After catching a break with the unseasonable temperate weather yesterday, Tulane paid for it when the temperature and humidity rose this morning. By the end of practice, as many players were cramping as I've ever seen at a Green Wave workout, including a few pretty severely. At the same time at the end of one 11-on-11 series, tight end Will Wallace, center Sincere Haynesworth, guard Josh Remetich and wide receiver Shae Wyatt all went down in agony, and Wallace did not quite make it to the sideline, prompting Corey Dublin to yell "drag him off the field" before a couple of teammates did exactly that. Michael Pratt went over and began stretching Wallace for a couple of minutes, but Remetich actually had the worst of it, looking a little overheated as well and eventually being carted off the field after trainers stripped his uniform (with Remetich's help) at the end of practice. The temperature at finishing time (9:30) was 86 degrees according to Weather.com, and the humidity was probably just as high. There will be worse days, but coming at the beginning of camp on the heels of a nice day, anyone who was not prepared felt the effects.,

"We got blessed yesterday," said running back Cam Carroll, who had no issues. "It was real cloudy and real shady and real cool. Today the sun was out and it was a little bit warmer. You gotta make sure you hydrate. That's the biggest thing. We had a lot of people cramping, but it's good. We need this heat because in a couple of weeks we've got a big game."

The highlight of practice was a beautiful leaping catch in the back of the end zone by Tyjae Spears on a pass from Justin Ibieta. Offensive coordinator Chip Long joked that everyone was happy when Spears' leg did not fall off, but this was another step in his comeback from ACL surgery. He showed good explosiveness on that play and can be a weapon in the passing game with his athletic ability. It was a better overall day for the offense, which struggled consistently on day 1. The improvement started in one-on-one drills, with Michael Preatt leading freshman wideout T.J. Huggins perfectly on a route in the middle of the field, throwing him open as people used to say about Drew Brees and allowing him to separate from cornerback Reggie Neely. On the next snap, Pratt threw a spot-on deep ball to Jha'Quan Jackson, beating Macon Clark.

Next, they did a 7-on-7 drill, and Phat Watts took advantage of a busted coverage for an easy touchdown with no one as close as 10 yards to him. That segment ended with Spears' pretty touchdown, but there still were a few too many drops in between the scores. Freshman running back Iverson Celestine bobbled one, and Carroll mishandled one that might have gone for a touchdown. Wallace dropped two in a row from Ibieta, one on an easy catch and the other a little more difficult The drops have to be eliminated. Shae Wyatt, who caught everything yesterday, dropped two passes in 11-on-11 work. Phat Watts had one deflect off his hands in the middle of the field and was lucky it was not intercepted. Celestine fumbled on a run and had to do 10 up-downs on the sideline as punishment. He did not appear to know how to do them at first before figuring it out.

Pratt was good at checking down to secondary receivers when his primary target was not open, doing it several times, including one to Jackson on the sideline. It probably would have gone for a minimal gain in a drill, but with Jackson's open-field ability, you never know.

The practice ended with another 11-on-11 drill red zone drill that Willie Fritz hollered out several times was the most important part of practice. Pratt began by lofting another beauty to Jackson in the corner of the end zone, also hitting Carroll and Tyrick James for shorter gains before Duece Watts ran it in for a touchdown. It was right around then that players began cramping severely as the starters came off the field. Ibieta almost had a touchdown pass on a slant, but Shi'Keem Laister, who is playing cornerback, knocked the ball away from Huggins in the end zone. The day ended with Kai Horton hooking up with walk-on running back Mason Courtney for their second touchdown combo in as many days. This is a full-service site, so even obscure moments get written up.

Before his cramping issue, Remetich lined up with the first-team offensive line at right guard. I did not see Rashad Green, who spent time with the first team at right guard yesterday, get any reps, so he might have had earlier cramping issues. Other than Remetich, the fist-team offensive line was the same as yesterday. The second-team group was Cameron Jackel at LT, Jackson Fort at LG, Caleb Thomas at C, Trey Tuggle at RG and Timothy Shafter at RT.

The first-team defensive line had Noah Seiden inside along with Jeffery Johnson (( did not seen Eric Hicks), with some combination of Jojo Dorceus, Angelo Anderson and Darius Hodges outside. The ends and jokers are rotating a lot, both in personnel and which side of the line they are coming from.. The second team had true freshman Keith Cooper, who was recruited as a linebacker but is up to 6-4, 265, at end along with Devean Deal at times, with Noah Taliancich and Elijah Champaigne inside. Armoni Dixon worked in on the outside, too. At times, many of the defensive players did not wear numbers on their jerseys, which read "First Line of Defense" where the number normally would have been. If that practice continues, I'll ask Chris Hampton about it.

Cornelius Dyson is going by the name Rudy now, and he was at practice after I did not see him yesterday working on a unit with freshman Bailey Despanie, who has looked pretty good early. The No. 2 cornerback s were Kiland Harrison and Laister. I still have not seen Kevaris Hall, so I will check on his status tomorrow.

