Our biggest win in decades should have given us momentum moving forward but instead we have seen a complete implosion.

Hunter has had his chance and just hasn't gotten the job done. That is part of the business and we should move on. He guaranteed a NCAA bid in year one and here we are in year 5 and we haven't sniffed the post season and are moving backward.

With the small roster size basketball should be the easiest sport to turn around and yet we have been wandering in the desert for 29 years. It is hard to believe.

I requested interviews with both coordinators before the start of spring ball, but I know nothing will happen this week. They plan to set up interviews with some of the transfer players for all media some time next week, but I have not gotten word on one-and-ones with the coaches yet.

Anyway, a few weeks after my pre-spring look at the offense, here's one on the defense. Sumrall said the scheme would not change from last year because Shiel Wood ran the Troy defense at Tulane. There definitely are some question marks in the back end.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

No issues here. Patrick Jenkins is outstanding at DT and Hicks is solid at NT. The most interesting thing to watch will be how Friloux looks, who has been injured a lot the past two years and did not look 100 percent early last year coming off the ACL tear in August of 2022 even before he got hurt again. A healthy Friloux would give the Wave a heck of a 1-2 punch at NT. Kam Hamilton looked like he was going to have a big year last season early but was not as much of a factor in the second half of the season. I still believe he can be a big-time player, although he may have an adjustment as a hearing impaired guy when the coaches he was close to are all gone. There's your two-deep depth chart. Elijah Champaigne played in 12 games and made one tackle. Parker Peterson played in four games with one tackle. Maxie Baudoin did not play.

DT:

1) Patrick Jenkins
2) Kam Hamilton

NT

1) Eric Hicks
2) Adonis Friloux (subject to change if Friloux is back to full strength)

DEFENSIVE END/OUTSIDE LINEBACKER

On paper, this is the weakest spot on the team, which is why Sumrall wants another rush end. Keith Cooper transferred to Houston. Devean Deal transferred to TCU. Darius Hodges declared for the draft, leaving a group of Angelo Anderson, who has been a disappointment after being a heralded recruit from John Curtis, talented but unproven as an every-down player Matthew Fobbs-White, Troy transfer and New Orleans native Deshaun Batiste along with three guys who have played sparingly if at all in Michael Lunz (one tackle), Jah'rie Garner and Gerrod Henderson, who was still on the scout team defense during bowl practices. Even in the best-case scenario--Anderson living up to his high school ratings, Fobbs-White developing into the pass-rushing menace he showed signs of being and Batiste living up to Sumrall's belief in him--the Wave needs an impact transfer here. In the worst-case scenario, this group could be a liability. Spring will be very important for their development.

DE:

1) Angelo Anderson
2) Michael Lunz

OLB/rush end

1) Deshaun Batiste
1A) Matthew Fobbs-White

INSIDE LINEBACKER

Jesus Machado, a surefire starter next fall, will miss all of the spring as he recovers from a knee surgery he had after getting hurt early in the Military Bowl. Corey Platt transferred to Houston. Jared Small entered the portal, although I don't think he has any eligibility left and will need to win an appeal to be able to play anywhere. That leaves Tyler Grubbs and and some young guys the coaches were high on even though they could not get much time on the field. Mandel Eugene, who made five tackles, seemed to be the one they trusted the most, but Fritz believed Dickson Agu, Makai Williams and Jean Claude Joseph also would develop into quality starters down the road. I did not hear as much about Taylor Love, who has been invisible to this point in his career. Troy transfer Chris Rodgers will be in the mix, too. The spring will be their first chance to make a real move.

Starters in the spring: Tyler Grubbs and Mandel Eugene
Top backups: Makai Williams, Dickson Agu, Jean Claude Joseph and Chris Rodgers

NICKELBACK

The terminology for this position is Spear. I hate the cutesy terms for positions teams use, but that's neither here nor there. Kam Pedescleaux had an outstanding year but ran out of eligibility. so this spot will be wide open. I'm not sure who the coaches will try, but my guess is Shi'Keem Laister will be the first-team guy at the start of spring. Troy import Caleb Ransaw, who started five games in 2022 but did not play quite as much last year, is another possibility. We'll have to wait until spring starts to get a good read on this spot. Maybe true freshman Jayden Lewis, a top-rated recruit who will participate in the spring, will play there.

1) Shi'Keem Laister
2) Kaleb Ransaw

CORNERBACK

With Jarius Monroe, Lance Robinson and A.J. Hampton gone, Jayden Lewis, if he is as good as his rating, could be first team almost immediately if he is used at cornerback. Transfers will be in the picture, too. I honestly do not know where holdovers Jahiem Johnson, Jai Eugene Jr. and Rayshawn Pleasant fit in right now. I'm not even sure which of the newcomers will be safeties and which one will be cornerbacks, so I'm flying blind with DK McGruder, a JUCO signee, and Lu Tillery, who was a former walk-on at ULM who earned a scholarship there.

Starters: Jayden Lewis and Rayshawn Pleasant
Backups: No idea.

SAFETY

Bailey Despanie had a solid year at one safety spot, while Tulane needs a replacement for DJ Douglas, who transferred to Florida. The candidates in the spring will be second-year players Kevin Adams and Joshua Moore, both of whom Fritz liked, Kentucky transfer Jalen Geiger, a career backup who had his best year when he was coached by Sumrall, and Troy transfer Jack Tchienchou. I was skeptical about Tulane's safety play at this time last year and Despanie and Douglas exceeded my expectations considerably. If one of the other candidates emerges as a a productive player, the Wave will be OK here because starting safeties pretty much play every down on defense. The competition should be close.

Starters: Bailey Despanie and Kevin Adams
Backups: Joshua Moore, Jalen Geiger, Jack Tchienchou.

Solid win last night. Jackson Linn looks like he can be a major factor this year, which is a huge benefit. The pitching was pretty good. The defense was decent. And I got to see the first straight steal of home by Tulane maybe ever. Todd Graffagnini contacted Rick Jones and Jones could not recall one under his watch. I know there had not been any since then. Connor Rasmussen is the type of player Tulane has not had under my watch (2011 and on)--a hyper competitive, fast athlete with good bat skills. He would not have been in position to steal home without taking two bases instead of one on an errant pickoff throw. Whether or not he can consistently hit top level pitching remains to be seen, but the early signs are good and his competitiveness will rub off on his teammates.

The next step is putting the hammer to a bad team in Yale this weekend, something this team has not come close to doing under Uhlman. Yale got outscored 20-8 in its opening series at North Florida and was picked fifth in the Ivy League.

I talked to Rasmussen, Jackson Linn and Uhlman last night.

