It looks like Tulane is a finalist for two pretty big recruits...Dylan Rathke, OT from U-High and Tyler Scott a safety from Ft. Lauderdale. Rathke's final 3 are Louisville, Kentucky and Tulane...247 has two predictions to Tulane and none to the others. He's been on campus several times, and I like our chances with him. Scott is going to take an official visit for the weekend of the Wake Forest game. He's supposedly choosing between Tulane and NC State and has offers from Syracuse, Rutgers, Pitt, Miss State, Louisville, Kentucky, and more. 247 and Rivals have him as a 4 star player. He has supposedly already visited NC State (at least he was scheduled to in June), and the Florida 247 reporter recently changed his prediction to Tulane. Scott wants to commit and end his recruitment before his high school season gets going, he said.

I wrote this for the Advocate tab section that's coming out later this month, and it turns out they did not want or need it. I assumed they were running the same items I wrote last year, and I just learned they did not run it then, either (because of less space than they thought), unless it got published online only. I never looked, or at least I don't remember looking.

Anyway, I might as well publish it here. Don't take my predictions too seriously. It's impossible to predict with any accuracy what will happen each week because seasons are organic and one result affects the next, so if you're wrong early, you'll like be wrong a lot. Also, it's OK if you don't notice I have Tulane going 4-4 in the AAC in the game-by-game predictions after writing that Tulane would win more than 4 in my over/under piece here two weeks ago.

In reality, I see two very likely to sure victories for Tulane (Nicholls and ECU) and one certain loss (Ohio State). The rest are up in the air to varying degrees. I welcome anyone else taking a stab at predicting each game.


Game 1: Wake Forest
Date: Thursday, Aug. 30
TIME: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Yulman Stadium

Good News: Wake Forest will be without projected starting quarterback Kendall Hinton, who was suspended for the first three games for a violation of team rules. This, after the graduation of four-year starter John Wofford, who threw for 3,192 yards and 29 TDs as a senior.

Bad News: Tulane has lost 12 in a row to current Power Five conference schools since winning at Rutgers in 2010 and has not beaten a P5 school at home since Mississippi State in 2003.

Star Power: This is an opportunity for Tulane quarterback Jonathan Banks to make a name for himself nationally. The game will be televised by CBS Sports Network, and a Green Wave upset win would create headlines.

I Say: Tulane 31, Wake Forest 27 (1-0)


Game 2: Nicholls State
DATE: Saturday, Sept. 8.
TIME: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Yulman Stadium

Good News: Tulane is 15-0 against FCS opponents with only a few close calls. Last year, the Wave hammered Grambling 43-14 at Yulman Stadium, and the Tigers did not lose again in the regular season.

Bad News: Nicholls is better than Grambling, will be pumped up for its first meeting with the FBS school only 60 miles away from Thibodaux and just added Texas A&M transfer Kendall Bussey, a former Newman star. Nicholls lost only 24-14 to Texas A&M last year.

Star Power: Quarterback Chase Fourcade, Bussey and fellow running back Kyran Irvan and wide receiver Damion Jeanpiere lead a high-powered Colonels offense that will test a Tulane defense that is very young up front.

I Say: Tulane 41, Nicholls 24 (2-0)


Game 3: at UAB
DATE: Saturday, Sept. 15.
TIME: noon.
WHERE: Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama.

Good News: This would qualify as a trap game with Ohio State next on the agenda, but Tulane is a year removed from going through the motions in a disappointing loss at FIU and will be ready for the Blazers.

Bad News: UAB returns 16 starters from a team that went 8-5 in its first year back after the program went dark in 2015 and 2016. The Blazers beat bowl-bound Louisiana Tech and Southern Miss a year ago.

Star Power: Physical Blazers running back Spencer Brown, coming off a 1,329-yard year, faces a young Tulane defensive front that may have two true sophomores and a true freshman starter. The Wave gave up 5.3 yards per carry in 2017.

I Say: Tulane 27, UAB 24 (3-0)


Game 4: at Ohio State
DATE: Saturday, Sept. 22.
TIME: TBA.
WHERE: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio.

Good News: Tulane gets to face one of the nation’s most tradition-laded teams in a stadium that seats more than 100,000. Plus, the Buckeyes could be reeling if coach Urban Meyer gets fired before the season as expected.

Bad News: Ohio State is ranked third in the coaches’ preseason poll. This is a talent mismatch. Four of the Buckeyes’ last five recruiting classes have ranked third or higher according to Rivals.com.

Star Power: Everyone at Ohio State is a star, but let’s focus on a few. J.K. Dobbins rushed for 1,403 yards as a freshman, and Tulane will have a tough time blocking defensive linemen Nick Bosa and Dre’Mont Jones.

I Say: Ohio State 41, Tulane 13 (3-1)


Game 5: Memphis
DATE: Friday, Sept. 28.
TIME: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Yulman Stadium.

Good News: Memphis lost 4,000-yard passer Riley Ferguson and 1,400-yard receiver Anthony Miller. The crowd will be loud at Yulman Stadium as Tulane entertains the West division favorite on ESPN2 and seeks a defining victory.

Bad News: The Tigers are still loaded at the skill positions and have won 11 straight in the series. Their skill position players were too fast for the Wave defense in a 56-26 rout in Memphis a year ago.

Star Power: The Memphis defense is vulnerable, having given up 30 or more points seven times in 2017. It could be a big night for Tulane receivers Terren Encalade, Darnell Mooney and Freddy Canteen, particularly if the Tigers struggle to stop the run.

I Say: Memphis 34, Tulane 31 (3-2, 0-1 AAC)


Game 6: at Cincinnati
DATE: Saturday, Oct. 6.
TIME: TBA.
WHERE: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Good News: The Bearcats are coming off back-to-back 4-8 seasons, and their last two victories a year ago came by one point, including one at Yulman Stadium when Tulane missed a 36-yard field goal with 1:21 left.

Bad News: The game comes at a bad time. Tulane will be playing for the sixth time in six weeks, having faced Ohio State and Memphis in a span of six days before going back to Ohio again. How much energy will the Wave have?

Star Power: It will be interesting to see whether Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell sticks with senior QB Hayden Moore or turns to strong-armed freshman Ben Bryant. Fickell’s staff has recruited well.

I Say: Cincinnati 26 Tulane 24 (3-3, 0-2 AAC)

Tulane is practicing at the Saints indoor facility from 2-4 today. I will be there for the last 30 minutes, but here is a Q&A I had with Jack Curtis yesterday at Media Day. I also talked to John Leglue, Corey Dublin, Charles Jones, Rod Teamer and Donnie Lewis and will eventually transcribe those interviews, too.

You are part of the only college football staff that has not lost a single coach in three years. How much does that help?

"It's big everywhere. Here's what I always feel like. You can have a defensive coordinator, and every year sometimes these coordinators are changing for whatever reason. Maybe they get a better job. Maybe they get fired. But it really hurts those kids. About the time you really learn what's going in that system and the terminology and everything, and then boom, it completely changes and you've got to learn it all over again. Older players can handle it a lot better than the younger ones because they can start figuring it out a little bit more, but it is definitely an advantage for us to have that continuity."

Third downs have been a nightmare for your defense the last two years, sometimes inexplicably because the same plays that are defended well on first and second downs move the chains on third down. How much have you focused on that, and is there anything you can put your finger on as a root cause?

"We are well aware of it and we are addressing it. We started third and long on the second day of practice, and that's far sooner than we had done it in the past. We are working extremely hard. We have played well on some early downs and feel comfortable. I don't know if I can't put my finger on one thing to fix. It's a number of things. We've got to do a better job of preparing for it and make sure we work it against competition, whether it's our offense or really training our scout team to get better at those things. We are dedicated and determined to put more emphasis on the third down. We have to because we're going to be a little bit different on defense. We're probably not as big. We're younger overall and maybe a little more athletic. We've got to be a little more opportunistic on defense. We'll have a few more third-down packages that can help us on third down. I thought we played a little bit better at the end of the year, but we have to do a better job there."

Losing Parry Nickerson was a blow, but you mentioned there is more overall speed on defense. How much can that help?

"Well, Parry was the reason we played pretty good sometimes, but they weren't throwing it upt to his side. They were always throwing it away from him. We've got a lot of youth. We've got 42 players on the defensive roster, and 23 of them are going to be freshmen, seven sophomores, six junior and six seniors. I'm not sure how many freshmen are going to be starting, but there's going to be a lot in backup and playing key roles and contributing a lot. It's putting it all together with how much they can handle."

How is the battle at cornerback shaping up?

"Even though Parry left us, we've got Jaylon Monroe, who's having an outstanding camp. He's kind of taking Parry's place. He's a great cover corner, and of course Donnie's a solid corner and will have some opportunities probably in the future to play. We have some younger guys. Willie Langham is playing well. Thakarius Keyes has had a great last two or three days. He's showing that he's ready to roll this year, so we're happy about that, and we've got some other younger corners. That's not the biggest worry. We've got some other issues we've got to address with some depth at certain positions, but I think we're going to be pretty solid at corner."

You struggled to stop the run last year and lost your best run-stopper in Sean Wilson. There is a lot of young talent on the defensive line. How much do those guys need to mature quickly, and how can the front get better as a whole?