After three receivers were in no-contact jerseys yesterday, there were none today, with only Spears in red. Cyron Sutton had several catches, but I also heard a coach lecturing him on not finishing a block and adding stuff like that would prevent him from getting playing time.

PLACEKICKER

Gone: No one

Returning: Merek Glover

New: Kriston Esnard

Analysis: Glover's return for an extra COVID-granted year is a big deal. He still needs to be more reliable from distance-he was 0 of 4 from 45 yards or longer last year and has a career long of 44 yards--but he is ultra reliable from 40 yards and in, an underrated asset. Who knows when Kriston Esnard will be ready--maybe he already is--but nothing sabotages a team more quickly than a kicker that can't connect on routine field goals. Just ask Tulane's team from 2014, which never recovered from its chip shot miss against Tulsa in its season opener, or Tulsa from two years ago, which would have made a breakthrough in 2019 instead of 2020 if its kicker had not missed chip shot game-winners twice. Glover has the leg to make longer kicks, by the way. For whatever reason, he just has not had the confidence. He is good off the tee, too. having produced 35 touchbacks on 75 kickoffs last season. That is key in the battle for field position.

PUNTER

Gone: no one

Returning: Ryan Wright, Casey Glover (walk-on)

Analysis: Wright was not as consistent as his conference-leading numbers (45.2 average) indicated, but he has a huge leg--16 of his 52 punts (31 percent) went for 50 or more yards in 2020--and has been learning on the job over the years after focusing on quarterback in high school. He should be ready to put together a year that earns him justifiable all-conference mention rather than honors based on numbers. Look for him to eliminate the clunkers that seeped in during some pressure moments the past three years.

LONG SNAPPER

Gone: No one

Returning: Ethan Hudak, Matt Smith

Analysis: No concerns here. Hudak, entering his second year, proved reliable in his first. As we learned in the disastrous end of the Curtis Johnson era, good snapping is not automatic in college football.

RETURN SPECIALISTS

Punt returns: Jha'quan Jackson

Kickoff returns: Jha'quan Jackson, Mykel Jones, Jaetavian Toles

Analysis: Jackson was a lot better than Amare Jones when he supplanted him as the primary punt returner last season, averaging 13.9 yards on 16 tries and looking very dangerous. No one on the team is as good as Jones was as a kickoff returner, so this will be an open competition in preseason practice. I assume Jackson will be one of the two, but there are numerous candidates for the other deep back.

Tulane returned to the practice field an hour earlier in the past on Friday morning, and that trend will continue for almost all of preseason camp in an attempt to beat the heat as much as possible. The workout started around 7:30 and ended at 9:20 as season No. 6 of the Willie Fritz era officially got underway.

To no one's surprise, running back Tyjae Spears was in a no-contact jersey as he comes back from ACL surgery last September, but coach Willie Fritz said the move was precautionary rather than necessary. Spears talked after practice in a very frank interview and admitted he wanted to quit at one point because the rehab was so frustrating, but he also predicted he would be better than ever this fall. (full transcript coming soon). Three of the receivers, including Duece Watts and Mykel Jones and I believe Ryan Thompson, were in no-contact jerseys, too. I did not do a full rundown of the roster--that will come in the next few practices--but I know there are 123 players on the team at the moment. The only two scholarship guys who were on the team at the end of spring who no longer are there are Michael Remondet, who was the No. 2 center, and Kanyon Walker, a defensive back who never practiced at Tulane because of an injury that forced him to take a medical disqualification.

So how did they look? That's always the first question I get on the opening day of camp, and the answer today is what is usually is: rusty. Even though teams ear-arrive on campus in June these days and conditioning is a year-round deal unlike when I started covering college football in 1991, actually going through a practice always is an eye-opener for a lot of players. Tulane had a case of the drops today, with backup quarterback Justin Ibieta fumbling two snaps under center (hard to know whether he or the center were at fault, but teams get so used to operating out of the shotgun that traditional snaps can become an issue), Jha'Quan Jackson having a pass from Michael Pratt bounce off of him and almost get intercepted in an 11-on-11 drill, tight end Keitha Jones, running back Cam Carroll, wide receiver Jaetavian Toles and tight end Reggie Brown drop balls in receiving drills, Carroll and Jones drop passes in red-zone 11-on-11 work and Ygenio Booker whiff on one in the same drill.

The red-zone drill, which concluded practice, started with Michael Pratt overthrowing Shae Wyatt in the end zone, having a a pass go through Carroll's hands in the flat (t was slightly behind him) and having Booker drop a quick pass in the backfield. Pratt then took off on a successful scramble.

Ibieta went in and promptly threw a touchdown pass against the No. 2 defense to Wyatt, who pushed off in the corner of the end zone to get separation. After a few more reps for each quarterback, including a touchdown run from Pratt, Ibieta hit walk-on running back Mason Courtney for a touchdown over the middle against the third-team defense. On the next play, Ibieata could not handle a snap from walk-on center Ethan Marcus. He then hit Jones for an easy touchdown on a misdirection play that totally fooled the mostly walk-on defense, leaving jones all alone on one side of the field.