RASMUSSEN

On stealing home:

"Honestly we didn't really look into it pre-game, but I got to third base and saw that he was in his windup and saw the first couple of pitches and realized he was pretty slow to the plate. We were actually going to go with a fake steal just to see what he did, and he didn't look at me and I heard Jay yelling, 'yeah, yeah, yeah', so I just went and it worked out."

On getting to third on errant pickoff throw:

"Just trusting Jay what he was telling me. We like to be aggressive on the basepaths. We have a goal of leading the country in going from first to third and we had an opportunity there to take it. We did."

On bouncing back from UC Irvine sweep:

"It was huge. We had a lot of confidence coming off the weekend. I know we lost three games at home, which you never want to do, but we felt we beat ourselves those games, and we know if we minimize those mistakes that we're going to win a lot of games and we came out here and played our brand of baseball today."

On if had stolen home before:

"I believe that was the second time (did it in high school). I believe it was the same situation except I think it was off a lefty (in high school) so he couldn't see me going."

On significance of beating UNO:

"Definitely. We talked about it before the game, about how they took the Pelican Cup from us last year and that's something we want to have. We talked about that before the season started. We wanted to bring that back over to this side of town."

LINN

On what is working:

"I think keeping it more simple than I have been in the past. I haven't really gotten to my brand of baseball in a long time, so I kind of got back to that just staying through the ball, swinging at the right pitches. That's what makes a good player is if you can swing at the right pitches and take the ones that you're not going to be able to do damage with. That's what I've been doing. I've been trying for a long time to get to the mental place where that's kind of where I'm at, and finally I'm getting there."

On feeling 100 percent:

"I've had a long road. At the very end of my freshman year I got the bad news that I tore my UCL and it was going to be a long road. It was kind of more extensive than most UCL surgeries, so I've just been working really hard in the training room and working really hard to get through the fact that my body wasn't 100 percent and I'm taking better at-bats than I did last year."

On waiting a few games to get in starting lineup:

"I got that hungry desire to get back on the field. I really hadn't had that sense of peak desire to go out there and compete for a little while, and like I said, I've been getting back to my brand of baseball. It's been fun. I'm glad we won. It's a big game to win to get the momentum going in our favor, so I'm happy that we pulled it out at the end."

On doubts:

"Yeah. There were definitely points where I felt, I don't want to say sorry for myself, but I was feeling down at times, especially when I was struggling and I felt like there was an expectation for me to succeed. That was a challenging time for me, but last year's in the past. As a team we're doing a good job flipping the page and we're playing different this year."

On difference this year:

"With the transfer portal you can flip the team over. I think we've done a really good job with the guys that we got. There was a lot of development this fall, more than last year, where we got better. We made changes and we're in a place right now where I think we're going to start rolling."

On Rasmussen stealing home:

"That's a first for me being in the box. I saw him coming nonstop and I was like oh, man, he's coming."

On significance of Pelican Cup:

"We hated giving that up to them last year. We've got a vengeance on our mind. We took the first step and hopefully we can sweep this thing. That's our goal."

UHLMAN

on Rasmussen stealing home:

"We originally called it as fake steal knowing that he was slow to the plate. He started down the line and just my instincts I said, go, go, go, go, go and he went and we got lucky the guy threw a breaking ball in the dirt and he was safe. Those are really electric plays. A steal of home, you don't see it, so when it happens it's pretty cool."

On spark the play provided:

"I'd love to say I had some premonition, but I didn't. It was a good, unique way to start a game that way and get on top early, and then we extended the lead four times. We had a lot of shutdown innings. We punched back when they scored, so just a lot of team-oriented goals that happened during the game that led to what I think was a total team victory."

On waiting to start Linn until last Sunday:

"We all suffered and hurt for him what he went through last year, and then to delay, for him to trust the plan. I talked to him early and just said, look, I don't want to put you in a position to fail. I want to put you in a position to succeed and I'm going to kind of ease you into this. The first hit was a double and he got some confidence. He's been working really hard, so for him to have this kind of game--two absolute blasts and an unbelievable walk in the last inning, and he made a great play in left-center at a critical time in the game. Just really more than anything satisfied and happy that he had that type of game and is feeling good about himself."

On doubts about recovery:

"There were some doubts that he would ever play again. They had diagnosed a certain thing that nobody really knew about, so it kind of confused doctors for a little bit. They had a plan in treatment. He went through it all and I was fearful for the kid that he may never be able to do what he can really do. I'm just really happy for him more than anything."

On team seeing the ball:

"You can make some complaints about swinging at some bad pitches that were out of character, but for the most part situationally we hit and could have had another home run ball with Rasmussen's one at the fence, and he made a great slide on the push bunt at home. Just really proud of their effort tonight, especially coming off a rough weekend where we didn't get what we wanted."

On winning first game of Pelican Cup:

"They got it back last year. We had it the year before, and we want to make sure we keep that cup. That's an important piece, but you can't get that back until you get that second win. It's a series. I have tremendous respect for coach (Blake) Dean and their program and what they do. They are a tough club. It's always fun to play them win, lose or draw. It's a unique rivalry that I really appreciate."

On Henry Shuffler (ULM transfer) getting save and not having allowed a run in five appearances:

"I just like that he works low in the zone and throws most of his pitches down there in the zone. Actually he was elevated (tonight). I'm not sure if we were calling those elevated, but he just pounds the bottom of the zone. He's been better than advertised for me. I'm really pleased. We saw glimpses of it in the fall, but I'm really pleased with how he's transitioned from the fall to when the lights come on. And Blaise, too. Blaise was tremendous. He struggled in the fall. Coach Izzio and coach Niemann were tinkering with him, so he wasn't clean in the fall, so for him to come out and do what he's been doing is great, and I told the guys between Fladda, Blaise and Henry, to save our bullpen which was taxed this weekend was a huge thing for us."

Mario Williams and Ty Thompson met with reporters for the first time yesterday. I did not know who he was at the time, but Williams held the door open for me at the Reily Center when I was about 40 feet away and politely said hi. Then we proceeded to walk through the second door toward the interview room next to the Yulman Stadium field when I realized who he was.

Williams was not particularly open in his interview, but Thompson was. They spoke separately.

WILLIAMS

On how he ended up at Tulane:

"It was really just I felt the best decision for me coming from USC, with Lincoln Riley coming from Oklahoma to go to USC. Now I'm here. I just think it was the best decision for me and my family--closer to home."

On if Sumrall reached out to him:

"I knew (offensive analyst and recruiter) Collin (D'Angelo) before. He recruited me in high school, so once I entered the portal, we already had the relationship. The relationship was still there."

On Tulane's upswing the last two years being a factor:

"It was huge. They handled their business in the Cotton Bowl. That was a great team win for them. I was on the other side and it was not so fun, but it was a big decision coming here. They are on the rise. I'mjust trying to help them get to where they are trying to be."