"A big factor is how much more comfortable we are moving from that even front defense to an odd front defense and how much more we know. We studied the game. We kind of moved to this out of necessity (last year) just due to our personnel, and we're way ahead of where we were last year. I think we're going to see a much stingier defense on the earlier downs, more so than we were last year. That may be the biggest key. We need to be a little more multiple within the system. I felt we got real vanilla, and to be vanilla, you've got be a lot better than the people you are playing to beat them. We're going to battle everybody, so if we can give a few more different looks, we'll create some more havoc plays, negative plays, tackles for losses, that sort of thing."

The move of P.J. Hall to strong safety appeared to work perfectly in the spring. How did that help the defense?

"We've got a lot of confidence in P.J. He's a very intelligent player. He can play multiple positions. He mainly was a safety, but any time we had to have someone go in and play nickel, he played nickel. He actually can play corner. He's played every position in the secondary and can do it today. That gives him a big role, being a junior, that he can help these younger guys get lined up, and the other thing it will do is provide us some more depth. If we do have to move people around, he's very diverse."

It looks like Larry Bryant has moved ahead of Tirise Barge at nickelback. What is the competition like there?

"That is a 50-50 battle. Tirise worked it all in the spring, but I got all three of those guys (Barge, Bryant and Will Harper) and said there has not been a starter named and it's up (for grabs). That position is really 50-50. They have different body types but are similar in how aggressive and physical they can play. Larry's just a little bit bigger at 205 pounds whereas Tirise is 180, 185, but both are very explosive, good players and outstanding tacklers. I like what I'm seeing. We don't have a whole of experience at that position, but we've got some depth, so we are going to see how much they can handle. Larry's done a fantastic job. He is playing in the rush package, he's playing at nickel, he's played linebacker, so he's done a lot. We're expecting a big year out of him, a breakout year for Larry."

How much do you need Robert Kennedy and Cameron Sample to have big years?

"We're going to need it. Both of them are extremely athletic and fast. Rob had probably a better sophomore year than junior year because he tore his ACL in the spring and missed quite a few games. He bounced back a little bit at the end. He was cleared to go but he wasn't totally ready. He had a good spring and is doing some good things now. For us to be good, both of those guys have to play well for us."

Cam Sample says he has a photographic memory. Have you picked up on that, and how much does it help him?

"I didn't know he had a photographic memory. He may have, but I know he's the leader over there. He's going to have some responsibilities when we call our rushes. He can here what's going on and call a rush. We trust him well enough and he's smart enough that he can attack the protections of the offense on third down and long. He's a fantastic player and person. He's the total package. He's really got it."

What are Patrick Johnson's strengths?

"We've moved him to an outside linebacker position. He's coming off the edge. He had a real good spring and is doing real well now. He's 6-2, 255 to 260 pounds, so he brings at that outside linebacker position a bigger guy, and he's athletic enough to do some of the stuff when we ask him to drop. He's another one. That's probably one of our biggest concerns--that position--because we don't have a lot of experience behind him. Peter Woullard we're going to work there now, and we're going to play Carlos Hatcher and Keitha Jones, true freshmen. We've got a lot of inexperience. Patrick's our most experienced player, and he had 15 days of spring ball. It's a brand new position for all those guys."

What are your thoughts on the linebackers?

"Probably our biggest improvement. We've got some experience with Zach (Harris), and then Marvi Moody is ready to have an outstanding year. Lawrence Graham has had limited experience playing, but this is going to be his year to show us what he can do. He's going to be in the mix heavily, and then we've got KJ Vault and Quentin Brown, guys we feel like can back up, so we're actually in better shape at linebacker than what we've been in the past. That's going to help us."

Keon Howard has committed.

The conditions finally felt like summer on Monday morning at Yulman Stadium, but coach Willie Fritz did not offer much sympathy for players who were dragging at the end of the workout. After four uncharacteristic practices under cloud cover, low humidity or both last week, the humidity was up and the clouds were thin today.

Still, Fritz felt it was nowhere near as sweltering as some of the August practices in his first two years after he blew the final whistle at 9:53 a.m.

"Comparatively speaking (to the last few practices) it was hot, but this was nothing," he said. "I told the guys if you're considering this a hot day, get ready. This is nothing."

Southern Miss transfer Keon Howard was in uniform at practice today, shadowing Jonathan Banks and the other QBs without taking any reps. He was slapping the hands of offensive teammates as practice went on.

"He's just trying to learn the offense," Fritz said. "He's a little bit behind the other guys. He wasn't here in the summer and missed the first couple of days, but he'll pick it up. He's a smart kid. He's going to have a different role obviously. He's going to have sit out and not compete in games, so he's going to have to help us out in a little bit different way than what he's used to, but he'll do a good job. He's a good young man."

With the Wave entering the second week of preseason drills, I concentrated on the depth chart today and the defensive line specifically. The first-team defense had no changes up front, with Cameron Sample, De'Andre Williams, Robert Kennedy and Patrick Johnson.

"Cam Sample we think can be an All-Conference type guy for us," Fritz said. "He's a great student. He got in here just on his academic prowess. It had nothing to do with football. He's a member of SAC (I'm not sure what that is, can anyone fill me in?) and he retains things. That's the other part of figuring out who you are going to play, how quickly a guy can pick things up and be able to go out and execute on the field. If they have a tough time doing it, you're going to have to keep working with them."

Kennedy, the only upperclassman on the two-deep depth chart, definitely looks healthier than he did when he returned from a torn ACL more than midway through 2017--he had 15 tackles in the last five games. He is lining up inside after starting three game at end late last year.

"He's just kind of an old-fashioned player," Fritz said. "He's just tough, hard-nosed and when he's on, he can be very explosive, too. The first game that I coached here against Wake Forest, he made a bunch of plays in that game and dominated that game. Then a few weeks later he got hurt (causing him to miss two games and be ineffective when he returned), but he's a good player. The guy ran a 22-something 200 meters in high school. He's a good athlete. He got the confidence the last couple of weeks (a year ago) that he was OK and could play it."

I liked Williams in the spring--he absolutely has more mobility at this point than Johnson or Wright--and Fritz confirmed my thoughts today.

"In recruiting, we talk about retaining the guys and then developing the guys," Fritz said. "He has really developed. He is a much, much, much better player than he was when he first got here. He happens to be from the same high school as Tanzel Smart, and he has a work ethic like Tanzel. He's up here extra. His body has noticeably changed. He's a guy that I thought might play limited snaps for us, but he's probably going to play a lot.

Williams is much lighter than Johnson (6-3, 320), but he is quicker on his feet.

"He's moving well," Fritz said. "He's about 280-285. We got to have enough mass, but you also have to move up there. Jeffery Johnson is still getting in shape a little bit. He's going to be a great player and we need him to be a great player this year. Davon Wright, those freshmen are a little up and down. I call it hitting the freshman wall. They go good for the first week and then they start hitting a wall and start de-gressing instead of progressing with their improvement."

The second-team defensive line consisted of four freshmen--Alfred Thomas, Johnson, Wright and Carlos Hatcher.

At linebacker, Zach Harris was out, so Lawrence Graham and Marvin Moody worked with the first team together. Both of them will play a ton this year anyway, likely rotating with Harris in a three-man group, so it probably was helpful to have them working together. KJ Vault remained on the second unit, but Quentin Brown earned a promotion to the second unit because of Harris' absence.

The secondary had an interesting change. Thakarius Keyes, now wearing No. 26 instead of his old 37, practiced at cornerback with the first team. Donnie Lewis, back from an injury that sidelined him Thursday and Friday, worked with the second team along with Willie Langham. I'll watch that competition some more on Wednesday--tomorrow's practice is closed because players will be available at Media Day--to get a better handle on what is going on at Tulane's most competitive position. I can't envision a scenario where Lewis does not start against Wake Forest, though.

The first-team nickelback continues to be Larry Bryant, with Tirise Barge running second and Will Harper third.

Rod Teamer and P.J. Hall are the iron-clad starting safeties. Macon Clark, wearing Keyes' old No. 37, was on the second team along with Taris Shenall. Chase Kuerschen still has not practiced yet this preseason. The third-string safeties today were Sean Harper and freshman Larry Brooks.

The first-team offensive line has not changed at all since the start of camp, with impressive transfer Noah Fisher at left tackle, Dominique Briggs at left guard, Corey Dublin at center, John Leglue at right guard and Keyshawn McLeod at right tackle. The second unit had Joey Claybrook at left tackle, Cameron Jackel at left guard, Hunter Knight at center, Devon Johnson at right guard and Tyler Johnson at right tackle. Devon Johnson replaced walk-on Ben Bratcher out of the picture; otherwise. there were no changes.

NOTES

---Devin Glenn looks sharp. He still has his work cut out for him at one of the team's deepest positions, but for the first time since Fritz arrived, I see a real plan for him other than on special teams. He is making quick, decisive cuts in practice, but the real test will come on the rare days when contact is allowed.

---Charles Jones remained out with an unspecified injury. In his absence, the guy making the most plays is Will Wallace, not Kendal Ardoin. Freshman Tyrick James, who is wearing No. 80, is getting reps, too.

