Manny Covey arrives to a revamped Memphis backfield as a potential feature tailback.
Manny Covey is moving from one former American Conference power to a current American Conference power.
The running back completed a transfer from Cincinnati to Memphis over the weekend, entering his new home with two years of eligibility remaining.
Covey spent two seasons as a backup running back at Cincinnati, as a contributor to the country’s highest-powered run games. The Bearcats ranked 20th in the FBS in rushing average in 2024 and 3rd in 2025, boasting a deep running back room and one of the nation’s top offensive lines.
Operating in that offense as a true freshman in 2024, Covey rushed for 62 yards on a 3.6 average, while also logging 119 receiving yards and two touchdowns on eight catches. He expanded his utilization as a sophomore in 2025, rushing for 198 yards and a touchdown while averaging 7.1 yards per carry. As a receiver, he once again attained eight receptions, turning them into 82 yards.
Covey’s most significant production transpired in the 2025 Liberty Bowl vs. Navy. The Bearcats entered that game severely shorthanded on offense, devoid of starting quarterback Brendan Sorsby and top two running backs Evan Pryor and Tawee Walker — all three of whom attained 500+ rushing yards in the regular season. Covey took the reins as the feature back, accumulating 78 yards on 11 carries, while also serving as the leader receiver with five receptions for 28 yards.
Covey joins a Memphis team with an impressive fraternity of running back talent in the College Football Playoff era — with names like Darrell Henderson, Tony Pollard, Patrick Taylor Jr., Antonio Gibson, and Kenneth Gainwell all suiting up within the last decade. The Tigers’ 2025 leading rusher Sutton Smith transferred to Arkansas, while their other top running backs Greg Desrosiers Jr. and Frank Peasant exhausted their eligibility.
The former Cincinnati Bearcats instantly becomes a potential starter as Memphis transitions into the Charles Huff era. The Tigers also brought in former Ohio State and Colorado running back Dallan Hayden, who arrives with 1,185 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns, and 168 receiving yards across his first four collegiate seasons. Covey and Hayden provide substantial experience to a Memphis backfield in need of it, as the Tigers prepare for their first coaching change in six seasons.
On the other side of this transfer move, Cincinnati will see an overhauled backfield. Evan Pryor (Florida), Manny Covey (Memphis), and Chance Williams (Charlotte) all transferred out, while Zylan Perry (Louisiana), Cole Tabb (Stanford), and Gi’Bran Payne (Notre Dame) all transferred in. Perry, Tabb, and Payne arrive with 1,659, 575, an 226 career rushing yards, respectively, as the calendar flips to 2026.
Category: General Sports