On memories of Cotton Bowl:

"About the game and stuff, I honestly don't care. That's a moment out there. It was a great moment. It didn't turn out how I wanted, but you live to fight another day. Days go on. You can't live off that one game. That's all I've got to say about that."

On his game:

"Go-getter. I'm just willing to do whatever I need to do in order to be successful, and to help the team. I'm just that person that's got that green light. I'm always ready."

On Ty Thompson as factor in him coming to Tulane:

"We have to come here and do what we need to do, work every day. Ty is a great player. He's build around other great quarterbacks that are here. There are other great players on the team, but hey, Ty came here to do his job, I came here to do my job to help the team win and get to the playoffs. That's what we're here for."

On if he knew Thompson before this:

"No. I'd heard of him, though."

On ultimate factor in choosing Tulane:

"Really just building a relationship with the coaching staff. That's huge. That's one thing if I could go back and fix in college, it's just building that trust and that relationship with my coaches and actually understanding them and knowing them as people outside of just coaches being someone that's just telling you to do something. Just bettering that relationship with coach (Joe) Craddock and coach Sumrall and coach Carter (Sheridan), really all the coaching staff."

On conversations with Sumrall:

"It was just making sure that the plan that we set going out there and showing it every day, like no days off."

On if anyone asked him why he chose Tulane when it is not a Power Five school:

"Nah, man. At the end of the day it's my decision. I'm not really worried about what other people think. I'm just here to help the team win and do what I need to do in order to be successful and help my family."

On if anyone asked him about muffed kickoff in Cotton Bowl:

"No, I don't pay attention to stuff like that. That game is over with right now."

On why his numbers went down at USC this past year:

"That's a USC thing. I'm at Tulane now. We are here now. It's on to the next. Shout out to them boys, though. I still have some boys over there."

On not playing for Lincoln Riley:

"I'm coming into a great scheme here with coach Craddock. Coach Riley is a good coach and a great offensive analyst, whatever you want to call him, mind. He's a great coach. I just think coach Craddock, when I made my decision I build that relationship and I was able to see what he has to show his offense. I really like what he does with his receivers and the whole offense."

On his goals at Tulane:

"Win. That's it."

On how hungry he is to show his ability and provide for his family:

"That will never go away. I've always been that type of person to make sure the people that take care of me, I take care of them, so anywhere I can, I am going to keep fighting and keep going."

A litmus test:


If you don't have a spot in the Rosen Lot you can call Tulane and get a spot in the Diboll lot for Saturday's game for $8. Tulane is hosting the HBCU Legacy Bowl game which starts at 3:00 so parking will be tight.

It’s only one game, but, prior to last year when we were shut out by Cal Irvine, 3-0:
…the last time we lost our opening game was to Sam Houston State in 2011, 3-2.
…the last time we were shut out in our first game was in 1990 to Rice, 1-0.
…the last time we were beaten by 9 or more runs for our first game was in 1982 to LSU, 13-3.
…the only time we were shutout out by 9 or more runs to start the season was in 1916 to a team described in the media guide as N.O. Press, 11-0.

The good news:
We have two more games to win the series against Northwestern before they realize they are playing outdoors instead of practicing in the gym.
We have 55 more regular season games to “turn things around.”
Regardless of the regular season, we can always win the conference tournament to “save” the season.
But, most important, our Athletic Director, David Harris, has plenty of time to search for a new coach.

Roll Wave!!!

I don't think anyone who watched the baseball team last year is optimistic going into this season, but as Chris Berman used to say, that's why they play the games. Quick fixes are possible in college baseball where the roster turnover can be dramatic from year to year, but Tulane will need a bunch of pitchers (mostly transfers) with unproven ability to come through to give this team even a chance to be successful.

Unless things have changed in the last two days, the starting rotation against Northwestern will be UCLA transfer Jake Saum on Friday, Chandler Welch on Saturday and McClennan CC transfer Will Clements on Sunday. Saum is making the ultimate adjustment from lefty matchup pitcher at UCLA last season (22 appearances, 11 innings pitched) to opening-night starter.

Welch has a new repertoire, having discarded the four-seam fastball that Jay Uhlman described recently as asking to be hit for a mix of cutter, slider and sinker he trusts.

Clements apparently has nasty stuff but has not proven he can harness it.

The closer role is still to be determined. Uhlman's favorite guy out of the bullpen, UCSB transfer Carter Benbrook, likely will have a longer role at the beginning, going in in the first high-leverage situation. The closer will probably come from the group of LSU Eunice transfer Jacob Moore, Billy Price and 6-8 fire-baller Trey Cehajic, another McClennan CC product, with Benbrook ready if none of those guys can do the job. Uhlman also likes Loyola Marymount transfer Logan Hurd, the brother of LSU pitcher Thatcher Hurd, but his track record is thin, and he believes Jonas Wachter will be better than a year ago. Michael Lombardi, an every-day starter at third base, will have a role, too.

This is the likely lineup:

Catcher: 'Colin Tuft, a Virginia transfer who started in left field in the CWS last year.

First base: Brady Marget

Second base: ECU transfer Conner Rasmussen, who had 18 at-bats as a freshman with the Pirates

Shortstop: Marcus Cline, a Milwaukee transfer who hit .233 with 14 doubles as a full-time starter last year with Milwaukee

Third base: Michael Lombardi

Left field: Gavin Schulz or Jackson Linn

Center field: Teo Banks

Right field: Gavin Schulz or Brock Slaton, a Delgado transfer

Designated hitter: Linn or Schulz or Bowling Green transfer Nathan Rose, who hit .260 with 17 doubles and six home runs at Bowling Green last year.

I have heard no mention of Adam Ebling, the highly rated recruit from Banks' class who is still on the team but has yet to make an impact. Schulz definitely will not play shortstop this year unless Cline fails. Schulz, who was voted co-captain along with Banks and Billy Price, is ticketed for the outfield.

Linn is back to the physical ability he had as a freshman before trying to play with one arm last year following a torn UCL. The next step is becoming confident mentally. Even when he hit .350 or so as a freshman, he chased a lot of bad off speed pitches and can be fragile at times. If he gets off to a good start, it would be a tremendous, needed boost for the entire team.

Sumrall gave an opening statement and then addressed questions in a session that lasted 30 minutes this morning. Tulane added OL Reese Baker from Madison Academy in Alabama and former Colorado WR commitment Zycarl Lewis from Venice High in Florida, helping the class rocket to No. 67 nationally from 88. Jayden Lewis, the CB from Anniston High in Alabama, already had enrolled in January and will participate in spring drills.

The three transfers who had been listed on the official roster are in the fold, too--Terez Traynor, Micah Robinson and Kionte Curry.

