With the news Auburn freshman defensive back DeRon Furr intends to transfer to Memphis — once the necessary releases and scholarship papers are signed — the Tigers continue to add to an impressive post-signing day collection of talent.

In fact, it may be the best post-signing day haul in the program’s history.

Consider the players the Tigers have added since February:
* Miami running back Charlie Jones, who will be eligible in the fall.
* Maryland freshman quarterback Tyler Bass, who will be eligible in the fall.
* Mississippi State sophomore linebacker Jamon Hughes, who must sit out this season per NCAA transfer rules.
* Minnesota junior defensive tackle Tim McGee, who will be eligible in the fall.

Add to that collection LSU transfer linebacker Derrick Odom, who came to the U of M in Janaury and the list becomes more notable. Odom was one of the top linebacker prospects in the nation coming out of Callaway High School in 2006. He’ll be eligible to play in 2009.

Tiger coach Tommy West received expected, but welcome, news on the running back front Tuesday.

University of Miami transfer Charlie Jones was given the green light by the NCAA to play for the Tigers this fall. Jones is the first player the Tigers have had who is taking advantage of a 2006 NCAA rule in which the NCAA grants a waiver to student-athletes who have graduated and enrolled at a school in a graduate program not offered by their previous school.

Jones is the no-nonsense veteran the backfield needs with junior T.J. Pitts, the team’s returning rushing leader, sidelined until likely next month. Jones runs with power and speed and is a complement to the quicker, lighter Curtis Steele, who is running with the No. 1 offense.

The Tigers conducted their first full-pads scrimmage of the preseason Monday and the outcome, like most of these endeavors, was mixed.

Defensively, there was intensity and a number of punishing blows. Defensive back Alton Starr struck receiver Duke Calhoun so violently on a quick slant that Starr had the breath knocked out of him. Calhoun was okay.

Offensively, the disappointing thing for Tiger coach Tommy West had to be the play of his offensive line and quarterbacks. The offensive line, a veteran group, is expected to help a team with a first-year QB (Arkelon Hall) and first-year running backs (Curtis Steele, Charlie Jones and Gregory Ray) have time to develop and acclimate themselves to the spread offense. But West was critical of the line and the play of the U of M quarterbacks.

The University of Memphis closes its 15-session spring practice with Saturday’s Blue Gray Scrimmage. (And, yes, it’s a scrimmage, not a game).

Tiger coach Tommy West said after Friday’s workout at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium that a rash of injuries might limit the length of the scrimmage.

Receiver Duke Calhoun (knee), running back T.J. Pitts (ankle) and linebacker Tommy Phelps (chest) were among the higher-profile players who didn’t participate in spring practice because of injuries. Linebacker Josh Weaver (shoulder) and offensive lineman Dominik Riley (knee) were injured during the spring. None of the five will play in the scrimmage.

“We’re still banged up a little bit,” West said. “If it gets too bad, we just won’t be here very long.”

As for those who will play and what to watch for:

***The Quarterbacks: Arkelon Hall, the junior college transfer, and Matt Malouf, the sophomore-to-be, have been competing from the start the competition will resume in August. Hall owns a quick release and throws from various arm angles, mostly sidearm. Malouf is emerging as an accurate thrower and, as most know from watching him a year ago, is an adept runner.

***The Running Backs: Pick up a roster sheet that U of M sports information staff will provide. There’s no Joe Doss (he completed his eligibility) and there’s no T.J. Pitts (see injury list above). That leaves junior college transfer Curtis Steele, who sat out last season as a redshirt; Jeremy Longstreet, a converted linebacker; and Mike Davis, a freshman from Franklin, Tenn. Steele is the speediest of the trio, Longstreet has made strides since making the switch last month and Davis has the potential to be a powerful back.

***The Defense: Even with Weaver and Phelps out, this unit has been the story of the spring behind first-year coordinator Tim Walton. It’s been an aggressive, attacking unit not afraid to play press-man coverage.

Tiger football coach Tommy West has taken a keen interest in the basketball team’s run to the Final Four.

Before last weekend’s South Regional games in Houston, he predicted the lopsided wins over Michigan State and Texas, even when members of his staff thought the games would be a bit closer.

As the U of M prepares for Saturday’s national semifinal against UCLA, West said he’s expecting the Tigers to continue their run.

“To me, our guys have kind of been waiting on this game,” he said. “I like our chances, I think we are going to win it all. Every challenge this team has (faced), this team has responded. I believe they are going to win it all.”

West said he predicts and Memphis-North Carolina final.

“North Carolina is the second-best team in (the Final Four),” he said. “And if we get there and North Carolina gets there, I think it will be a heck of a final. Those are some talented players and I think they’ll both leave it on the floor.”

Heavy rains this month have played havoc with the University of Memphis football team’s spring practice schedule, but what has been evident during the workouts conducted between raindrops has been an uptick in intensity.

It has been particularly apparent on defense, as new coordinator Tim Walton’s aggressive approach has rubbed off on a unit that needed a boost.

“I do think there is a better intensity level,” Tiger coach Tommy West said after Thursday’s practice at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. “Everybody that comes to watch us says the same thing. There’s a lot of striking going on on both sides.”

West still would like to see better execution inside the red zone from the Tiger offense. To do that, the Tiger running game will have to improve.

West moved redshirt freshman defensive lineman Lionel Henderson to offense this week, but, unfortunately for the offensive staff, Henderson, from Mobile, Ala., injured his right ankle and may not return this spring.

“For the 20 minutes I had him on offense, he looked good,” West said.

West said even with the rainy spring weather, the Tigers find themselves shy only one of their schedule 15 spring workouts heading into Saturday’s scrimmage at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

Spring practices at the University of Memphis routinely end with a brief scrimmage period of roughly 25 plays.

Wednesday at the Murphy Athletic Complex was no different, except for the revelation the Tigers may have yet another tall receiver adept at running the fade route and winning `jump balls’ in the end zone.

Junior college transfer Steven Joachim (6-4, 205) had two touchdown receptions in Wednesday’s scrimmage, doing a credible impersonation of 6-9 Tiger wideout Carlos Singleton. Like Singleton, Joachim simply used his height and strong hands to outleap defenders for touchdown receptions of 14 yards (from QB Dallas Walker) and 11 yards (from QB Arkelon Hall).

It’s a deep position for the Tigers, who are going through the spring without their top receiver, 6-4 Duke Calhoun. Calhoun is recovering from offseason knee surgery.