---The receivers had more trouble getting separation than in the first few practices. Either that, or the quarterbacks were indecisive, but there were several plays where the whistle blew before they released the ball.

---Still have not seen one second of the kicking game. Either they work on it during the first 45 minutes of practice when I am not there or have not devoted any time to it on the main field. The kicker get work on the small practice field outside the stadium.

---Freshman running back Ygenio Booker returned to practice after missing a couple days. He made one nice catch. Wide receiver Jacob Robertson was back, too.

I got there a few minutes before 9 a.m. and the players were milling around underneath the stadium in a lightning delay. It started raining hard a few minutes later with more lightning, so practice ended. They still have to take Sunday off as per NCAA rules, so the next practice will be Monday morning.

I talked to Fritz afterward.

You haven't been caught in the rain too often since coming here, have you?

"Yeah, we've been pretty lucky. A few times we guessed right. I think there's only been one other time where we had to go in and cancel it. They've got the rule, which is a good rule, that if lightning is within an eight-mile radius, you have to stop for a half-hour, and then if you get another strike, it starts up another half-hour, and it looked like it was going to do that for quite a while."

How much time did you get in before you had to stop?

"We got about 45 minutes in."

How would you assess the first week?

"Good. I feel like we're a lot deeper. I like the development of our guys in the weight room, their knowledge of what we're doing. We've got more Division I football players. We're excited about it. Our depth is better. If our freshmen are able to learn what we're doing and be able to play in games, physically quite a few of them are ready to play this season, but that's going to be based on how quickly they grasp concepts."

Tirise Barge had a good spring but is not working with the first team. Did something happen over the summer?

"He's working with them some. Some of the coaches kind of traded out who's starting and who's not starting, all that kind of stuff, so it's not really that important right now. He's either going to start or play a bunch."

Larry Bryant has worked with the first team in Barge's place. What do you like about him?

"Larry's done some good things, too. He's really versatile. He's done a great job in special teams for us both his freshman and sophomore year. If he can grasp what we're doing on defense, he's an explosive player, a play-maker type of guy. We show a lot of highlights with our guys in the kicking game, and he's been in a lot of them. He's played well in the kicking game."

The way the season ended last year at SMU, how much is that fueling this team and how did you take that heartbreak and frustration and try to turn it into a positive for the future?

"It took a whlle, as I've mentioned before. It was a tough game, it really was. Coaches had to let go of it. Players had to let go of it. Everybody had to let go of it. I've been impressed with the development of our guys. We talk about recruiting and you've got to retain your guys and you've got to develop your guys when you get them in the program. I see some of the guys walking around, and they just kind of look a little different physically. And that's good. We're a very demanding staff. If you like football, you are not going to like playing for me. You are going to dislike it. If you love playing football, you are going to love playing for me. We have to find guys that love football, and if you love it, we are going to try to develop you to your fullest, from the first guy on the roster to the last guy on the roster.

"I think they dropped it and worked extremely hard. I had to kick myself in the butt three or four weeks after that game and move on."

Great name. Also appears to have a really good game, rated three by Rivals and 247 Sports. Offers were not outstanding, but he totally fits Tulane's OL profile. Wave projects him as center first but also capable of playing guard.

I hope to have more from him later today.

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He's the ninth wide receiver on this Rivals story about big-time WR recruits who have resurfaced at other schools.

https://n.rivals.com/news/remember-me-highly-ranked-wrs-set-to-re-emerge-this-fall

Most of the people on this site who follow Tulane baseball have probably checked out Tulane’s
“Boys of Summer” articles which give a nice overview of how our players are faring this summer.

I like college summer baseball and I think it is very advantageous for some kids. Fortunately the Cal Ripkin League plays a number of games fairly close to me and I take advantage of that to see a few every summer. But when reviewing statistics from these leagues, one must keep several things in mind. First, the best of the leagues, generally considered to be the Cape Cod League, still has mostly second tier players from the better teams in the country. The very best players are leaving to pro ball after their junior year and don’t participate. The top 5 or 6 pitchers on most college teams, those who throw 60+ innings during the NCAA season, tend to skip summer ball to preserve their arms. That means most of the pitchers are those near the end of the bench/bullpen. The same goes for many of the every-day players. Those who have started 50 or 60 games during the college season tend to skip summer ball, though a couple of “starters” from most teams generally sign up for at least a portion of the summer. What that means is that both hitters and pitchers are generally facing “lesser” talent than they’d see during their college seasons. The wood bats are probably an advantage for pitchers and a detriment to hitters. But, for a team like Tulane, playing a “top 20” schedule, our kids are playing, on average, against far less talent during the summer than they see during the Wave’s season.

That said, I think players who have their sights set on starting in the future but haven’t had the opportunity in their first year of two, can greatly benefit from the playing time summer offers. I was surprised to see Hoese and Gozzo played summer ball and disappointed that Glancy and Nieman apparently did not. I’d also hoped Kobi Owen would be well enough to play but am guessing his injuries kept him out.

A Closer look at who played this summer:

Bledgood. David Bedgood hit .392 over a 15 game stretch this past Tulane season, but overall hit only .242, while playing very poorly in the outfield. An infielder by trade, he began the summer splitting time between second base and the outfield. In five games at second he played errorless ball while handling 13 chances. He added another three putouts in the outfield without an error. At bat, he was hitting .409 (9 for 22) when an injury sidelined him for the summer. If healthy he should be in the running for a starting slot in the outfield or, less likely, at 2nd base if Artigues were to move to the outfield. He could also be a DH if a position could be found for Matthews.

Johnson. Like Bedgood, Trent Johnson played only briefly this summer. In fact, he pitched in only one game and didn’t fare very well, allowing 7 hits, 3 walks, and 4 earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. I have no idea why he left after that one start but I hope he is ready for the fall and spring. He needs to be a solid weekend starter for us.

Sepcich. After going 3 for 27 at Tulane last season, David Sepcich had an even worse go of it this summer. He played sparingly, seldom starting, and went 2 for 34 (.059) for the summer. Although most of his appearances were as a defensive replacement, he also made 2 errors in 14 chances and only played in left field, probably the least challenging of the outfield positions. It’s hard to see him making much of a contribution next season.

Gozzo. Sal Gozzo played in the highly-competitive Cape Cod League this summer which is the only one, in my view, that can compare to the top ten or so Division 1 conference in College Baseball. After hitting .211 and .225 at Tulane the past two seasons, Gozzo didn’t fare any better this summer, hitting .200 (16 for 89) He made 6 errors in 89 chances (.939) which is in the ballpark of where he has been fielding at Tulane (.953 and .963). Although I and others question his range, his fielding average has been better than any Tulane shortstop since Middleton played in 2013. Still, his range is an issue. More important, if he can’t hit, it will leave an opening this fall for a freshman to replace him.

Hoese. Coming off a season in which he hit 5 HRs. and batted .291, Kody Hoese turned down a major league offer to return this coming season to Tulane. In the New England Collegiate League, a significant step down from the Cape Cod League, he made the All Star Team and hit .283 with 7 HR’s in 153 at bats. Of concern is the fact that since early July, when he was batting .333, he hit only .225 (16 for 71) with only 2 HR’s. Maybe, after a full season at Tulane and a crowded summer, he was tired, but we need him to hit .300+ with at least ten HR’s in the coming season.

Bates. Josh Bates continued to show great “stuff” and poor control this summer, which, for him, ended on July 11. Opponents hit .253 against him and his ERA was an unimpressive 5.12 in 19 1/3 innings. He walked 15 (7.00 per 9 innings) but struck out 27 (12.6 K’s/9 innings). Although some of his outings were better than others, he was wild (many walks) in every appearance. Not a good indicator.

Celluci. Brendan Celluci may have had the best summer of our players. Coming out of high school, he looked like a great prospect but his first season at Tulane was very disappointing (16.88 ERA in only seven appearances and 2 2/3 innings). But during the summer in the Cal Ripkin League, he made the All Star Team and had a 1.80 ERA during the league’s regular season, allowing opponents to hit only .169 against him. Sadly, his performance in the All Star game and League post season did not live up to those numbers. Including a brief post-season appearance in the Cape Cod League, his summer-long ERA rose to 3.38 and opponents’ batting average climbed to .248. Still, he may be ready to make a significant contribution next Spring.

Campbell. Like Celluci, Justin Campbell pitched in the Cal Ripkin League this summer. He pitched well in 8 of 10 appearances and posted a 3.00 ERA in 24 innings. Like his Tulane season, however, he was wild—17 walks (6.4 per 9 innings), though, he stuck out 29 (10.9 per 9 innings). Opponents hit only .167 against him, truly great. If he can come close to duplicating that success for the Wave next season, he’ll be a major contributor.

Pellerin. Conner Pellerin made the All Star team this summer in the West Coast League. He went 5-1 with an overall 3.21 ERA in 33.2 innings, but in truth pitched well in only six of his eleven appearances. He walked 18 (4.8/9 innings) but struck out 49 (13.1/9 innings), showing great stuff (opponents hit .200 against him). Like his Tulane season, he needs to show more consistency to be the major contributor we need.