I am skipping Sumrall's preamble when he thanked recruiting coordinator Cole Heard, Courtney Luquet, who handled recruiting operations during the transition from the last staff to his, including giving him notes to make sure he knew who the recruits on visits were he was face-timing with when he was still at Troy after accepting the job, offensive recruiting specialist Kyle Schexnayder from Holy Cross, defensive recruiting specialist Hunter Sims, grad assistant for recruiting Justin Herrup, social media director Parker Peletier and equipment guy Cody Heidbreder for being instrumental in helping the class together.

SUMRALL

I'm grateful for the young men and the families that are joining us. We have a lot to promote here. I've said this on many occasions, but there are so many great things about this place to attract prospective student-athletes. Playing football at the highest level, FBS Division I, the academic excellence that this university is known for and then being uptown in the city of New Orleans. If you can't recruit here, you probably can't recruit. It's not that hard. I like to think I'm a decent recruiter. If I can't recruit here, I'm probably not very good at my job, so this is a very easy place to attract quality student-athletes and their families to see why this could be a good fit. In total, 32 new players we can announce--16 high school, 13 transfer portal, three junior college, eight from Louisiana, so 25 percent of the class is Louisiana ties, which is a quality group there.

"I am really excited about the group we've added. There are some marquee names transfer wise, high school wise that I think are going to bring great value. There were two new additions to day--CJ Lewis from Florida had been committed to another institution for a while (Colorado since June). It opened back up in the last couple of months and got down to us and two or three other schools there at the end. He chose us. He was on a visit last weekend, and the other is Reese Baker. Reese is from Madison Academy in North Alabama, which is my hometown essentially. He had been committed previously with the coaching change, did not sign in December, an offensive tackle who could be an inside player as well, but he's been playing offensive tackle at his high school. Reese and coach Roushar have a great relationship. That was probably the thing that helped us hold Reese through the process, but those are the two that signed today that have not been released or known about previously."

On 4-star recruits Jayden Lewis and Dominic Steward (247Sports but not Rivals):

"Both high level players. Have known both of them for a while. Jayden was previously committed to Auburn. When you see things getting added transfer portal wise, sometimes it makes guys reconsider where they're going and being the right fit. Jayden's recruiting was interesting. He's enrolled. He's on campus right now. Going through workouts he looks like a really talented young man. I just ran into him in the locker room on my way over here. He has great speed, athleticism, change of direction. I think he can be an elite cover guy. Learning the football I.Q. piece at this level is going to (determine) how fast he develops. And then Dominic Steward is someone I've recruited for a really long time. He went to Westlake High, famously Cam Newton's school, but Dom really came on my radar even bigger last summer. He was an SEC school camp and I was getting videos from that staff while I was at their camp going hey, I don't know if we're going to take him here, but you should look at him. We got him committed at the previous place I was. He sort of reopened his recruiting because SEC schools started offering him once he put weight on, and then when I took this job, his grandmother, Miss Helen, probably recruited us as much as we recruited her because she said, coach, we love you, we would love for the opportunity to go to a place like Tulane that's got great academics in a great city, so it was a great fit. He's also already on campus. Both of those guys have been here, enrollees. Dom's extremely athletic. We may be able to use him some as a jumbo tight end and some other stuff and put him in an eligible number with the way he moves, but I'm excited about both those guys."

On Deshaun Baptiste, the John F. Kennedy New Orleans DE product who played for him at Troy last year:

"Yeah, I felt like I stole him last year when I got him out of here. When he came to Troy, I thought, wow, how did we get this kid out of New Orleans. Fantastic kid. Fits Tulane really well. Once again, the family is really excited he's returning home. He played in four games and still redshirted last year. He played his fifth game in the bowl game. Really a heavy-handed striker at the line of scrimmage. He'll start at the field end spot, which we have a huge need there right now to build frontline players and also depth, but a high-character, high-academic kid, local, which is another nice piece. He's excited to be back home, and I"m excited to bring him home. I think very highly of what he's going to become."

On if 8 out of 32 players from Louisiana should be higher in the future:

"I think it's going to be year by year. We better recruit home very well. The local area for us, it's not one guy that recruits it. We have Orleans Parish, Jefferson Parish, St Tammany, Tangapahoah, the River Parishes, those areas we don't have a person's name on them on a recruiting map. We have a Tulane logo. Everybody has a piece. Every coach on our staff has somewhere between four and eight schools in the local area because any time we're allowed to be there, we're going to be there to check in with the high school coaches, build relationships. We're going to always do our due diligence to turn over every rock and stone locally before we get on an airplane and go recruit somewhere else. The model here does start at home. Now it doesn't end at home. We've got to go other places and find how to put a whole class together, but also now with the transfer portal, even if we don't land a young man, say he goes to a different school, you never know where it might be the right fit on a return trip home like Lawrence Keys, like Shazz Preston, some of these guys that have gone away and may end up finding the right fit back here."

On Ty Thompson recruiting process:

'Obviously it started with Michael Pratt leaving. We all knew Pratt was moving on, and his absence garnered a lot of attention probably in a lot of areas, but in the recruiting area it helped us. I fielded phone calls from a lot of people. I was getting people to call me that I usually couldn't get to pick up our calls, and they were calling us. Had a lot of options of people that were interested. You work through the list of available players that fit. It's not just talent. That's a big component, but it's who's going to fit the culture, who's going to fit the university. As we worked through that process, Ty was the best fit that was available to us. Was Bo Nix's backup at Oregon. On his official visit, I facetimed Tez, who's Bo's adopted brother, and put Ty on the phone with Tez and Bo. We all talked. That helped me see how he engaged with his peers, so it made me feel good about how he is with teammates, but great arm. The Oregon staff spoke very highly of his ability but also of his character, which is a huge component when you're talking about any player but even more importantly quarterback. He's been a joy to watch in winter workouts. We run in three groups--bigs, which is the O-line, D-line; Mids, which is quarterbacks, tight ends, running backs and linebackers; and skill, which is wide receiver/DBs. Ty has won his fair share of the sprint group stuff with the mids so far. He runs really well. Haven't fully gotten into the ball yet. We're transitioning that way as we'll start spring ball March 12. We'll trend that way after Mardi Gras. It's when we start to go into that phase a little bit more, but very pleased with him being here and excited about the competition. I'll say this. I'm excited about Ty, but I'm excited about Kai Horton, too. I'm excited about Darian Mensah. We can win games with Kai Horton. I've watched him play. I watched him practice for a month. He can help us win games, so I'm excited about that competition that's going to take place. The other signee we had, Kellen Tasbee, high school kid, I think really untapped young player but has a huge ceiling as well, so excited about him being a part of what we're doing."

On why people not answering calls are answering them now:

"The on-field success helps. The recognition of Michael Pratt doesn't hurt. You look at the lineage of quarterbacks at Tulane, there have been some good ones, plenty of good ones, but the recent success that Pratt's had, the team has had, attracts guys more naturally and had drawn attention to what can be done here. The best indicator of future success is past success. He's seen the team do well and his position do well very recently, so that helped elevate that interest."

