MEMPHIS, Tenn. — 12 days before kicking off their highly-anticipated AutoZone Liberty Bowl matchup against Iowa State, the Memphis Tigers football team landed a huge win, with South Carolina running back Mario Anderson announcing he's transferring to the U of M.
Anderson, a senior from Summerville, South Carolina, confirmed the news on his Instagram Sunday.
He played in just one season for the Gamecocks after transferring from Division II, gaining 707 yards on the ground with 153 more yards through the air, good for 11th best in the SEC.
The 5'9", 208 lbs. back scored four total touchdowns in 2023, including a highlight reel-worthy 75-yard house call against Tennessee.
He recorded two straight 1,200+ yd. seasons for Newberry College in 2021 and 2022, named a first-team All-American by the A.P. for Division II in 2022 after rushing for a school record 1,560 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Anderson joins a Memphis program with a long track record of developing running backs into stars, and even pro-quality talent.
DeAngelo Williams, recently elected into the College Football Hall of Fame, is the most notable example, rushing for more than 6,000 yards from 2002 to 2005 and scoring 55 touchdowns for the Tigers. He went on to be a star for the Carolina Panthers, and scored 61 touchdowns over his 10-year NFL career.
Darrell Henderson, Antonio Gibson and Tony Pollard are all recent examples of former Tigers running backs having solid NFL careers, Pollard currently the standout starter for the Dallas Cowboys.
Blake Watson, who transferred to the Tigers from Old Dominion after three solid seasons, had the best season of his career at Memphis in 2023, rushing for more than 1,000 yards on 177 carries and scoring 14 touchdowns. The senior could be Memphis' latest back headed to the NFL.
We have reached out to the U of M to confirm Anderson's signing, and will update this story when that happens.
