter.

Owens had 53 tackles and three interceptions in 2020 and followed that up with 78 tackles, including three sacks, and two interceptions in 2021. He also had 11 combined pass deflections in both seasons.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis football adds pair of commitments, including Arkansas P Reid Bauer