Solesky. Chase Solesky made nine appearances in the New England Collegiate League this summer finishing with an ERA of 4.72 in 26 2/3 innings. He walked 9 (3.04/9 innings) and struck out 32 (10.8/9 innings) while being knocked around at a .306 clip. He actually pitched well in six of his nine games and his stats were greatly affected by a 5 inning appearance in which he allowed 9 hits and 7 earned runs. The good news is that, after that performance, he came back two weeks later in his last appearance of the summer to throw his best game in over two years. He went six innings, allowed five hits and no walks, struck out six, and allowed only one run. That has to give him and our fans some confidence. We’ll have to wait and see.

Gillies. I was surprised to see Keegan Gillies play this summer after a full year on the mound. He pitched three innings early allowing one run and then went six weeks or so before appearing again. In that outing, he only faced three batters, getting a one out and allowing a walk and a single. Not sure why he was taken out but his improvement between his freshman and sophomore years bodes well for his future.

Green. Ryan Green appeared in 11 games for the Wave this past season and walked 15 batters in 11 innings resulting in an 8.11 ERA. He only pitched seven innings this summer, walking five and fanning 12, which is a lot. His 5.14 ERA in those innings doesn’t suggest he’s ready to take on a major load next season.

Revere. I’m not exactly sure what the story was with Jake Revere this summer. A catcher, he didn’t play for Tulane as a freshman last season and I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t return (no inside knowledge). But he played this summer in the Houston Collegiate summer league where statistics don’t seem to be up to date. Although the league continued play until July 23, I could only find statistics through July 11, when Revere had played in only seven games hitting .278 (5 for 18) with two HR’s. I question the competition in that Houston-based league but Revere’s two HR’s suggest some power. As a catcher, opponents stole nine bases without being caught so, on the surface, that’s not good. Beyond that, I don’t know anything more about the kid.

All in all, some of our players who needed some more work got it this summer and, for the most part performed fairly well. We’ve got at least one outfielder, a couple of infielders, and a couple of catchers coming in this fall who I think can compete for playing time. I’m less confident about incoming pitchers where our greatest need lies. So, guys like Cellucci, Campbell, Bates, and Solesky need to contribute. We’ll know more in a month or so and a lot more next spring. Here’s hoping…

Roll Wave!!!

One of the many things I really like about Coach Fritz is his attention to detail, one of which is the recruiting of “walk-ons.” While scholarships are limited to 85, the NCAA also places limits on the number of total players (including walk-ons). Currently, the NCAA limits the number of players on the roster to 105 until the start of school or the first game, whichever occurs first. After that, there is no limit. This is how Nebraska, as an example, frequently has 140+ players on the roster during the season. For Tulane, we were at that 105 limit until Keon Howard signed on. I can only assume that an injured player has been temporarily taken off of the official roster to remain at the 105 limit; that’s legal. Regardless, since Brian Newman was awarded a scholarship, that means we have 25 walk-ons available for the next three weeks or so. After that, we could add more.

Some might recall that early last week Coach Fritz used the number 110 regarding our roster size. This suggests to me that we may have another five walk-ons expected. And, best I can tell, the vast majority of these kids were named to various all-conference, all-region, all-city, and even all-state teams in high school. Reviewing their hudl highlights, most look pretty good, if not of BCS quality, at least good enough make contributions on “Scout teams.” They are important bodies to a successful team.

Generally “walk-ons” are tough to come by at Tulane due to the cost of the school. In most years we’ve had 15 or fewer even after school starts. Is Coach Fritz and his staff helping potential walk-ons find scholarships? I’d guess so but have no evidence. Are we scouring the high schools for such kids? Again, it looks like it. We’re getting kids tweeting about their intent to walk on at Tulane several months before school. That takes planning and individual attention from our staff to make that happen. Retaining these walk-ons also requires effort and encouragement from Coach Fritz and the staff. It's important work and we seem to be doing it.

Roll Wave!!!

The morning started hot but cooled off due to cloud cover in the second hour as Tulane donned shoulder pads for the first time in preseason camp, so the team still has not experienced a typically stifling practice session at Yulman Stadium. As is normal, several players got dinged up in the first two practices and did not participate today--tight end Charles Jones, running back Ygenio Booker, defensive tackle De'Andre Williams, wide receiver Jacob Robertson and wide receiver Sorrell Brown, who was wearing a brace on his left knee. Safety Chase Kuerschen still has not practiced but is expected back soon.

I got there during the 7-on-7 work that takes place at the midpoint, and Dane Ledford was the first quarterback I saw. He completed a deep out to a diving Brian Newman on the sideline, and although I could not see for sure whether he was in bounds or not, it was a heck of an effort. On the next play, Rod Teamer stepped in front of a Ledford pass for an interception.

Daniels went in and hit Kevin LeDee over the middle before overthrowing a receiver badly. LeDee then got criticized by an assistant coach for "jogging on the over-route." Daniels threw too low for a receiver, hit Newman in the middle of the field on a nice throw, connected with tight end Will Wallace over the middle and had a pass batted down by linebacker Marvin Moody on a pass rush. Daniels is showing signs of improvement but still has to be much more consistent as a thrower to give himself a chance.

Banks went in and got picked by safety P.J. Hall on the sideline. As I wrote in the spring, Hall still has to prove himself in games, but he looks really good at strong safety, reading plays, breaking quickly and handling himself well when the ball is the air.

Banks then overthrew a receiver deep, hit Wallace in the flat and connected with Darnell Mooney on a bullet pass over the middle, with Mooney making a sharp cut to get to the end zone. A little later, Banks completed a pass to Newman, who had his best day of the week, and Newman juked safety Will Harper on his way to the end zone. Banks is not perfect out there, but he exudes confidence.

After the offense and defense spent some time in separate groups, the 11-on-11 drill started. On the first play, Banks looked for Jaetavian Toles deep. Toles ran under the ball and got a hand on it, but Hall knocked it away from him at the same instant. It was a good play all around that ended up incomplete.

Mooney, who had not done anything wrong while I watched in the first two days, short-armed a throw from Ledford that he could have caught on an out route. For the second consecutive day, walk-on freshman safety Grant Hamel had a pass breakup, and cornerback Thakarius Keyes undecut a receiver to pick off a Ledford throw. You won't get any argument here that Tulane needed a transfer quarterback. It is impossible to say how Ledford and Daniels will develop over the next year, but it also is impossible to say either one of them is a sure bet to be ready by 2019.

The practice ended abruptly at 9:52, about 10 minutes earlier than normal because Fritz had a bone to pick. Unhappy that players had left equipment out of place in the locker room, he ordered them to do 29 up-and-downs after the last water break, riding them hard for being sloppy with their stuff.

There were no significant changes on the depth chart on either side of the ball. I talked to Derrick Strozier, who was out to watch practice today, and he really likes freshman safety Macon Clark. Clark is wearing No. 37, which the roster has as Keyes' number, but Keyes has changed to 26. Strozier also can't get over how big and fast Cameron Carroll is. Carroll confirmed today Charlamange's post that he ran a 4.42 40 recently (Fritz said Devin Glenn had a team-best 4.31). Tulane's depth at running back is impressive, so it will be interesting to see how they manage the carries once the season starts.

Other quick hitters:

--Larry Bryant continued to practice in front of Tirise Barge at nickelback. Tomorrow I will ask about that competition.

--The freshman defensive linemen played together a lot today. Jeffery Johnson is an imposing presence in the middle, and Alfred Thomas is pushing for playing time as well. Carlos Hatcher was at left defensive end for the second unit.

--Quentin Brown got some second-team reps at linebacker.

--Fritz talks to the team through his microphone from start to finish now, alternating between encouragement and criticism.

--Terren Encalade has strong hands. He dropped a few passes last year but don't look for a repeat this season.

--The tight ends can be a factor in the pass offense, including Will Wallace, who took advantage of Jones' absence today with some nice plays. It's just a matter of how many opportunities they will get.

--As a whole, this is the most physically impressive Tulane team I've covered since I began for the last two years of the Toledo era. The Wave has some significant concerns defensively and is shy on depth at some spots, but the percentage of guys who do not look like they can help the team win has gotten significantly smaller under Fritz.

It was not as hot as expected for the first preseason practice of year No. 3 under Willie Fritz, with a cloud cover making conditions bearable on Wednesday morning. The Green Wave has a legitimate chance to break through this season, and the eyeball test on opening day was positive. This team looks much better than the last two years, primarily because it has a confident, comfortable quarterback for the first time but also because of bigger, stronger bodies across the board than in the past.

Tulane still has plenty of questions to answer, but the passing game is infinitely sharper than it was at this time in 2016 and 2017. Jonathan Banks was on target with his throws today and was making quick, good decisions. He should be helped by a new-look offensive line, too. As expected, South Alabama graduate transfer Noah Fisher lined up at first-team left tackle today, and although his body is not exactly sculpted, he looks quicker and more active than Tulane's tackles of recent vintage.

To accommodate Fisher, Keyshawn McLeod moved to right tackle, John Leglue moved to right guard and Dominique Briggs moved to left guard. The only guy in the same spot as at the end of the spring was center Corey Dublin. Obviously we will learn more about Fisher as preseason camp continues, but having a reliable guy at what normally is considered the most important person on the offensive line (protecting Banks' blind side) is a welcome feeling. Tulane also will not have to rely on redshirt freshman Cameron Jackel, whom the coaches like in the long term but probably is not ready to be a starter yet after getting plenty of reps with the first unit in the spring.