Earlier, in regular 11-on-11 work, Pratt could not connect with Wyatt deep, had the drop from Jackson in traffic and hit Booker for a big gain. Hopefully Booker will not turn into one of the great practice guys who cannot take it to games because he looks really fast and can be a dangerous playmaker out of the backfield in the passing game.

Ibieta entered and fumbled the ball twice on the same snap, hit Wyatt on a checkdown and was intercepted by a diving Rishi Rattan near the sideline. Rattan, a walk-on safety, loves facing ibieta. He picked him off three times in the span of two practices in the spring, and he made an outstanding break to grab this one.

Freshman Kai Horton also got reps and looked like a guy in his first day of practice. Right off the bat, freshman cornerback Bailey Despanie jumped a short route for a pick-six against him, and Horton looked overwhelmed for the rest of the day.

When they lined up for the opening series of 11 on 11, Matt Lombardi was at right tackle and Rashad Green was at right guard along with the usual suspects on the left side of the line. Fritz was very high on both of those guys during spring drills. The second-team line was Timothy Shafter at left tackle, Jackson Fort at left guard, Caleb Thomas at center, Josh Remetich at right guard and Trey Tuggle at right tackle. Later, though, Remetich lined up with the first team at right guard and Green moved outside to right tackle, and Tuggle was double-trained at right guard with with the second unit. The third-team line was Cameron Jackel at left tackle, Hutson Lillibridge at left guard, Marcus at center, Hayden Shook at right guard and Joseph Solomon at right tackle.

The departure of Remondet prompted Thomas' return to his old position at center, which does not bode well for his playing time. Sincere Haynesworth won't come off the field in games if he stays healthy.

The first-team defense in the 11-on-11 drills had Carlos Hatcher and Darius Hodges at end and Eric Hicks and Jeffery Johnson inside. Memphis transfer Jojo Dorceus and Angelo Anderson were the ends on the second unit with Adonis Friloux and Noah Seiden inside.

The first-team linebackers were Dorian Williams and Nick Anderson, who have supplanted 2020 starters Marvin Moody and Kevin Henry. Moody is back after missing all of spring with a labrum injury.

The starting cornerbacks were Lance Robinson and Jaylon Monroe, with Ajani Kerr at nickelback and Derrion Rakestraw and Macon Clark at safety. I did not see Larry Brooks, but because there were several other media members asking questions today, I did not get a chance to ask Fritz about his injury status. I did not write down the second-team safeties, but I think Rattan was out there and Cornelius Dyson may not have been practicing. The backup nickeback was freshman D.J. Douglas, and teh backup cornerbacks were Shi'Keem Laister and Kiland Harrison. I did not see Kevaris Hall, but I will get a better look tomorrow.

Colby Orgeron and Nik Hogan, who were moved to the defensive line last fall, remain on that side of the ball, although Orgeron was on the sideline with an injury.

The Wave will be back on the field at 7:30 tomorrow morning and will practice through Monday before taking an NCAA-mandated fifth day off on Tuesday. I am not sure what the first day of full pads will be.

I did not intend to do any interviews when I went to that event, but I changed my mind and talked to Pratt before forgetting to transcribe the quotes. Here is what he said:

"Just the experience factor. With the offense, we're doing a lot of similar stuff, but it's just guys being here. When the (Watts) twins got here last year when I first got here in the spring, it was all new to them. They came from Juco, and just adjusting to D1 was a process. Now that they have a year under their belt and i have a year under my belt and we've got a majority of the other guys coming back, it's just that experience factor. Everybody's played and gotten a taste of the offense, so it's definitely going to help us out a lot."

On how much better offense should be:

"We should be a lot better. Just more efficient, more leadership, smarter, less penalties and whatnot. Like I said with the offensive line, we had nine different guys that started a game on the offensive line last year. That was one thing we lacked last year was depth. We had our starting left tackle go out, our starting right guard, our starting right tackle throughout the season, and now this year nine different guys have gotten a taste of what it's like to start a game, and just the competition that they've been going through day in and day out through the spring and through summer practices and going into fall camp, they make each other better with just that drive to be the guy. I don't know at this point if we're going to have one starting guy (on the right side of the line). A lot of guys are going to rotate. We're really excited about that. Tyjae's doing great. He looks phenomenal. He's running full speed, feels healthy and is getting his treatment every day. All the way around we should be really efficient."

On struggles in spring:

"Honestly I really think that was part of coach Long's plan coming in. He's a really smart guy. He knows what he's doing. He's been with those top teams and led them to a lot of success. When he first came in in the spring, he put a lot on us. That was one thing he really emphasized. We had to do install every day, and that was difficult. It pushed us to our limits and kind of humbled a lot of guys as well. Coming into the summer, we've gone over so many things, and now once we get into camp we're going to start to narrow it down by game plan and whatnot. A lot of guys have been humbled, myself included, so we really are looking forward into going into this fall camp and showcasing what we can do on Sept. 4."

On biggest difference between Long and Hall:

"I don't necessarily know what the word would be. Maybe intensity. He comes out to practice every day with the same intensity. He works his butt off, and just his energy, a lot of guys, their goal that day is to match his energy. He can be tough. He can get on a lot of people's case and get on their butt, but when it comes down to it, everybody respects him and they want to play for him. He's really consistent, and that's one of the most positive things I can say about an individual in general, being consistent. He comes out there and works hit butt off every day. We know what to expect from him."