(TO BE CONTINUED)

Any specific questions you would like me to ask him?

Both Sumrall and Craddock have mentioned that we are still recruiting some HS players. Are any visiting this weekend?

After becoming the first team I've ever seen to make 16 straight free throws down the stretch AND fritter away a 9-point lead in the middle of it, Tulane dominated Temple in OT yesterday and avoided falling even farther into the depths of the AAC.

Rebounding, as always, is an issue for this team, but Tulane went 12-6 in the AAC with a rebounding margin of minus-7.6 a year ago, not much different from the current minus-9.3, so this team can win despite the disparity. it cannot win without having Jaylen Forbes return to being Jaylen Forbes offensively because the only way to make up for the rebounding discrepancy is tremendous offense. Hunter did the right thing pulling Forbes (lower-back issues among others) less than 80 seconds into the second half yesterday, and hopefully the week off before Sunday's game will give him some time to get healthier.

I stand by my earlier statement that Tulane must get into the top four of the final standings to get a double bye in the AAC tournament and have any chance of making a run in Fort Worth. Right now the Wave is closer to the bottom four, but it is not totally impossible even if it is a long shot. If Forbes starts hitting shots and Percy Daniels, the most physical player on the roster, earns more minutes with productive play, the Wave can reverse its slide. The top three spots are out of reach with FAU, Charlotte and USF standing at 8-1, but the fourth spot is attainable if Tulane wins at Memphis this Sunday and avenges road losses to SMU, UAB and North Texas at home. If everything broke right, a 10-8 record might be good enough for a tie for fourth place, and then it would come down to the tiebreakers.

Through 10 games, Tulane has won one convincingly, lost three in which it really did not have a shot to win the way it played (at North Texas, UAB and SMU, even though the score ended up being close in the last one), won three it easily could have lost and lost three it easily could have won, so the 4-6 record is pretty accurate.

Here is a potential scenario. I am not predicting any of these results will happen, but it's an example of what could happen in a league where 33 of the 64 games have been decided by 5 points or less or in OT and almost anyone can beat almost anyone anywhere.

At Memphis W
SMU W
at East Carolina W
UAB W
North Texas W
at FAU L
at USF L
Wichita State W

In that scenario, Tulane almost certainly would not get a bye because it would be 0-4 against the likely top three finishers in the league, which is how they break ties when head-to-head is even, going in order from 1-2-3 and on down. But if you substitute a win at either FAU or USF with a loss to ECU (totally possible in this weird league), a potential tiebreaker might be favorable.

I do not expect Tulane to climb into the top 4, but I do expect this team to play better down the stretch if Forbes recovers. It has good leaders, has continued to play hard and is due some breaks after getting very few through the first 10 games. Winning four games in four days in the tournament would be virtually impossible, so this team has to get on a roll and get some major help.

Here are the quotes from last night:

RON HUNTER

"With all these games on television, they definitely got their money's worth today. I told the guys in the locker room just a few minutes ago I thought we had to win a game like that. We had to exorcize some demons a little bit. We had been missing a ton of free throws at the end of games. I talked about that yesterday, and today we did the little things. We made the free throws (hitting their last 24). It was a good win for us. We needed that win, just for our mental health. We're a banged up, tired bunch. This week off is going do wonders for us."

On taking Forbes out 1:18 into the second half and not bringing him back:

"Physically and mentally he's got some things going on. He tried early. I was going to give him two minutes in the first half to see and I just didn't think that he was there with us today, so Asher Woods (who replaced Forbes after being using sparingly this year) was huge. That was some big minutes. I'm really proud of the way Asher stepped up and played with the free throws, defense (he has a steal and run-out lay-up) and everything. We won the game today because of what he did off the bench, so that was huge."

On needing the week off:

"Yeah. I can't even tell you, mentally, physically, everything. I told the guys for 48 hours just don't come in the gym, don't do anything, just enjoy college for 48 hours. Go to a parade or festival, do something to get away. We've been going since July 24 (for the World University Games) It's been a grind. We need a little time."

On Holloway:

"It opens it up for Kev and for some of the other guys. He's kind of a back-to-the-basket player in that regard, and when you take that out it just makes us a little different. He got off to a slow start a little bit, just like all the offense did. We just couldn't get going, but then in the second half we got going and put some points on the board. Especially with Forbes not playing, we needed him (Holloway) to step up."

On if mental and physical issue he mentioned with Forbes could linger:

"No, no. Some time off will be good. He just needs a little time."

On what he said in huddle before OT:

"I'll be honest with you. After like three or four swear words, my thought was we can't lose this game. I wouldn't know what to say these kids in the locker room when they are busting their butt, we're hurt, we're banged up, we're doing whatever. We have not had any breaks. Even that last shot (Temple took near the end of regulation). Every carom seems to carry the wrong way. It never caroms the way we need it to, but we made our breaks today. We made our free throws. We can celebrate this, but we need a little time off."

On rebounding issues late:

"That's what I just said about the ball caroming to the right. We loaded up (to the left) because the rebound should have come this way, but it caromed off to the right in front of their bench. The same thing as with Florida Atlantic. We looked at the flight of the ball, and if it comes to the middle, game over, we've got it. Those are the type of things that have happened to us this year, but as I said, it's not how you start, it's how you finish. This story has not been fully written yet. I can guarantee you, it has not been fully written."

On free throw success:

"It's a mental thing. The worst thing you can do sometimes is hey, go make a hundred free throws because they are not like in a game. The heart rate's not going. We talked about some things, but nothing really different outside of hey, we know what we have to get done. We actually even got a steal and made a lay-up, so I'm just taking the little things right now. I'm just happy we won and proud of these guys because 89 percent of the teams in the country would have folded going into overtime given what happened today. I guarantee you that would have happened. These guys, we've been through so much together, that they just kept fighting and we ended up winning the game. That's what I mean by exorcizing some demons."

SION JAMES

On responding to gut punch of losing nine-point lead in last three minutes essentially:

"We just did what we needed to do and stayed the course, something that we've talked about all year. We've had a rough stretch to say the least. The thing we talked about as a team is staying the course. We felt offensively we played a little too slow down the stretch. Defensively we just gave them too many opportunities, but I'm proud of these guys because we stayed the course like we always talk about."

On dunk for 3-point lead in OT:

"The same thing I tell these guys--we've got to win the game, we've got to figure out a way. It could have been a dunk. It could have been a 3 or a free throw. It could have been anything, but I'm glad it was a dunk because it got the crowd going a little bit."

On series of difficult shots Temple hit:

"It's a few things. As long as the clock's still ticking, we have no choice but to get over it. That's the first thing. Second, it happens. You know they are not going to continue to hit those shots, but for some reason they did. It happens. The game goes on. We're a veteran team. We played like it today."