I don't expect any changes to the top unit in camp. Leglue always has preferred playing on the right side, so my guess that he would be moved to left guard in the depth chart I had to hastily produce for the Advocate last night was wrong. The coaches decided it made more sense to move Briggs to the right side. As for right tackle McLeod beat out Tyler Johnson in the spring, so it made sense to give McLeod the first opportunity at right tackle. I've never been sold on Leglue's performance at right tackle anyway, so moving him to guard makes sense, too.

The second-team offensive line was Joey Claybrook at left tackle, walk-on Ben Bratcher at left guard, Hunter Knighton at center, Jackel at right guard and Tyler Johnson at right tackle.

Just like Fisher, Freddy Canteen, the other grad transfer, stood out at wide receiver. He caught a long touchdown pass from Banks in traffic during 11-on-11 drills and also ran a smooth-looking slant, shielding his defender from the ball, on another reception. His speed was evident after a series of injuries sidetracked his career first at Michigan and then at Notre Dame. On day 1, he looked like a starter caliber receiver.

The biggest surprise on defense was Larry Bryant practicing with the first team at nickelback rather than Tirise Barge, who worked with the second team in the 11-on-11 work at the end of practice. (I arrived at 9, midway through the workout; the official rule allows media to watch only the last 30 minutes, but they are not strict about it). Barge, I thought, had emerged as the clear starter at nickel in the spring, so that competition bears watching. I did not even have Bryant as the backup nickel, although they mixed and matched a lot of guys there in the spring.

It also looks like I was wrong about Robert Kennedy playing end and Cameron Sample playing tackle, although that definitely is how they lined up for portions of the spring, including the spring game. Phil Steele had Sample outside and Kennedy inside in his depth chart, and that's how they lined up today, with Patrick Johnson at left end and De'Andre Williams at nose tackle. The second-team D had Jeffery Johnson at nose tackle, Davon Wright and Alfred Thomas flanking him and Peter Woullard at the other end.

The cornerbacks and safeties offered no surprises other than Jaylon Monroe waring jersey No. 9 instead of his listed 23. He and Donnie Lewis were the first-team cornerbacks when I first arrived, but Lewis went to the sideline and was replaced by Willie Langham for 11-on-11 drills. I expect they are trying to give the young guys extra reps because Lewis did not appear injured. Chris Joyce and Thakarius Keyes were the second-team corners in what promises to be the most wide open competition on the team for a starting spot.

The starting safeties, of course, were P.J. Hall and Rod Teamer. The backups were Taris Shenall and Sean Harper. I did not see Chase Kuerschen out there but probably missed him. I will check tomorrow.

The linebackers were the same as at the end of spring, with Lawrence Graham and Zach Harris starting and Marvin Moody and KJ Vault backing them up.

I did not take down much play-by-play from the 11-on-11 work because I was looking at personnel, but here are some other impressions from today:

--Darnell Mooney is going to have a huge year. He ended last season with a bang and will pick up where he left off.

--Jaetavian Toles and Jacob Robertson made some plays today. Tulane needs some of the backups to step up at receiver, and they may be able to do it. Another young receiver. D.J. Owens, was on the trainer's table when I arrived and did not practice, running short sprints on the sideline to test a leg injury.

--Christian Daniels was better today than at any time in the spring, when he looked like a deer in the headlights after arriving on campus as an early enrollee. His arm strength still needs to pick up, but he hit freshman running back Ygenio Booker with a nice floating long pass in the back of the end zone and threw a sharp pass to Toles on a slant. Dane Ledford is the No. 2 QB, but Daniels looks like he will compete with him in August after coming up short in March and April.

--New scholarship receiver Brian Newman did not have any official receptions when I was watching, but he showed his good hands on two plays, diving for a ball that hit the ground right before it arrived but holding on to it somehow. No completion, but impressive nonetheless. A little later, he snagged an option pitch from Ledford that was going behind him, another tough play.

--Ryan Wright is huge. He did not punt while I was there, but the dude looks every bit of his 6-3, 245-pound listing.

--Banks' arms are huge. He attributed it to hard work in the weight room. He wants to have a huge year really badly, both for himself and the team, and is leaving no stone unturned along the way. He is listed at 6-2, 230 after arriving about 15 pounds lighter in the spring of 2017.

--Tight end Kendall Ardoin had a bad drop of a short pass, stumbling after he missed it. That was the only blatant mistake by a receiver. Freshman running back Amare Jones fumbled an exchange with Ledford, but what really angered Fritz was the way multiple players dove for the ball, opening up the possibility of a leg injury. He is really concerned about avoiding injuries, and he told them to save that kind of dangerous effort for scrimmages.

--I've been around enough Fritz practices to know what he does not like. On one play, about four linemen went to the ground, and I commented to the people around me, "too many players on the ground," about two seconds before Fritz yelled the exact same words through his microphone.

--Stephon Huderson and Devin Glenn were very active at the end of practice, getting a series of carries in a run-heavy conclusion to the 11-on-11 work. Fritz disputes the notion that Tulane's running backs will not be as good as last year, saying he expects big things out of the top three returnees plus Glenn and freshman Cameron Carroll, whom he says looks like a senior at 6-0, 230.
He also praised the potential of Jones.

--Fritz was very animated today. Right after I got there, he was not happy with someone who got too close to a quarterback, screaming into his microphone, "stay away from the frickin' quarterback, Stay out of the throwing cylinder. Every frickin' time." Those were his exact words and not my attempt to clean it up. His excitement led to the inevitable question about whether he was coaching guys harder this year, a notion he always disagrees with because he says he coaches the same way all the time. I agree. That's one of his many strengths.

I will post quotes a little later. Fritz, Fisher, Canteen, Teamer and Banks all spoke after practice in front of about eight reporters, a first-day gaggle that usually thins out quickly.

The weather was downright pleasant Tuesday morning before light rain began falling in the last 10 minutes, with cloud cover and low humidity making it feel like May rather than early August at Yulman Stadium.

"It was perfect weather again until the rain right there at the end," Willie Fritz said. "I told our guys it's not going to be like this every day. The first two days were like we were from up north some place with the lack of humidity. I thought we did pretty good. Like I always tell the guys, you run all summer but game condition and practicing is different than running sprints and gassers or whatever you want to call it. We'll get there. We just need to keep pushing ourselves, and I'm glad we got this on on the front end instead of, my first year it was 100-percent humidity for the first two practices, and that's a bugger when it's like that."

A standout player once again was Notre Dame transfer wideout Freddy Canteen, who turned in the highlight of the day with a diving catch in the back corner of the end zone on a fade route early in the 11-on-11 work.Jonathan Banks' throw in the red zone appeared to be out of reach, but Canteen caught up to it and made the tough catch. He celebrated by jumping into the arms of a fellow receiver, and he continued making plays as the practice went on.

"He made a few good plays," Fritz said. "He's got some good instincts and savvy for the game. I saw one time he was kind of running down the field and the DB relaxed and didn't think that they were throwing the ball over to his side. I call it rope-a-dope, like Ali did when he fought George Foreman. Canteen put his hands out at the last second, and the DB had no clue what was going on. He's got some experience and knows the tricks of the trade a little bit."

Terren Encalade and Darnell Mooney were sharp again. On the first play of 11-on-11 situational work, with the ball placed at the offense's 3-yard line, Encalade caught a pass on a slant in traffic, juggling the ball when cornerback Willie Langham arrived at the same time but grabbing it for an 8-yard gain. Fritz went over to give him a pat on the back for that effort. Encalade then beat Jaylon Monroe on a short sideline route to pick up a first down on the next snap. Mooney caught a pop pass on the third play, which was designated third-and-7. and he just has that burst you want to see out of a good receiver.

Kevin LeDee, who flashed at times in the spring, had a good day. He caught a sideline pass from Banks and almost had another catch seconds later, but walk-on freshman safety Grant Hamel broke it up, drawing a huge cheer from the rest of the defense. There were several walk-ons playing by that point, but Hamel was the only one who made a play.

The rest of the 11-on-11 work was a little ragged, but this is just day 2 of preseason camp. Neither Christian Daniels nor Dane Ledford was as effective as they were on day 1 in their competition to be Banks' top backup. Daniels still is prone to a howler or two when he throws, including one sideline pass that came out wobbly and sailed well over the head of his intended target out of bounds. Ledford threw behind Mooney on a simple route and bailed out on some plays by running. Maybe that's called for, but it is hard to judge in non-contact drills.

Regardless, one of them will be an injury away from playing after Tulane's second-, third- and fourth-string quarterbacks left before spring drills.

"Both those two guys are doing a good job," Fritz said. "It's a good competition. When we start getting into the season, we're not going to be able to rep three guys like we're doing right now, so we have to do a good job of evaluating and they have to do a good job of showing us what they can do every day. We'll see what's happening."