Oklahoma as opener:

"I'm pumped just for the opportunity and the opportunity we have this whole season. It's one of the toughest schedules Tulane has probably ever had. We have Oklahoma in week 1, Ole Miss in week 3, Cincinnati, SMU, Tulsa, UCF, Memphis, Houston. Now we're in position that we can take Tulane to the next wave."

FYI, I only list new guys as players who did not participate in spring drills. If they participated in spring drills, they are classified as returning.

QUARTERBACK

Gone: Keon Howard

Returning: Michael Pratt, Justin Ibieta

New: Kai Horton

Analysis: Pratt, who led all true freshman QBS with 20 touchdown passes as a true freshman, could be Tulane's best quarterback since the Shaun King-Patrick Ramsey--J.P. Losman period, but he will need to play better than he did in the spring. Granted, the Green Wave's offense was adjusting to new coordinator Chip Long, his best receivers were hurt and the former offensive line coach left less than a week into drills. Pratt drew the ire of Long several times during practice. Ibieta has excellent arm talent but has not demonstrated the intangibles or feel Pratt possesses to this point. Preseason practice will be pivotal as Pratt and his receivers try to show the chemistry championship-level teams have.

Positive sign if: Pratt is finding Duece Watts and Jha'Quan Jackson for big plays consistently.

Cause for concern if: The misfires that occurred a little too frequently in the spring continue.

RUNNING BACK

Gone: Stephon Huderson, Amare Jones

Returning: Tyjae Spears, Cameron Carroll, Devin Brumfield, Ygenio Booker,

New: Iverson Celestine

Analysis: All eyes will be on Spears to see if he really is 100-percent recovered from the torn ACL he sustained against Southern Miss last September. Tulane always runs effectively under Willie Fritz, but Spears was a true difference maker--easily the best back of the Fritz era. If he regains that form, Tulane will be in good shape.. Carroll is good in own right-a physical back with good vision and underrated speed. Devin Brumfield exhibited an outstanding work ethic in spring drills but is unproven as a productive back. Booker has flashed as a runner/receiver in practice a few times over the years but has been unable to stay healthy and do it in games. At a position that often requires five bodies throughout a full season, Celestine will get a chance to show what he can do.

Positive sign if: Spears looks like he did last August and September, and Brumfield impresses. The Wave needs at least three quyce ality backs.

Cause for concern if: Spears does not have the same agility or explosiveness.

WIDE RECEIVER

Gone: Jacob Robertson, Sorrell Brown, Dane Ledford

Returning: Duece Watts, Jha'Quan Jackson, Phat Watts, Mykel Jones, Jaetavian Toles, Cyron Sutton, Tyrek Presley, Ryan Thompson

New: Shae Wyatt, T.J. Huggins, Bryce Bohanon, Jeff Nwankwo

Analysis: The degree of success for this group will determine what type of season Tulane has more than any other position. It was one of the weakest positions on the team a year ago with next to no experience, but every significant player returns and the Wave added two transfers plus three freshman.. The Watts twins had growing pains coming from junior college, but Duece Watts and Jha'Quan Jackson have the potential to be an excellent combo if they stay healthy. The other guys, quite simply, were not good in 2020, but an extra year of development and the time spend with Pratt could make a huge difference. Can Phat Watts step up? Will Sutton, who participated in spring drills but was not healthy, make the transition from the FCS level to the FBS? Will Wyatt get separation after dominating Division II at Central Missouri? Can Jones show something after disappointing as a grad transfer from Oklahoma? Will Toles' experience pay off? Can Presley, who looks good on the sideline but not when he gets on the field, figure it out? So many questions, so few answers outside of Duece Watts and Jackson.

Positive sign if: Guys other than the two headliners make plays consistently.

Cause for concern if: Drops and separation continue to be an issue for the group as a whole.

TIGHT END

Gone: Keshon Williams

Returning: Tyrick James, Will Wallace, Christian Daniels, Keitha Jones

New: Reggie Brown, Devean Deal

Analysis: Long loves uses tight ends and coached them at all of his previous stops as a full-time coach, so the prospects are bright for an uptick. Look for this group to be much more involved in the passing game. James has been inconsistent but can get open for big plays and appears ready for a breakthrough year. Wallace has plenty of experience, and Daniels is another big-play threat as he continues to learn the position after moving from quarterback. Jones is an effective blocker. Look for this group to be very involved in the passing game.