COLLIN HOLLOWAY

On feeling better after missing a game with sprained ankle and playing at less than 100 percent against SMU:

"I was gassed at the beginning of the game. I got a second wind going. It felt good to be out there with my guys."

On significance of win:

"It was huge. Massive. To play a hard game like that, Temple's record I don't think shows who they really are. They came out and gave us their best punch, and I'm glad we took it and continued to play hard."

TEMPLE COACH ADAM FISHER

On difference:

"The difference is some of the physicality. They are a really physical team. Early on they were dominating the paint. They did a great job in the paint. We tried to limit their 3s, but it's pick your poison. They are going to find a way if it's scoring at the rim or is it going to be 3s. They do it all. It's a really good team."

On what Tulane's struggles say about this league:

"It's brutal. This league's brutal. Anywhere you go, especially on the road, there was a good atmosphere here, a good environment. This is a really good team that especially offensively can just pick you apart."

I was excited for Jarius Monroe when I saw last night he had been named defensive MVP of the East-West Shrine game after reportedly having a good week of practice, but for once I had the foresight to tape the game while I watched Tulane lose to SMU in hoops.

Just watched it, and, uh, Monroe barely played in the first three quarters. The only time I noticed him was when he was trying to catch a punt returner running for a touchdown and losing ground. Then, midway through the fourth quarter, the opposing QB threw an awful floater toward the sideline and Monroe intercepted it. He also had a tackle a couple of plays earlier when the guy in front of him missed it and he cleaned it up. Nice voting. Some guy had two sacks in the first half when the game was decided and the West defense was dominant from start to finish, but if it was going to be a silly decision, I'm glad a great dude like Monroe was the beneficiary. He had a great explanation of his interception in the postgame interview, saying he had played cover 3 on the play before and noticed the QB locked in on his reads, so he faked playing cover 3 and sank horizontally rather than vertically anticipating the throw and was there to grab it. I really hope Monroe makes the NFL, but the question is whether he has enough speed even if he moves to safety, where he practiced some of the time this week. He has everything else, but you have to be fast enough to make it in the NFL.

I think Pratt had a good week at the Senior Bowl. I read just about every analysis piece each day and he got mostly positive reviews, although the third and final day of practice was his worst, with him coming in fifth out of seven QBs in a CBSSports.com piece. He was as high as second behind Michael Penix on the first two days, although there were some varying accounts there as well, with one analyst questioning his arm strength and willingness to take risks. Those would be my questions about him after watching him for four years at Tulane.

I looked up the history of Group of Five (or lower division) conference QBs in the draft, and the odds do not appear great of Pratt going before the third day. In the last nine drafts, five Group of Five QBs have gone in the first round and only two--two!--have gone in rounds 2 or 3. It seems as if if you have a ton of upside or athletic ability, teams are willing to take you very high, but otherwise, they won't pull the trigger.

Here is the list:

Carson Wentz, North Dakota State, No. 2 overall in 2016
Trey Lance, North Dakota State, No. 3 overall in 2021
Josh Allen, Wyoming, No. 7 overall in 2019
Paxton Lynch, Memphis, No. 26 overall in 2016
Jordan Love, Utah State, No. 26 overall in 2020
Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati, No. 74 overall in 2022
Garrett Grayson, Colorado State, No. 75 overall in 2015

That's it. If you go back one more year, four Group of 5 QBs were taken in 2014, with UCF's Blake Bortles going at No. 3 overall, Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater going at No. 32, Fresno State's Derek Carr going at No. 36 and Eastern Illinois's Jimmy Garoppolo going at No. 62 overall.

My guess is Pratt will go in the fourth round. The history of success for Group of Five QBs is not great, but I don't put much stock in that. You either are good enough to make it or not, and by the time you get to the NFL, it does not matter where you played in college. Allen is a star. Love might turn into one, although one pretty good year is not enough evidence. Wentz flamed out after a fast start. Lance has been a bust, as was Lynch. Ridder has struggled in his first two years, and Grayson was a rag arm who was the worst pick of Sean Payton's tenure in New Orleans. Going back to 2014, Bortles was essentially a bust considering how high he was picked. Bridgewater did OK. The jury is out on Carr's legacy, although he has had more success than the typical second-rounder. Jimmy Garapolo started in a Super Bowl but was the reason the 49ers lost that Super Bowl.

I have mixed feelings about Pratt's chances. He will do everything right off the field and be a tremendous teammate, but aside from the winning drive at Cincinnati in 2022, I did not see the overwhelming passing success you need in college to become an NFL significant contributor. He was having an excellent game against South Alabama in the opener this year before getting the knee injury that rendered him less than 100-percent healthy the rest of the way, so he did not get a full opportunity to show what he could do.

Jha'Quan Jackson earned some positive reviews in Mobile this week, and I have mixed feelings about him, too. He has the speed, the elusiveness and the ability after the catch, but those skills simply did not translate into the numbers you would expect. Darnell Mooney caught 96 passes for 1,706 yards in his final two years at Tulane. Jackson caught 59 passes for 993 yards in his final two years. NFL teams will look long and hard at why he was not more productive consistently.

The ship has sailed on Tulane getting an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament barring a run to the AAC regular season title, and even that unlikely event might not be enough depending on whom the Wave beat and how Memphis and FAU fare the rest of the way.

That means the one essential goal in the rest of the regular season is finishing in the top four of the standings and getting the double bye in the AAC tournament. This team believes it is good enough to play in the NCAA tournament, and its only route there is winning the AAC tournament, which would be difficult but conceivable if Tulane had to play three games in three days but impossible if the Wave had to play four games in four days considering the amount of minutes the starters are on the court. The Wave was a foul call away from sweeping FAU and Memphis at home (I actually think the foul call on Forbes against FAU was correct, although it often is not made in that situation), so it can play with anyone in the league unlike the Houston situation for the past two years. The problem with getting into the top four is Charlotte and South Florida, which are at the top of the standings, were supposed to be non-contenders and received a much easier conference schedule than Tulane. Those two teams play Tulane, Memphis, FAU, SMU, North Texas and UAB once while Tulane plays Memphis, FAU, SMU, North Texas and UAB twice. Essentially, the Wave must win the rest of its home games and at least three of its remaining six road games (maybe four) to get the double bye.

That starts Wednesday at UTSA, which has been terrible this year except for the fact it should have beaten both FAU and Memphis. UTSA led Memphis by 4 on the road with a minute left in regulation but lost in OT. It led FAU by 3 in the final 30 seconds when it was called for a foul on a 3-point shot, leading to another OT loss. The Roadrunners take more than 30 3s a game and are third in the AAC in offensive rebounds per game, so their strengths play into Tulane's weaknesses. The Wave needs to play with 40-minute focus, get the win and then come home and beat Charlotte on Saturday. Do both of those things, and the double bye will become more realistic.