A guy who needs to step up in the preseason is Jabril Clewis. He was OK last fall, but more was expected of the big former San Diego State player who transferred to Tulane from junior college. He finished with 16 catches for 174 yards and zero touchdowns despite starting seven times. He likely has lost his starting spot to Canteen, but with his size, he still can play a role for the Green Wave. The issue is getting separation. Banks tried to hit with a deep ball Thursday, but Langham was step-for-step with him and the pass was incomplete. On the next snap, which was designated third-and-8 from the offense's 16, Banks scrambled to his right and threw low to Clewis, who caught it for a first down. That's what the Wave needs from him--catches to keep drives going.

Nothing much changed on the depth chart today, although the safety spot was a little thin. Taris Shenall sat out with an injury after practicing Wednesday, and Chase Kuerschen, who also is dinged up, has not made an appearance yet. Fritz said he expected Kuerschen back later this week but did not specify what was ailing him.

In their absence, true freshman Larry Brooks practiced with the second unit at safety along with Sean Harper. The first team continued to have Larry Bryant at nickel, with Tirise Barge playing on the second unit. I will ask about that if it continues tomorrow.

The first-team defensive line is Cameron Sample, De'Andre Williams, Robert Kennedy and Patrick Johnson. Marvin Moody practiced with the first-team linebackers instead of Lawrence Graham, who worked with the second team. The first-team cornerbacks were Monroe and Langham, with Donnie Lewis sitting out, and the safeties were P.J. Hall and Rod Teamer.

The second-team D had Alfred Thomas and Davon Wright and Jeffery Johnson and probably Peter Woullard, although the number for the fourth guy is not on the roster. The linebackers were Graham and KJ Vault, and the corners were Thakarius Keyes, who now is wearing No. 26, and Chris Joyce.

There were no changes on the offensive line depth chart. I was impressed by Noah Fisher's initial movement again today. Too often in the past, Tulane's tackles were beaten on the first step, but he engages quickly. It is interesting that Ben Bratcher continues to get reps with the second unit at guard. The Wave is a little thin there, with Cameron Jackel the other backup guard.

The pecking order was the same at running back. Cameron Carroll, though, is a physical specimen, as Fritz indicated yesterday. You just don't see freshmen often who are built like him. He rushed 185 times for 1,370 yards as a senior at Northwest Rankin in Flowood, Miss., and I'm frankly surprised he did not get more touches after carrying it 249 times as a junior.

Fritz keeps yelling "get tired" from his microphone this week. He wants everyone to go full out, and he says if they aren't tired, they need to be giving more effort.

Fall camp is fast approaching and many questions need to be answered. Some won't be finalized until the first game or later but others may be known much sooner. Some of them:

1. Are there any unexpected absences? Are they short term, long term, or permanent?
2. Is Taris Shennall back?
3. Did the NCAA approve medical redshirts for Dane Ledford and K.J. Vault?
4. What’s the story on Freddy Canteen? Did the NCAA approve a sixth year and he has two remaining years of eligibility, or is this his final season?
5. Anyone hindered by injuries? How serious? Again, short term, long term or career ending?
6. Lots of competitions for jobs. Any insights as camp progresses?
a. Starting five on offense
b. Backup QB
c. 3rd, 4th, and 5th receiver
d. Starting running back or a committee?
e. Interior defensive line
f. Linebacker to go with Harris
g. Cornerback opposite Lewis
h. Punter
i. Kicker
j. Punt returner
k. Kick returner
7. Any freshmen other than interior defensive line looking to play significant minutes other than special teams?

As I noted above, these are just a few of the more obvious questions.

Roll Wave!!!

Just talked to Colby Orgeron (no relation to Ed Orgeron), the John Curtis DT who committed to Tulane yesterday and will play guard for the Green Wave.He says he is 6 4 3/4, 265 pounds and still growing.

Tulane signed four Curtis players under CJ in 2013 and had a fifth, Anthony Taylor, sign a track and field scholarship before converting to football in 2014. They had mixed success.

Sherman Badie redshirted and began his career with a 200-yard effort at Tulsa. Although he did not live up that type of promise, he played a significant role all four years.

Richard Allen was a tremendous student who played primarily on special teams in his first two years, started five games before getting hurt as a junior and started 10 games at nickelback as a senior, making 32 tackles but also getting beaten in coverage a bit.

Brandon Godfrey was a promising prospect who played only once in two years before transferring to Nicholls.

Eric Thomas was an inside linebacker who made 67 tackles as a junior and started 10 times, but he fell out of favor during Fritz first year after struggling against Wake Forest in the opener and virtually disappeared before making six tackles in his final career game against UConn.

Taylor was a reach who never developed, lasting either one or two years.

Since that anomalous 2013 class, Tulane had zero Curtis players, but that will change if Orgeron lives up to his commitment, and he sure sounds like he will.

Here was our conversation:

You attended Tulane's camp in June. What did you like best about Tulane at that camp.

"I loved how the coaching style was, to be honest. Just how coach (Alex) Atkins, the offensive line coach, and all of them worked with me, how nice they were about it. I've always played D-line, so they kind of took me in and they were like, hey, we're going to get you into this work. They were telling me possibly a chance of starting three to four years, and I was like, all right, if I work hard enough I can get this."

I guess you are OK with moving to the offensive side of the ball in college?

"To be honest, as a kid I always loved football. It didn't really matter where I played as long as I had an impact. It's like, dang, it's just the opposite side, so I'll still be able to knock some guys down and have some fun doing it."

You are already athletic and will be very athletic for an offensive lineman. Will that be one of your strengths at the college level?

"Oh yeah. Because if you see D-linemen nowadays, they are getting more athletic every single day. Playing O-line I will be athletic, and when I learn the plays, I'll be good."

MaxPreps has you with 47 tackles and three sacks last year. Is that close to accurate?

"MaxPreps, they do miss tackles and aren't accurate on some of their stats. I feel like had more than 50 tackles last year, probably around that."

When did Tulane first start recruiting you?

"My defensive line coach at Curtis told me, hey, I've been talking to Tulane about you and they are going to keep an eye on you, so they started inviting me to these camps over the summer. I was busy but I finally had a chance to attend the private camp with about 60 other guys and they liked what they saw, so they just offered me there. After that it all just went uphill."

Have you played any time on the offensive line?

"At Curtis I did a little bit my sophomore year because I was transitioning, so they were like, hey, let's see how you do. They gave me a couple of snaps at O-line and said I was pretty good. And then when I was at Shaw in my eighth grade year before I transferred to Curtis, I played offensive tackle."

Why did you transfer to Curtis?

"Winning. To be honest with you it was having that winning mentality. I love how coach JT (Curtis) coaches. I will say, while I was at Shaw, I was really close with Cameron Jackel. He used to be a mentor while I was at Shaw, so I can't wait to get back working with him."

Why did Tulane say you needed to be an offensive lineman?

"Because of my body length. You don't really see too many tall defensive tackles. You see mostly like stocky, short dudes, so they were like, hey, you're athletic, you're tall, you have the arm length, you have the power, so let's get you over on the offensive line and see what you can do."

Curtis has some unfinished business on the football field this year after not winning a state championship since 2013 and getting surprised by Baton Rouge Catholic when you reached the title game last season. How much are you looking forward to finishing the deal?

"Right after that game, I talked to a couple of the soon-to-be seniors, and we were like, yeah, this year we've got to do something. We have a lot of talent and then the guys behind us are stacked with talent. We want to overcome adversity and get back to winning more state championships like we used to."

How frustrating was that loss to Catholic?

"It was frustrating because you have to think, there were mistakes we made on defense and offense. If we had another chance, we would have killed them. We should have blown them out that game, but the small mistakes started adding up."

What can you do to prepare for Tulane in your senior year while playing a different position?

"I am going to be working with my offensive line coach at Curtis a little bit. He's going to show me a couple of things and give me a little bit of work, and then after my football season's over with I am going to start talking with coach Atkins and ask him any questions I have before I start working with him."

What other schools were recruiting you?

"I had SMU, ULL, Nicholls. I was invited to LSU camp, but I was so excited, I wasn't able to attend it. Rice University. That's it."

Tulane has not signed any Curtis players since 2013. Do you feel like you can start a new tradition?

"Oh yeah, I'm ready to start that back up. I'm trying to get some of my friends, like, hey, dude, Tulane's going to be something serious. And actually right now I'm trying to get in contact with some of the class that's being recruited by Tulane that's committed already, like the offensive linemen. I'm going to try to get in touch with them."

Tulane has not won much in the last 20 years but came within an inch of a bowl game last year. Do you feel like the program is about to really turn the corner?

"Oh yeah. We're going to turn it around. We've got these young guys ready to come in and work, and I'm ready to work. I'm ready to meet the old guys, the seniors, and meet the young guys. I feel like we can really be something dominant if we all work together and work hard."

He committed even quicker than I expected. His twitter profile lists him with a 3.8 GPA, and he made first-team All-State honors in Florida (as a utility player) in Class 6A, the third largest classification.

His speed on his Hudl highlights is impressive. No one ever caught him on any of them. He had at least two INT returns for scores, a punt return for a score, multiple TDs when he took a handoff after going in motion, multiple TDs as a wildcat QB and a ton of TD catches.

I am hearing that Navarre (Florida) WR Dante Wright may be committing to Tulane soon.

