Memphis Signs Four to Midyear NLIs

University of Memphis first-year football coach Mike Norvell and the Tigers signed four junior college transfers to midyear National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, the first day of the Midyear JC Transfer period which runs through Jan. 15, 2016.

Memphis signed safety Jonathan Cook (Garden City Community College) and quarterback Riley Ferguson (Coffeyville Community College) along with offensive linemen Harneet Gill (Butler Community College) and Jocelee "Lio" Lafaele (Riverside City College).

Cook (6-0, 198) notched 61 total tackles including 5.5 for lost yards, forced a fumble and recovered another as a sophomore. During the year, he intercepted two passes and had six pass breakups. Cook's 47 solo tackles ranked fourth on the team while his 61 total stops ranked sixth on the squad.

Cook, a native of Spanish Fort, Ala., transferred to Garden City Community College from Alabama where he redshirted in 2013 and saw limited playing time as a redshirt freshman in 2014.

Ferguson (6-4, 190) ranked third in passing among National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) quarterbacks in 2015, averaging 326.9 yards per game. For the year, Ferguson completed 225-of-332 passes for 2,942 yards and 35 touchdowns. He ranked among the top 10 in NJCAA in completions (third), attempts (sixth) and completion percentage (67.8 percent for fourth). His total passing yards (sixth) and touchdowns (fourth) also ranked among the best in junior college football this fall.

Ferguson, a native of Matthews, N.C., originally signed out of Butler High School with Tennessee.

Gill (6-7, 265), a native of St. Charles, Mo., played for a Butler Community College team which finished the year with a 9-2 record and ranked fifth in the final NJCAA poll. The Grizzlies were ranked No. 1 nationally at one point in the season.

Butler Community College scored 445 points during a 9-2 season and ranked in the top-10 in scoring average. The Grizzlies scored 36 rushing touchdowns, which ranked third nationally. Butler CC's averaged 386.1 yards of offense during the year.

Lafaele (6-4, 290) played for a Riverside City College team which went 8-3, closing out the regular season with three straight wins to advance to play in the National Bowl.

Lafaele, a native of Corona, Calif., blocked for a Riverside City College team which received a No. 4 seed in the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Southern California Regional Championships as a National Central League tri-champion. The Tigers averaged 443.5 yards of offense per game in 2015.

University of Memphis Athletics

Related News

Related Videos