We have our first three-time winner since I started posting the results at the top of the board here in 2013 (I believe I took over the contest from Scott Kushner in 2011), with winwave breaking a tie at 2 with Kettrade1 after also taking the title in 2015 and 2018.

Winwave entered the final week with a three-game lead on Wavetime, and even though Wavetime waited until after winwave made his picks to enter his, he had only two differences in his bowl selections, getting both of them right to finish one game behind winwave. I said nothing about dropping the lowest score as I had done in the past when I opened the contest this year, but thankfully, it did not become an issue because both of them had a low week of 3 points. Winwave started with an 8=point week, adding ones with 7.5 and 7 while leading or being tied for the lead for the final nine weeks. It was a well-earned victory.

The 18 people who entered this thing were there every week with only four exceptions, which has to be a record for consistency. That absolutely makes the contest more fun.

FINAL STANDINGS

1) winwave 69.5

2) Wavetime 68.5

3) chigoyboy 66.5

4) roll wave 64.5

5) charlamange8 62.5

6) p8kpev. 61.5

6) paliii 61.5

6) ForeverTU 61.5

9) 2DatWuzAGoodDay2 60.5

9) DrBox. 60.5

11) WaveON 58.5

12) LSU Law Greenie 57.5

12) tacklethemanwiththefootball 57.5

12) Guerry 57.5

15) Kettrade1. 55.5

16) MNAlum 51.5 (missed 1 week)

17) diverdo. 49.5 (missed 2 weeks)

17) GretnaGreen 49.5 (missed 1 week)

Baseball practice began Friday, although the weather was pretty bad and they probably had to stay in the Hack Shack rather than getting a full workout. Jay Uhlman, Teo Banks, Brady Marget and Billy Price spoke.

UHLMAN

On where team stands after brutal year with surprise AAC tourney title throw in:

"We have 25-ish new bodies and 20 returners. We needed to plug a lot of holes and we feel like we've done that. We went out the grad transfer portal and got some arms from some really good schools--UCLA. Santa Barbara, Loyola-Marymount, Ole Miss, Indiana--so we feel like we've got some guys with some mileage, guys that actually throw the white thing over the white thing at home plate for strikes. Trying not to beat ourselves, we'll be vastly improved there. The one thing that's really stood out to me is the physicality of our pitchers and our team in general. During the offseason we took a look at the eight teams in Omaha and took their top 10 hitters and their top 12 pitchers and kind of averaged out there weight. We figured if we could get to 208, and we're at 208 right now as a team average, in Omaha of the eight teams we would have been third, so the physicality is in the right direction. I feel good with where their bodies are where their minds are, but we've got to play ball."

On being picked ninth out of 10 teams in AAC:

"We have to continue to prove. It means zero right now. We have to earn the right to deserve to be chosen in the top part of the conference, and you do that by longevity. There's a reason ECU gets continued to be picked up there. Until somebody does something about it, that's probably going to continue to happen. We learned pretty quickly last year it doesn't matter where you're picked. It's how you finish, so we'll play them as they lie and go out and give them hell every day. We're certainly not going to quit, that's for sure."

On Teo Banks:

"He's in great physical health. Top of the order again, probably in that 2 hole. Look to move him to center field and let him patrol out there. One of the cool things is he's one of the three guys that were selected by his teammates to be team captain. It's the first time we've done that, so he's taken on a good leadership role. His body has transformed as well. He's in a great spot. We're expecting big things out of him this year from a leadership and production standpoint for sure."

On other two captains:

"Billy Price and Gavin Schulz."

On new bodies:

"Just trying go them all assimilated to what we do and what we're looking for and how to behave and just how to fit in and then take the personalities and put us in a position where they're adding to the collective good. I really like the group. It's old. It's mature. I came out here the other day during skill instruction and guys were moving around, the energy was good unlike I kind of haven't seen before. I wasn't around to start practice, but when I showed up, it was really good, so to me when the coaches aren't there and the players are by themselves, it should always look like there's a coach present, and I told them that. Their ability to be self-led is really going to be pivotal for us because you are going to have your ups and downs for sure."

On less travel:

"I am going to expect from them the best effort every single day. It's a mature group, so I don't think the motivational piece I have to do a whole lot of that. At least that's kind of my instinct on where they are right now, but it's continue the progress we made in the weight room even if that means maybe less reps on the field, continue to dominate the academic side of that. I think when you handle all your things in a certain manner it kind of trickles on to the field, too. It's hard to be one person off and one person on, so they've done a really nice job of putting themselves in a position where I think we're ready to go."

On if he thinks team will be hunted rather than the hunter after AAC tourney win (definitely not my question):

"Oh, obviously they have a scoreboard for a reason. You are trying to go out there and win every game you play. Until we continue to ascend and move in the right direction and earn respect, then we're just going to have to be the hunters all the time."

On if this feels more like his team in the second year:

"I did recruit a lot of those players. You have more than one coach when you're recruiting, but that was my main focus when I was here as an assistant, so being an assistant versus being a head coach is completely different. I actually was talking to somebody today and they asked me how the mentality of the group was, and my comment to them is I felt like their behavior and their approach and mentality is a little bit closer to mine, of loving to practice, having good energy, belief, toughness, those kinds of things. I see those things regularly, so that part gives me hope that we're headed in the right direction. It (the team makeup) is a little bit more in my personality."

It's a cowardly act to respond to an old post elsewhere knowing I can't respond there. But that's you. To answer your how is it working out. Well right now we are all excited by some of the transfers we are getting. However, the fact is several bring excitement because of their HS rankings but in fact have done nothing at all in college or very little. More importantly that's not HS recruits which is what I was mostly referring to in that thread and that isn't going so well. Then throw in the fact that you said Tulane should be putting all the money in NIL as facilities don't matter anymore yet Tulane is now in the process of raising $50 million to enhance the facilities.

This reminds me of when we got this years basketball transfers and you were going crazy over them b/c of their HS rankings. You called it weird when I wasn't that excited over Greg Glenn. So far he hasn't done much here. Hopefully that changes You might want to hold off your attacks till their careers play out.

Here's the list as provided by a poster on the gotula.net site:

Here are the 32 players participating in Tulane's Junior Day today:

Corey Amos, a 4-star, 6-3, 205-pound OLB from Opelousas

Amos

Caleb Smith ,a 3-star, 6-5, 235-pound OLB from Birmingham Parker

Smith

Jo'Tavion Pierce, a 6-3, 185-pound safety from Montgomery Catholic

Pierce

Joseph Holt, a 6-3, 183-pound safety from Birmingham Parker

Holt

Andrew Purcell, a 5-10, 185-pound CB from Enterprise, Ala.