He is in the Rivals database but is unrated. He is small (5-9, 160) but fast. According to MaxPreps, which is not reliably accurate, he had 39 catches for more than 900 yards and 15 TDs last year.

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Good article . I’m going with the over.

The heads up I received two days ago proved accurate. Tulane has another player from John Curtis coming and the first in Willie Fritz' tenure.

He plays DT for Curtis but Tulane recruited him as an offensive tackle. He is up to 6-5, 265 pounds right now, and the staff loves his athleticism.

That makes five offensive linemen among the first seven commitments.

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I covered this stuff so much in the spring, I debated whether or not to write a preview, but repeated info is still better than no info.

Here's my position-by-position analysis a week ahead of the start of camp. Today covers the offense.

QUARTERBACK

Starter: Jonathan Banks
Backups: Dane Ledford, Christian Daniels

Banks did all the right things on the practice field in the spring, says all the right things in interviews and has the right attitude to be a star. Now it's a matter of putting it all together. The coaches have learned what he does best and what he does not do as well and will tailor the offense to his strengths this year. He has all the tools to succeed but needs to make better decisions. Regardless of what you think about his last-second run against SMU (just about everyone screams it was a touchdown),he made a bad decision to gamble he could score with a down in his pocket. That was a play to try to make on fourth down, not third.

It is hard to imagine Tulane winning without Banks. but Ledford and Daniels have to prepare as well as they can in August in case he gets hurt. Ledford had the edge in the spring, but Daniels' head was swimming as he tried to learn a college offense straight out of high school. He should be better equipped to challenge Ledford for the backup role in preseason practice.

Camp is going well if: Banks connects on the deep ball consistently. That's been a long-time problem at Tulane with multiple coaching staffs. but the Wave showed some good signs there in the spring. With the one-on-one coverage the experienced receivers will be getting due to the threat of the running game, the opportunities for huge downfield passes will be there. Banks needs to put the ball on the money. and he's capable of doing it.

Camp is going poorly if: Banks' passing is hit and miss. It was for the first two-thirds of 2017 before he settled down. To take the next step, which I believe he will, he needs to be accurate every day in practice.

RUNNING BACKS

Starter: Darius Bradwell or Corey Dauphine
Backups: Stephon Huderson, Devin Glenn
Newcomers: Ygenio Booker, Cameron Carroll, Amare Jones

It is really hard to judge running backs in modern no-contact practices. I liked what I saw from Bradwell. Dauphine and Huderson in the spring, but they were less impressive when the action went live in the spring game. Bradwell, who remains inexperienced after arriving as a quarterback, needs to have better pad level in traffic, but he possesses the desire and the raw ability to break through, combining power and speed. Dauphine is shifty with an excellent burst. Huderson has a good feel for finding holes. They still have to prove it in games, though. Predecessor Dontrell HIlliard was really good when healthy. I don't think the three freshmen will make a significant impact this year, but they will get a chance to prove me wrong at a position where freshman can play right away if they are good enough.

Camp is going well if: No one gets hurt and these guys continue to listen to coaching. Again, I'm not sure what to make of how they look in practice when tackling is not allowed. The proof will come in the opener against Wake Forest.

Camp is going poorly if: The backs miss assignments. Bradwell had 66 carries last year and three as a running back in 2016. Huderson had 17 carries last year. Dauphine carried twice at Texas Tech in 2016 and sat out 2017 as a transfer. To varying degrees, all of them are unproven.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Starters: Terren Encalade, Darnell Mooney, Jabril Clewis
Backups: Jacob Robertson, Kevin LeDee, Jaetavian Toles, D.J. Owens, Brian Newman
Newcomers: Freddy Canteen, Sorrell Brown, Jorrien Vallien

Given the way they finished 2017, Encalade (15 catches, 297 yards in the last two games) and Mooney (28 catches, 509 yards last six games) should be the best duo Tulane has had in a long time at the position. Clewis has the size and hands to be more productive than he was in his first year as a juco transfer, too. Depth is an issue, though. Although they had some moments, the rest of this group was unimpressive in the spring. Maybe Canteen, a big-time recruit when he signed with Michigan, will emerge as a playmaker after injury-plagued stints in Ann Arbor and at Notre Dame. He certainly has the speed to make an impact for a group that is not particularly fast overall.

Camp is going well if: Clewis plays well and a fourth and fifth receiver emerge. Clewis had zero catches in four games last year, including two of the last three, but will be counted on to step up this August. The drop-off from the starters to the backups was significant in the spring, so it would be nice to see Robertson (six catches in the last three games but for only 45 yards) look sharp.

Camp is going poorly if: Canteen gets hurt again, and the backups remain inconsistent. Encalade and Mooney are good enough to carry this group if they stay healthy, but there's always strength in numbers. Canteen's speed could be a difference-maker.

TIGHT ENDS

Starter: Charles Jones
Backups: Kendall Ardoin, Will Wallace
Newcomer: Tyrick James

Jones, although he has not always been consistent, is a playmaker. Willie Fritz' offenses never have used the tight end as a receiver much, but Fritz also coaches to the talent around him. With opponents worried about the triple option, Jones (13 catches in 2017) could be a nightmare to cover, particularly in the red zone. He also is a solid blocker. Ardoin, an excellent backup, is capable of making plays downfield, too. This should be a position of strength.

Camp is going well if: Jones pays attention to detail. The knock on him in the past was his tendency to coast after having good stretches, but Fritz's staff does not tolerate that type of play and appears to have coached that habit out of him. When the season starts, a confident Jones would be a weapon.

Camp is going poorly if: Jones' concentration wanders. He has to give the staff a reason to trust him before he is utilized as much as he could be with his skills.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Starters: LT Noah Fisher, LG TBD, C Corey Dublin, RG Dominique Briggs, RT John Leglue
Contenders: Keyshawn McLeod, Tyler Johnson, Cameron Jackel, Hunter Knighton
Other reserves: Joey Claybrook, Devon Johnson, Brian Webb
Newcomers: Fisher, Nik Hogan, Stephen Lewerenz, Michael Remondet, Jason Swann

I'm assuming Fisher, who started all 12 games at left tackle for South Alabama last year, will stay there even though Tulane's biggest need is at left guard. All but one of his 25 starts came at tackle the past two years (12 at right tackle in 2016 with one at right guard). If the coaches plug him in at left guard, it is easier to project the lineup, but their job is to put the best five guys on the field at the right spots rather than make my job easier. I am not sure what they would do at left guard if Fisher plays tackle--Fritz likes Jackel's potential as a starter, but not necessarily this year, and Jackel was the first-teamer in the spring. Can McLeod or Tyler Johnson, the top two left tackles in the spring, move inside? Dublin should be a fine center after starting at guard a year ago. Briggs and coaches' favorite Leglue appear set on the right side, but who knows? Although Alex Atkins is an outstanding coach, Tulane still needs better play up front overall.

Camp is going well if: Fisher is comfortable from day 1 wherever the coaches put him. He was a projected All-Sun Belt offensive lineman, and Tulane's line quite frankly needed a jolt of talent. If he is as good as advertised, it will be a huge boost.

Camp is going poorly if: the coaches have a hard time figuring out what lineup works best. Line play is about continuity and teamwork more than any other position, and the more reps these guys get at the same position, the better. That said, if the answer is not clear-cut, they will have to experiment with different combinations to find out.

He names his favorites and talks what is next.

CARRELL UPDATE

Here is the second part of my camp preview, focusing on the defense and special teams:

DEFENSIVE LINE

Starters: DE/OLB Patrick Johnson, DT Cameron Sample, NG De'Andre Williams, DE Robert Kennedy
Backups: DE/OLB Larry Bryant, DT Davon Wright, NG Jeffery Johnson, DE Peter Woullard
Reserves: Torri Singletary, Nick Kubiet
Newcomers: Carlos Hatcher, Juan Monjarres, Jamiran James, Alfred Thomas

Johnson, Sample and Kennedy are locks to start, but the competition at nose tackle will be fun to watch. Williams had the edge in the spring, but the coaches love Jeffery Johnson's work ethic and upside. Don't discount Davon Wright, another early-enrolling freshman who was a beast in the weight room this summer. Tulane has to be better against the run after allowing 5.3 yards per carry last season AND losing its best run-stuffer in Sean Wilson. Cameron Sample will be significantly improved after a promising freshman season, and Kennedy is back to full health after giving his all on a gimpy knee when he returned from major knee surgery midway through 2017. Freshmen Jamiran James and Alfred Thomas are highly thought of, too, but they come in behind the others since they did not participate in spring practice. The bodies are there. Now it's about development.

Camp is going well if: Sample, Kennedy and Johnson play as expected. The coaches believe Sample will be an All-Conference lineman at some point in his career. Johnson, too, gained valuable experience as a true freshman, and Kennedy is both strong and crafty when at full strength.

Camp is going poorly if: The nose guards are not ready. Johnson looked very raw in the spring but was impressive in the spring game. Is he ready to start at such a pivotal position? Williams has not proven himself at this level, either. With all of the talented young guys, the future is bright, but the present is murkier.