Positive sign if: The tight ends are targeted consistently in drills

Cause for concern if: Drops, a problem in the past, remain prevalent

OFFENSIVE LINE

Gone: Ben Knutson, Michael Remondet

Returning: Joey Claybrook, Corey Dublin, Sincere Haynesworth, Josh Remetich, Trey Tuggle, Caleb Thomas, Cameron Jackel, Timothy Shafter, Rashad Green, Joseph Solomon, Matt Lombardi, Jackson Fort, Haydan Shook, Hutson Lillibridge

Analysis: It all hinges on the right side of the line,. With Dublin electing to return for his extra COVID year, the left side is rock solid with him in between Claybrook and Haynesworth. There are plenty of candidates at right guard and right tackle, but the winners will need to outperform his level from 2020, when all of them were learning on the job. Green, who was not part of the rotation last year, had a good spring and will be in the mix at guard. too, in what amounts to a free-for-all with as many as four guys competing for one spot. When I had to do the depth charts for Athlon's and Lindy's magazines in the offseason, I had no idea whether what I submitted would turn out to be accurate even though I went to spring practice. The upheaval in the coaching staff at the position also played a factor in the uncertainty. I knew what Cody Kennedy was looking for. I don't know what Chris Watt, who arrived after spring practice started, values the most.

Positive sign if: They establish the two starters on the right side quickly, allowing them time to get plenty of reps with the other three starters.

Cause for concern if: The right side of the line gets beaten consistently in practice.

It's Avery Sledge, a LB from Forrest County High in Brooklyn, Miss, which is near Hattiesburg.

Sledge had offers from La Tech and Southern Miss and does not have any stars from Rivals or 247 Sports. He also plays WR for his team.

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Keanon McNally was good on the phone, so instead of writing a story, here's the full interview. He plays for Kearney High School just outside Kansas City in

What were the main reasons you committed today, and when did Tulane start recruiting you?

"I went down there on (July) 25th and Tulane contacted me about a week before that. It was a super-quick turnaround. That week before they gave me a call, and it was something I really wanted to take up, so I got the flight down there and was able to make it down there in like a week. I got the offer on that Sunday I was down there for the visit. The things that stuck out were honestly just the high level of education and how good of a football program it is to go along with it. It was an opportunity that I just didn't want to miss out on. They obviously weren't taking as many players with COVID and everything (the result of having players return for extra seasons that would not have been available otherwise), so the timeline was very short for me to decide if I wanted to take it or not. I decided that it felt right and that's what I wanted to do."

You are listed as visiting Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska but without scholarship offers from any of them. Is that accurate?

"None of those were scholarship offers. They were all just camps. Nebraska was an individual workout. The three offers I held other than Tulane were Eastern Michigan, Wyoming and South Dakota."

Who was the coach that first contacted you from Tulane?

"Coach Wes Fritz hit me up on twitter, he said something to me, and (offensive line) coach (Chris) Watt actually called me. He told me that they wanted to get me down there and coming down there would be super beneficial and it was very likely I would get an offer if I came down there. Once I heard that, I knew that getting down there was a priority, and we made it happen."

You are the first offensive lineman in this commitment class. What did they say they liked the best about you?

"They just told me they loved my film. Luckily I was able to put together a decent film, and they told me they loved my size and how I moved with the size that I am. It's not too terribly common to have this size and movement."

You are listed at 6-10. Are you 6-10?

""At just about every camp I went to I measured at 6-9, so obviously cleats, roster height, everybody puts that (extra inch). I am accurately 6-9."

How much has that helped you as a football player?

"As a football player obviously being huge is always a good thing and it always helps to be a dominant force. Size in general, especially at the tackle position, wingspan is a big thing and having to cover up so much area, I use my length to an advantage and just being a dominant force when you're this size."

Did you have a big growth spurt at some point or were you always tall for your age?

"I never really had that one big growth spurt. It was kind of just consistent from the get-go. I was always just about a head taller than everybody, and then about sixth, seventh and eighth grade, everybody kind of hit their growth spurts, so I wasn't way taller than everybody, but I've always been the tallest by class."

I just checked, and Tulane has not signed anyone taller than 6-8 in the Rivals era. Your thoughts?

"That's actually pretty awesome."

When did you first start in high school, and how well did you do as a junior?

"I actually didn't get the starting spot on my high school team until about week 3 or week 4. I had a senior ahead of me, so I had a lot to prove throughout practice. I eventually earned my way to the starting spot and took advantage of it ever since, and I maintained it throughout the season. Luckily, my very first start was not a terribly hard game, so it gave me the adrenaline I wanted going into the next game to just keep it rolling. I think I put together a decent junior year that got me to where I am now, but I've improved greatly over the very first start to now."

I assume you are easily the tallest player on your team, and did you play basketball, too.

"Yeah. We have another tackle, a sophomore, and he's about 6-6 and is going to be good, too. I do play basketball for the high school team and I play AAU. That's the only other sport I do. I'm dominant in the post. I'm not a 3-point shooting guy."

What were your impressions of Chip Long?

"I loved him. They were all super cool to me and a big reason why I decided to commit so soon. It was great to get to know them so quickly. I didn't really get a chance to build a relationship with any of those coaches before I came down there obviously, so just getting down there and immediately connecting despite not having that pre-built relationship you usually have when you're going somewhere, they were really all good to me and I liked them all."

Was there a game last year where you really felt like you came into your own?

"Honestly I probably want to say that first game because it wasn't something I exactly planned on. It wasn't really decided until I'd say a day or two before. That first game I just kind of had that initial adrenaline going and just had a really good game."

