Look at it this way: there's nowhere for the Memphis program to go but up.

Right?

Larry Porter's first season as the coach of his alma matter ended with nine straight losses and a 1-11 record, a one-game drop from the 2-10 of the previous year as the 2010 Tigers became the first Memphis team ever to lose 11 games in a season.

Signing day brought 29 new faces, and an optimistic look at the future.

"Today was truly a success; it was a victory," Porter said at his media conference. "We started the season 1-0, and we're very, very excited about this class for a number of reasons. We're built for speed, athleticism and character.

"We had a total of 29 signees; of those 29, 10 had BCS scholarship offers and 23 had other Division I scholarships. Of the 29, four were from the city of Memphis; we only offered eight in the city, so we're at 50 percent, which is probably where we are in terms of getting the city behind us. We will continue to be aggressive in our own backyard."

Porter liked the entire class, but focused on six offensive linemen as a key to the rebuilding plan.

"As I set out to put this class together, as you well know, our offensive line was something that we had to address," he said. "I thought that was more than accomplished."

The class, which had six players already in school and therefore set for spring ball, was ranked No. 66 nationally and No. 4 in Conference USA by Scout.com and also fourth in the league by Rivals.

TOP OF THE CLASS

DT Terry Redden (Whitehaven High, Memphis) -- a 6-3, 285-pound local who was the only three-star player in this class according to Scout.com. He stayed home and should step right in.

C Monte Golden (Northside High, Jacksonville, N.C.) -- Golden is only listed as a two-star by Scout.com, but his new coach has big plans for this kid. "As I assess his talents and look at the things he brings to the table, I'd be very, very surprised if he's not an all-conference guy," Porter said. "I feel that highly about him. He's 6-2 and 300 pounds, he benches close to 400 pounds, squats over 500, so we're looking forward to him coming in and (imposing) his will on a few guys."

DB Perrance Ward (East Mississippi Junior College) -- An All-Conference Juco player who was already enrolled and will be at spring ball.

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