LINEBACKERS

Starters: Zach Harris and Lawrence Graham or Marvin Moody
Backups: K.J. Vault, Bryant
Newcomers: Keitha Jones, La'Dedric Jackson

Despite losing leading tackler Rae Juan Marbley, Tulane is in good shape here. Harris, who finally remained mostly healthy last season, should improve on the 69 tackles he made. Graham, a coaches' favorite, ended spring on top of the depth chart after a consistently solid performance, but the talented Moody will push him, with all three guys getting significant playing time in the Wave's two-linebacker sets. It is not as clear cut after that. K.J. Vault is fast but did not make a big impact in the spring, while Bryant, who has yet to find his niche, was double-trained at inside linebacker and edge pass rusher.

Camp is going well if: Graham and Moody take turns in starring roles. The competition between them should be fun to watch. They have very different body types but both can run to the ball.

Camp is going poorly if: Harris gets hurt. He has been beset by nagging injuries throughout his career, and if he misses more time in preseason drills, it would be a setback. He appears ready to take over as a team leader.

CORNERBACKS/NICKELBACK

Starters: CBs Donnie Lewis and Jaylon Monroe, NB Tirise Barge
Backups: CBs Thakarius Keyes, Willie Langham and Chris Joyce, NB Will Harper
Newcomer: Larry Brooks

Along with nose tackle, the competition at the cornerback spot opposite Lewis will be the most important in camp. None of the candidates proved ready for the job in the spring, with each having good and bad moments. Monroe lined up with the first team for almost every practice, so he enters with an advantage, but the position will be won in August. Keyes made two tackles last year and Monroe made one. Langham was redshirted, and Joyce missed most of spring drills with an injury after enrolling early. Barge, by the way, may give Tulane a dynamic it has lacked since it had Jordan Batiste in 2013--a cover guy who can reach the quarterback on blitzes.

Camp is going well if: One of the young corners is consistent. The other starting corner, Lewis, has plenty to prove, too, but not in practice, where he already excels. The coaches believe he has the potential to be an All-Conference performer although he has not played like it yet. Regardless, he will not get much thrown his way unless someone emerges on the other side.

Camp is going poorly if: The quarterbacks pick on Monroe, Keyes and whoever lines up in their spot with regularity. So much of cornerback play is about confidence, so it would be a bad sign if they get beaten routinely in practice.

SAFETIES

Starters: FS Rod Teamer, SS P.J. Hall
Backups: Chase Kuerschen, Taris Shenall, Sean Harper, Quentin Brown
Newcomers: Dorian Camel, Macon Clark

Tulane appeared to hit on the right combination in the spring, moving Teamer from strong to free safety and inserting Hall as the starting strong safety. The proof will come once the season starts, but both of them played well in their new roles. The Wave has quality backups, too. Kuerschen's speed was exposed when he started at free safety a year ago, but he still made 60 tackles, the third highest total on the team, and has good instincts. He should provide quality downs after a failed experiment at linebacker in the spring. Shenall has started nine times in his career.

Camp is going well if: Teamer and Hall continue to make plays. Teamer played through injuries that limited his effectiveness a year ago, finishing with 48 tackles but struggling in coverage at times, including SMUs game-winning touchdown. He is more suited to free safety, where he can see the entire field and use his big hitting to good effect. Hall, a former cornerback, is better in coverage, although he still needs to translate his practice ability into games.

Camp is going poorly if: Someone gets hurt. It is hard to imagine anything going wrong in the preseason barring an injury.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Starters: PK Merek Glover, punter Ryan Wright or Zach Block, LS Geron Eatherly
Backups: Coby Neenan, Randy Harvey
Newcomer: Wright

All eyes will be on the competition between Wright and Block. The coaches probably hope Wright wins the job because Block has been mediocre for three seasons without getting better, but they will go with whoever performs better. Fritz said this spring that punting is the easiest position to judge, so the coaches will chart Block's and Wright's punts and make a decision. Glover will be interesting to watch, too. Fritz is high on him, pointing out he had never put on pads in his life before he played at Oklahoma last year, missed only one field goal and can be very effective from 40 yards and in. Randy Harvey likely will be his only competition with Neenan, who suffered a strong case of the yips, listed as a punter now.

Camp is going well if: Either Wright or Block punts well, and Glover makes field goals. It's that simple. Tulane does not have enough margin for error to survive without better kicking than it has received in the last two years.

Camp is going poorly if: Glover misses routine kicks. An inaccurate kicker saps the confidence from the entire team.

There is no such thing as a do-or-die opener, but I really believe the Wake Forest outcome will determine whether Tulane can have a breakthrough season.

It's important for so many reasons.

First, Tulane needs to wipe the bad taste out of it mouth from the the heartbreaking, infuriating way last year ended at SMU. The players used that loss as motivation in the offseason, but they need for something good to happen to validate all their hard work.

Second, it's time for Tulane to beat a Power Five school. The losing streak is at 11 since the Wave beat Rutgers in 2010, with consecutive defeats to Duke, Syracuse, Rutgers, Ole Miss, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Duke, Rutgers, Duke, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma. Wake Forest is solid but vulnerable, having suspended projected starting quarterback Kendal Hinton for the first three games.

Third, it is time for Willie Fritz to beat a P5 opponent. He's never done it while operating at FCS Sam Houston State, Georgia Southern and Tulane, although he came awfully close against North Carolina State. Georgia and Georgia Tech at Georgia Southern and Wake Forest on the road in his first game with Tulane. After that frankly ugly 7-3 loss, he said he had been brought to New Orleans to win games like that. Two years down the road, with a significantly better team, would be a good time to start.

Fourth, what appears on paper to be a slightly tougher schedule than last year would make the path to success tough with an opening loss. Ohio State is a certain defeat. UAB on the road is not an automatic victory. The West is the better division in the AAC, and Tulane does not play bottom feeder UConn out of the East. A 2-0 start--yes, I discount Nicholls even though the Colonels are good for a FCS team--would give the Wave the momentum it needs to take on the rest of the schedule.

If Jonathan Banks stays healthy, I see big things in store for Tulane this year, but the margin for error remains small. Beating Wake Forest would set the right tone and give this team the positive mojo it has not seen since its 6-1 start in 2013.

It's football time in Nawlinz!!!

So excited!

This is what Mainieri said today in a news conference introducing LSU's signing class. but he was just covering for his AD Alleva. This was an AD-driven decision at both schools.

I have to ask about the Tulane series. You guys are not going to play this upcoming season. Were you disappointed by that, and were there plans to play? What is your perspective on it going forth, trying to play in the Pontiff Classic in 2020 and can it be renewed to what it was?

"I know any time there's change, it's going to create a lot of attention. I know when Skip (Bertman) pulled out of the Winn Dixie (Showdown, an annual event pitting Tulane, LSU and UNO against three teams from another state in the Superdome), that probably created a lot of trepidation with people. I'm sure when the Tulane-LSU football series stopped. it did as well.

"When I got here 12 years ago, one of the biggest challenges that I had was developing a scheduling philosophy. And one of the things that Skip told me, at that time he was the athletic director who hired me, was that he thought it was important we take our team around the state as quote, unquote the flagship university, a baseball program that had accomplished an awful lot in its history. It was good to go to different cities and take our team, and I've tried to do that. In fact this year we're going back to Natchitoches again. We've gone to Lake Charles and Thibodaux and Hammond and everywhere else in the state, so what I did was I came up with an agreement with all of the schools that if they come and play us every year, see we only have 14 midweek days. It's not like the where you could just play anybody as often as you want to do and wherever you want to, so you only have 14 midweek dates. And so trying to make it work, I presented to all the schools, all the coaches, that if they came and play us Baton Rouge every year, that every fifth or so year I would bring the LSU Tigers to their place, and in the meantime we would pay them a guarantee so it would be a non-budget item for them, and they didn't have to pay us, and then every fifth year they could charge whatever they wanted, they could make as much money, promote it any way they could and give them a little bit of an opportunity to generate revenue.

"So when it came down to UNO and Tulane, it was a little bit more complicated for me. First of all, UNO was the school that I had played at my junior and senior years, and I decided to do a home-and-away with them as a way to thank them for what they did for me in my life. And it was also right after Katrina, so I decided to have the home and away continue with Tulane to try to help them and rebuild their program and in the city of New Orleans and so forth.

"After the years have gone by, I've ended the home and away with UNO and after 12 years I just feel like it's time for me to treat Tulane the way I treat everybody else in this state, that if they want to play us here every year that we'll come and play them there every fifth year, so as you might imagine, I hear from the other schools all the time like how come you treat Tulane different than you treat us. I just kind of felt that maybe it had run its course, that home-and-away rivalry. I still want to play them, and in fact if they wanted to play us here next year they'd still be on the schedule. But they chose not to join the rotation, quote-unquote, like everybody else in the state. So that's their prerogative, and I understand that, so I did offer them the opportunity to take over as our opponent in the Wally Pontiff, Jr. Memorial Game, not for 2019 because we already had UL locked in for that year, but beginning in 2020 and it's my hope that every year thereafter, we'll play Tulane in New Orleans at the Shrine on Airline in the Wally Pontiff, Jr. Memorial Game.

"And so we'll continue to play them. We'll have a one-year hiatus and then we'll continue to play them, but it won't be here and it won't be at their place. It will be at a neutral site, and hopefully we'll have an enormous crowd to generate revenue for a really good cause."