Going into last year, could you have envisioned yourself being in this position now?

"Oh, absolutely not, not even in the slightest. I'm going to be real. If you would have asked me before the season what I wanted to do, I would have told you basketball, but after my junior season started, I fell in love with it (football). At the end of the season is when I really realized it's what I wanted to do, so I took my season highlights, threw it up on twitter and now I'm where i am."

Where can you improve the most as as senior?

"Honestly just skill work. I feel like I have most of the leadership and all the stuff that goes into it, but it's just the actual skill, just getting better honestly. I know as a senior my best football is ahead of me and it will be a great season."

What type of season did your team have last year?

"We had a very young team. We have a lot of starting juniors and sophomores that are now going to be juniors this upcoming season. We went 5-5 last year, which is not exactly what we wanted, but with a your core of returning starters it's going to be a good season."

What is your best strength on the field?

"I'd just say leadership honestly. It's just what I do for my team. It's my best attribute."

Had you ever visited New Orleans before your visit?

"No, not at all. Probably the closest I've ever been was Florida, and when I got down there, I loved it. It was awesome. I had a great time. I was only there for like 36 hours, but we did a lot and got a lot done and I fell in love with the city. We went on a swamp tour. We stayed like two blocks from Bourbon Street, so we got the Bourbon Street experience. I got to eat some great food down there, and the very next day we were out to Tulane and had the visit to Tulane and we were on a plane by 6 p.m. that night going back to Kansas City. It was a very quick experience, but it was a great one."

Tulane has made three straight bowl games under Willie Fritz. Were you sold on how good the program is?

"Willie obviously coached in Missouri for quite some time, so there's a lot of connections. I know that he has all the accolades to prove he's a great coach, and the three straight bowl games speak for themselves."

Missouri is not in Tulane's typical recruiting area. What does that say about Tulane wanting you?

"It is really cool because there's not a lot of connection other than Willie Fritz to the Missouri area. I don't think there's really any other recruits from Missouri, so it's definitely cool to know there was a little extra done for me to get down there."

Is your recruiting definitely done?

"I'm a 100-percent set. I'm not going anywhere."

WILLIE FRITZ

On how it's gone with new coordinators on both sides of the ball:

"It's been great. Having two new coordinators, luckily we had the advantage of some familiarity with our program with both of them. Chip Long, our new offensive coordinator, has a wealth of experience. He was the offensive coordinator for three years at Notre Dame. He also called the offense when he was at Memphis, and he's also best friends with Will Hall, who was our offensive coordinator the last two years, so there are some similarities between what Chip runs and what we're doing offensively now and what coach Hall did. And then coach Hampton left us for a year. He'd been with us for four seasons, went a year to Duke and is now back. He's very familiar with the players and the structure of how I like to do things. It is new, but there are a lot of experiences both of them have had within the program and understanding how I like to do things."

On how he views realignment as a coach:

"I'm not really looking into that too much. Our athletic director, Troy Dannen, understands exactly what's going on and is going to put Tulane in the best position possible. We also embrace the schedule that we have. When I first came in the league, our conference commissioner wanted us to play a much more difficult schedule and we're doing that. Our guys are excited and pumped up about the opportunity to play if not the best teams in the country, one of the top two or three teams in the preseason ranking with Oklahoma, and we get to do it at home, which doesn't always occur. We're very excited about the schedule we've got in front of us."

On having fans in stands with some sense of normalcy:

"It's very important, especially the stadium that we have. I tell everybody all the time, this is the most intimate setting for a college football game. Every seat is a great seat. Sometimes you're playing in some stadiums and there's kind of a rumor of a game going down there on the field. This is really an excellent stadium. When people come and watch a game on our campus, they want to come back and attend as many as possible, so having a first game against a team like Oklahoma with a packed house is going to help us for years to come."

On vaccination rate and games being forfeited rather than rescheduled when one team is affected by COVID:

"We're very proud of the fact, I believe we were one of 10 schools that played 12 games last year. Our guys did a fantastic job of following all the protocol that was established by our university and the AAC. We're 100-percent vaccinated with our coaching staff and over 90 percent with our players now. That's a good combination, but we still have to be very careful. I think all of us realize that. We're just going to have to make sure we're abiding by all the rules that Tulane and New Orleans and the conference has set for us."

On what the biggest pieces are that he is looking at for 2021:

"We're going to play a lot of guys early. This is by far the most depth that I've ever had here at Tulane. I feel good about it two-deep wise, so we're going to have to be smart as coaches to figure out playing time and who to roll in and who to roll out and then also we're going to have a lot of competition for starting positions during preseason camp. You can go through spring ball, but it's not playing a game. We're goign to actually do three live scrimmages, which is one more than I normally do, and use our first couple of games as well to figure out who's going to be playing the majority of snaps and who's going to come in every second series and every third series. That's something I'm going to have to do a great job of as the head coach, and our three coordinators need to do a great job of that as well."

