Ryan Silverfield tried to call Keonde Henry, but the top recruit in Memphis football's 2024 recruiting class didn't answer.

Henry was asleep. He saw the missed call in the morning and quickly texted Silverfield to ask why he'd called.

"You'll see in a second," he remembers Silverfield responding.

He checked social media later that day and saw the news — the Tigers had secured a commitment from Indiana transfer cornerback Kobee Minor. Memphis fans were excited, with cornerback an obvious need and Minor a significant boost for the program.

Henry already knew about Minor.

"Kobee's been his idol since he was in seventh grade," Minor's dad, Darryl Minor Sr., said.

Minor and Henry have been close for more than five years. And Henry's idol might be Memphis' most important player this season.

How Kobee Minor, Keonde Henry built their relationship

That word — idol — is the kind of vernacular you'd usually assign to a professional athlete as a kid growing up. Getting to play on the same team as your idol? That's usually reserved for unique circumstances, like an Olympic basketball team that allowed Anthony Edwards to share the floor with Kevin Durant.

But it's the word everybody uses to describe the relationship between Henry and Minor. They met when Henry was a seventh grader and Minor was starring for Lake Dallas High School in Texas as a wide receiver and defensive back.

Henry wasn't even sure he wanted to play football. He wanted to be a basketball player, wanted to use his athletic ability to catch rebounds instead of passes. Minor helped convince him he should pursue football.

"He knew I had something special in me. He saw something really big in me," Henry said. "I didn't see it. I didn't understand it."

And one more thing.

"I just idolized him," Henry said.

Why? Minor's ability on the football field, and his legitimate interest in helping Henry grow as a person and as an athlete. They were always close, even though Henry was four years behind Minor in school. Minor remembers Henry talking trash to kids way older, but that earned him some respect.

While Henry was growing into his body and developing as a wide receiver, Minor went to Texas Tech. He sent Henry so much Red Raiders gear that he had an entire drawer filled with the stuff. Then he needed a new drawer when Minor transferred to Indiana after the 2022 season.

Then came Minor's breakout campaign. There was the September game against Ohio State, when he held star receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who averaged 17.6 yards per catch, to just 18 yards that game. But then there was the rest of the season, the 29 tackles and four pass breakups. He was back home in early December for Henry's signing day when the four-star recruit chose Memphis after previously committing to Boston College and Purdue.

Minor still didn't have any plans to leave Bloomington. He wished Henry well, and told his protégé he'd be following his career in the Bluff City. Turns out he'd have a front-row seat.

More: Why Keonde Henry almost quit football — and then became Memphis' highest-ranked WR recruit

What Kobee Minor brings to Memphis football

Indiana fired coach Tom Allen after the 2023 season, and Minor spent spring practices getting to know new coach Curt Cignetti. He ultimately decided to enter the transfer portal just a day before the window closed, searching for an opportunity where he could compete for a conference title.

His experience was nothing like the season before. There was significantly more interest in him than when he'd left Texas Tech, with Michigan State, Alabama and Mississippi State all after him. Memphis quickly became a factor, though.

First, it was the pitch from secondary coach Charles Clark. He'd been at Ole Miss in 2019 and had recruited Minor out of high school, so there was already familiarity. And then there was the opportunity to play a major role right away, filling what was an obvious need after the spring departure of 2023 starter DeAgo Brumfield.

But would his stock go down if he chose not to play at a power conference school?

"It ain't about what people think," his dad told him. "It's about your production."

Minor committed on the afternoon of May 22. Henry, who he calls his little brother, was already signed and didn't even know about it until he saw Minor's social media post. Minor's older brother, linebacker Darryl Minor Jr., had committed to the Tigers just a few hours earlier as a fellow transfer from Indiana.

Henry is joining a Memphis receiver room that includes three seniors in Roc Taylor, Demeer Blankumsee and Koby Drake, so he probably won't play a huge role this season. But Kobee Minor has gotten plenty of attention this offseason, entering 2024 as a projected starter for a Memphis team that expects to compete for a College Football Playoff spot. The secondary is the most obvious area that needs to improve if that's going to happen, and Minor knows it.

"It's no pressure," he said. "I've got so much confidence in my abilities, it's not even funny. I don't hold extra weight on my shoulders or nothing, I just go out there and try to help the team and just play my role."

Kobee Minor and Henry already have gotten to line up against each other on the practice field, each talking plenty of trash. Henry said last week that it's 8-3 in Minor's favor for the reps they've had so far. But Henry also wants to point out that he beat Minor's 40-yard time in high school, hitting a 4.39 before his senior year to achieve what had been a goal throughout high school.

Neither Lake Dallas alum is short on confidence.

"I'm not going to lie to you," Minor said. "I always had the confidence, since I was little. It's in me. I just feel like I've really got that dog in me and I really don't care who I match up against. I feel like I can guard anybody in the country. You just put me on their best guy."

Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Why Kobee Minor could be Memphis' X factor in football for 2024