Purcell

Jacob Bradford, a 6-0, 160-pound CB from Baton Rouge Catholic

Bradford

Simeon Washington Jr., a 6-0, 168-pound CB from McDonogh 35

Washington

Nikolas Alston, a 6-3, 260-pound DE from Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson

Alston

DK Mays, a 6-4, 250-pound DL from Baton Rouge Central

Mays

Joshua Lewis, a 6-5, 220-pound DE from Dutchtown

Lewis

Tyron Winslow, a 6-5, 270-pound DT from H.L. Bourgeois in Houma

Winslow

Bishop Burkhalter, a 6-2, 212-pound LB from Spanish Fort (Ala.)

Burkhalter

Harrison Cluff, a 6-5, 295-pound OL from Columbus (Miss.)

Cluff

Ervin Smith, a 6-2, 280-pound OL from Baton Rouge Catholic

Smith

Jonathan Bradford, a 6-2, 275-pound OL from Minden

Bradford

Matthew Parker, a 6-7, 290-pound OT from Jackson (Miss). Prep

Parker

Cole Allen, a 6-6, 265-pound OL from Jackson (Miss.) Prep

Allen

Juelz Baptiste, a 6-4, 270-pound OT from St. Aug

Baptiste

Abrum Lewis, a 6-6, 315-pound OT from Covington

Lewis

Jackson Jones, a 6-7, 290-pound OT from Franklinton Pine

Jones

Jackson Bradley, a 6-3, 200-pound QB from Oak Grove who committed to Louisiana Tech last November

Bradley

Joshua Brantley, a 6-3, 197-pound QB from Ruston

Brantley

Eli Friend, a 6-2, 200-pound QB from Newman

Friend

JT Lindsey, a 5-11, 185-pound RB from Alexandria

Lindsey

Jasper Parker, a 6-0, 200-pound RB from Shaw

Parker

Lucas Farrington, a 5-8, 182-pound RB Woodward Academy in Atlanta

Farrington

Derrick Johnson, a 6-4, 215-pound TE from Holy Cross

Johnson

Campbell Pawlak, a 6-6, 210-pound TD from Bullard (TX)

Pawlak

Oliver Mitchell, a 6-1, 150-pound WR from Karr

Mitchell

Kadarivus Mays, a LB from Baton Rouge Central

Cam Woodard, a DB from Amite County Miss.

Cooper Helmke, a punter from St. Martin's in Metairie

With Tulane already pretty much having everyone it is going to get for the spring, here is my outlook for the Tulane offense.

QUARTERBACK

The Ty Thompson versus Kai Horton battle will begin in earnest. All of us expect Thompson to win the job, but it will be a legitimate competition at the start of spring drills, with Darian Mensah also getting a shot after showing some raw potential during practice as a true freshman under a different staff. Justin Ibieta's future is uncertain after his latest severe injury, but he will not be available for spring ball for sure.

1) Ty Thompson
2) Kai Horton
3) Darian Mensah

RUNNING BACK

Even though Tulane got its butt kicked at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball against SMU, the Wave might have won the AAC title game if Makhi Hughes had been healthy. Bothered by a sprained ankle, he almost broke into the clear from inside the Tulane 10 but was tripped up on a play where he would have run a long way without the bothersome ankle. Willie Fritz recruited several outstanding running backs, but I believe Hughes will end up being the second best from his tenure behind Tyjae Spears. He's a difference maker who lacks only top-end speed. Shaadie Clayton-Johnson, Arnold Barnes, Iverson Celestine and Trey Cornist will compete for the backup spots in a deep room.

1) Makhi Hughes
2) Shaadie Clayton-Johnson
3) Arnold Barnes
4) Iverson Celestine
5) Trey Cornist

WIDE RECEIVER

This went from a weakness on paper to a potential strength because of the transfer portal. Mario Williams had a poor year at USC, dropping far too many passes, and Shazz Preston never caught a pass in two years at Alabama, but their ability is undeniable. Tulane also is bringing in Terez Traynor from Idaho and Jaylon Griffin from UCF and is welcoming back Phat Watts after he left the team following the Southern Miss game last fall. The returnees include Yulkeith Brown, who appears destined for a big year, and unknown quantities like Bryce Bohanon (nine catches), Dontae Fleming (five catches) and Hunter Summers, who showed promise while being redshirted. West Jeff product Shaun Nicholas enrolled early and will participate in the spring. Jalen Rogers might be back, too. He apparently did not enter the transfer portal.

1) Yulkeith Brown, Mario Williams and Shazz Preston
2) Terez Traynor, Dontae Fleming and Bryce Bohanon
3) Phat Watts, Jaylon Griffin and Hunter Summers

TIGHT END

Alex Bauman exiting the transfer portal was a big deal. Although he did not have the season I expected, he still caught 33 passes with five touchdowns after dealing with niggling injuries early in the year and should be ready for a breakout performance as a junior. Returning backups Reggie Brown, Blake Gunter and Joshua Goines are unproven. Winter Haven, Fla. product Guiseann Mirtil enrolled early and will participate in the spring.

1) Alex Bauman
2) Reggie Brown
3) Blake Gunter

OFFENSIVE LINE

The addition of Vincent Murphy was big. He has two years of starting experience at Western Kentucky and should step in as a starter at either guard or center depending on what the coaches do with Shadre Hurst, whom Jon Sumrall loves. Rashad Green will start at one of the tackle spots, but the second spot clearly is a concern since Sumrall has mentioned more than once he might add another tackle through the portal. Maybe Hurst ends up there. Josh Remetich is the frontrunner at the other guard slot, while Trey Tuggle will get a shot to prove he is worthy of being a starter at tackle along with Matt Lombardi and Sully Burns in the spring. I really don't have a clear handle on the younger guys. Usually I ask about them at the end of the season but with everything going on, I did not get the chance. RJ Whitehead started at Northeast Mississippi Community College but did not have a stunning list of offers before choosing Tulane.Atlanta product Dominic Steward enrolled early and will participate in the spring. I have no idea who the top backup guards will be, so I am not going to hazard a guess here. There are a lot of different possibilities on the O-line.

LT

1) Trey Tuggle,
2) RJ Whitehead

LG

1) Shadre Hurst
2) don't know

C

1) Vincent Murphy
2) Caleb Thomas

RG

1) Josh Remetich
2) don't know

RT

1) Rashad Green
2) Matt Lombardi

The following signees/commitments have enrolled for the spring semester:

Transfers……
Thompson
Murphy
Williams
Preston
Tillery
Rodgers
Tchienchou
Ransaw
Griffin
Batiste
Geiger

Jucos…
Whitehead
McGruder

Freshman….
Nicholas
Steward
Lewis
Mirtil