On Michael Pratt's growth:

"Michael is a fantastic leader on and off the field, very involved with everybody in our program, not just the offensive side of the ball. He did kind of get thrown in there week 3, and from that point forward we didn't look back. There's so many things he does for us not only on the field, but he's more effective off the field in helping the coaching staff build that team atmosphere and the camaraderie that's so important."

On Oklahoma opener again:

"It's really exciting that we have a team of their caliber coming into New Orleans and playing at Yulman Stadium, our stadium that's right on the middle of campus. Our guys are very excited. You always hae everybody's attention week 1 of the season regardless of who you're playing, but there's a little more bounce in their step knowing that we have one of the top teams in the country coming to our stadium."

On linebackers:

"We've got four excellent linebackers coming back. Nick Anderson came in here as a junior college transfer and I think he led our team in tackles last year (actually it was Dorian Williams, but Anderson was second). Dorian Williams is on the Bednarik Watch List for linebackers. When we recruited him, he was 191 pounds. He's now 230 and has a future playing at the next level after Tulane. Marvin Moody has started a ton of games for us at linebacker and he's going to be a super senior for us this upcoming season, and then another super senior we have is Kevin Henry. He had a great year and made tremendous progress in the spring and in the summer with workouts and really taking everything 100 percent serious. It's rare that you have two guys at linebacker. We feel real good about all four of them and will also be able to rolle them into the kicking game as well."

Hahnville offensive lineman. Had an offer from ULL.

The turnaround on an interview with him will not be as fast as the last one, but I will try to reach him this week.

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Here we go:

These are the most accurate numbers (only) I could find on the internet related to the AAC's payouts. This was for 2019-20 fiscal year, next year's numbers will probably suck. But it bears noting that we have went from less than $2 million a year to $5 million a year (+ 150%). Obviously not ACC or Big12 dollars but an order of magnitude greater than what the group of 4 receives.


UCF received $5.359 million as part of its annual revenue payout from the American Athletic Conference.
According to the most recent tax documents available, and obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, the conference reported $111,278,729 in total revenue for the 2019-20 fiscal year. That’s up 52% from the previous year when the league posted total revenue of $73,203,230.
The increase can be attributed to several factors, including a one-time $16.8 million exit fee paid by UConn, which made the decision to move to the Big East last year.
The AAC also received a one-time signing bonus from ESPN as part of its new media-rights deal, which it signed in 2019. That bonus nearly doubled the league’s media-rights revenue from $22.7 million in 2018-19 to $43.9 million in 2019-20.

The 12-year agreement is reportedly worth $1 billion and will be reflected in the next fiscal year. Also reflected in the next fiscal year will be the economic impact of the pandemic.
According to the records, the conference earned $37.2 million from postseason tournaments, including revenue generated from the shares in the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments as well as bowl game payouts along with the league’s share from the College Football Playoff.
Seven teams qualified for bowl games during the 2019-20 season, including Memphis, which earned a spot in a New Year’s Six Access Bowl as the top-ranked team from the Group of Five conferences. UCF defeated Marshall in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa on Dec. 23, 2019.
The league also earned $11.213 million in NCAA sponsorships and grants and $1.077 million in revenue off conference championships.
Memphis led the way in payouts with $8.656 million followed by Cincinnati ($6.2 million), Temple ($5.9 million), SMU ($5.37 million), UCF ($5.35 million), Tulane ($5 million), USF ($4.6 million), East Carolina ($4.59 million), Tulsa ($4.45 million), Houston ($4.43 million), Navy ($3.84 million), and UConn ($1.37 million).
Wichita State, which joined the conference in 2017 as a full member in all sports except football, received a small annual payout of $1.42 million.

I know we have been in a dead period since the end of June. I believe this weekend is the only weekend in July when official visits can take place. After this weekend, official visits cannot resume until the season is over (I think?).

Who will we be hosting? Looking at recent offers, we appear to be aiming at some OT’s. This is one area we have not been successful in June. All of the top guys on our board have committed elsewhere. Losing Malachi Preciado and Cameron East were certainly guys we wanted. I hope we don’t reach. May be better able to fill this position through the portal.

With Tulane's preseason practice beginning Friday, here is the first of a two-part position-by-position preview. I am leaving out the walk-ons because they have not proven they will be factors for playing time.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Gone: De'Andre Williams, Davon Wright

Returning: Jeffery Johnson, Eric Hicks, Adonis Friloux, Alfred Thomas, Nik Hogan, Colby Orgeron

Analysis: Tulane has a solid three-man rotation in Johnson, who briefly entered the transfer portal but changed his mind and looked to be in the best shape of his career at meet-the-team night last week, Hicks, who outplayed Williams last year while taking his starting spot, and Friloux, who showed plenty of potential as a freshman. The question will be if the oft-injured Thomas can stay healthy and be in shape to give the defense the necessary fourth guy at a position that requires frequent substitution. Memphis transfer Jojo (formerly Joseph) Dorceus, who started at NT for the Tigers' bowl game last year, could play here, too, but the need is greater at end, where he spent almost all of his time until that game, so I have him penciled in there. We shall see. Seiden also got time inside last year, but his size says end and Navy and Army, a pair of triple option teams against whom he started inside because of his discipline and attention to detail, are not on the schedule.

