What happens when team loyalty crumbles and game secrets slip into enemy hands? That’s the big question swirling around the Memphis Tigers after a recent scandal revealed allegations of a former player leaking their playbook to a rival team—just before a major showdown.
The Alleged Leak That Rocked the Locker Room
At the center of the controversy is Tahj Ra-El, a former Memphis safety who’s now being accused of passing sensitive team information to Owen McCown, the star quarterback for UTSA.
According to reports, Ra-El allegedly sent images and tactical details of Memphis’ playbook ahead of their November 2024 face-off.
What’s worse? Memphis ended up losing that game 44–36.
Messages Surface: “Here You Go… That’s All the Signals”
Screenshots of the supposed exchange were recently published by On3 Sports, and they’re raising serious eyebrows.
The messages, allegedly sent by Ra-El, appear to show not just the team’s hand signals, but also some not-so-friendly opinions about his former teammates.
One message reportedly reads:
“None of the safeties can cover btw.
The field safety is the weakest link… his hamstring [is] hurting but he’s running out of eligibility…”
The message even points out a specific player by jersey number—believed to be Kourtlan Marsh, who had taken over the starting role from Ra-El.
Timing Raises Eyebrows
By the time Memphis and UTSA played that game, Ra-El was already off the team and had transferred to Purdue.
In fact, he’d been dismissed from the Tigers in October 2024.
Yet the alleged messages to McCown suggest that he still had an axe to grind—and possibly the playbook to make it hurt.
Who Are the Key Players in This?
Owen McCown, the quarterback who supposedly received the information, isn’t just any college player—he’s the son of former NFL QB Josh McCown, who now works as the quarterbacks coach for the Minnesota Vikings.
Meanwhile, Ra-El’s journey through college football has been anything but steady.
After three seasons with Old Dominion, he joined Memphis but only saw action in four games, making one interception before transferring yet again—this time to Purdue.
Purdue Responds to the Firestorm
As the story gathered steam, Purdue Athletics was quick to downplay the controversy.
In a statement to On3 Sports, they said their coaching staff believes the situation is being “mischaracterized” and that they have no ongoing concerns with Ra-El’s involvement moving forward.
What’s Next for Memphis—and the NCAA?
The allegations have thrown a spotlight on just how vulnerable college programs can be when disgruntled players leave under tense circumstances.
It’s unclear whether the NCAA will launch a formal investigation, or if the institutions involved will take further action internally.
But one thing’s certain: if these claims hold water, this could go down as one of the wildest internal betrayals in recent college football memory.