Positive sign if: Friloux flashed early and Thomas misses no time in the preseason.

Cause for concern if: Johnson gets hurt. As an immovable presence at nose tackle, he is too valuable to lose.

DEFENSIVE END

Gone: Patrick Johnson, Cam Sample (I know Johnson is technically an OLB or, as Tulane calls it, a joker, but for these purposes I am considering that position an end)

Returning: Angelo Anderson,, Darius Hodges, Carlos Hatcher, Armoni Dixon, Noah Taliancich, Elijah Champaigne, Michael Lunz, Torri Singletary

New: Jojo Dorceus, Parker Peterson

Analysis: There are plenty of bodies here but not many proven difference-makers. Angelo Anderson, who started in place of the absent Johnson in the bowl game, figures to be a star at some point, but is he ready to match Johnson's production this season? Possibly. Darius Hodges started for Sample in the bowl game, but the end spot is wide open and may be where Dorceus starts. His body type (5-11, 265) is not ideal for the position, but he started all of his games there for Memphis last year until the last one after starting at something called Fox in a different scheme in 2019 (where he was more productive than last year). Hatcher will be in the picture, too. He has his career high of five tackles against UCF before getting hurt and missing the last five games of the regular season. Taliancich was hard to evaluate because he missed almost all of practice with an injury. Lunz and Champaigne participated in spring drills, with Lunz the more active of the two. Regardless of who starts, there will be a drop-off from Sample's superb performance from 2020. Pro Football Focus rated him the most valuable lineman in college football.

Positive sign if: Dorceus is an immediate fit wherever he lines up.

Cause for concern if: No one steps up at Sample's spot.

LINEBACKER

Gone: Matthew Hightower

Returning: Marvin Moody, Nick Anderson, Dorian Williams, Kevin Henry, Jesus Machado

New: Mandel Eugene, Corey Platt Jr., Keith Cooper Jr.

Analysis: An embarrassment of riches. Although losing Johnson and Sample hurts, the linebackers can carry this defense a long way. Williams, who led the team in tackles and is the preseason AAC defensive player of the year from at least one outlet., and Nick Anderson, the second-leading tackler, did not even start a year ago, and the guys in front of them, Moody and Henry, are back, too. Machado was impressive in the spring, too. Finding time for all five guys at two spots will be difficult. but with Williams and Anderson leading the way, the Green Wave will have playmakers on the field at all times at this position. The three freshmen will have a year to develop before any of them are needed.

Positive sign if: It's all good at this position. The only potential negative would be injuries.

Cause for concern if: It's hard to imagine there being a cause for concern here. The three freshman will have a year to develop.

CORNERBACK

Gone: Willie Langham

Returning: Jaylon Monroe, Lance Robinson, Ajani Kerr, Kevaris Hall, Kiland Harrison, Levi Williams Reggie Neely

New: D.J. Douglas, Jadan Canady, Kolby Phillips, Bailey Despanie

Analysis: With Kerr returning for an extra COVID-granted grant year to play nickelback (presumably), Robinson, a transfer from Kansas State, and Monroe, another player taking the extra COVID year, are the likely starters after working with the first team in the spring. Kevaris Hall showed potential last season, beginning with his game-turning interception return against Southern Miss. Douglas, who may begin drills at nickel, is intriguing as a walk-on at Alabama who received a scholarship to come to Tulane. The other guys will try to get in the mix at what was a weak position last season, particularly in obvious passing situations.

Positive sign if: Monroe plays with confidence and Robinson lives up to high lofty high school ratings.

Cause for concern if: The wide receivers win plenty of jump balls in the practice. Failing to make plays when they were in position hurt the cornerbacks a year ago.

SAFETY

Gone: Chase Kuerschen

Returning: Larry Brooks, Cornelius Dyson, Derrion Rakestraw, Macon Clark, Shi'Keem Laister, Kanyon Walker

New: No one.

Analysis: With Clark competing with Kerr for the starting nickel spot, look for Rakestraw and Dyson to battle at free safety opposite Brooks at strong safety. The edge goes to Rakestraw because of his experience, but Dyson, who was mostly effective as a true freshman despite playing the position for the first time in his life, will have a significant role. ulane needs much better play in critical situations this year after losing multiple games in 2020 due to secondary mistakes, and if Rakestraw builds on a solid spring, the talent is there. Clark could be a strong factor, too, depending on his status at nickel. He had a strong spring and introduced himself as a safety at the meet-the-team night last week.

Positive sign if: The safeties make plays in the preseason rather than giving up big ones.

Cause for concern if: Rakestraw, still new to the program, and Dyson, still learning the position, look lost at times against Michael Pratt and company.

New commitment from Missouri High School. Off Tackle--6'10 - 285 lbs

Lake Charles (La.) College Prep WR Keshlon Jackson is moving closer toward a decision with a handful of in-state contenders as well as Memphis and Arkansas in the mix

The latest on Jackson ahead of a busy stretch of visits and a decision on the way: https://n.rivals.com/news/louisiana-wr-keshlon-jackson-close-to-a-decision

Just posted one on Jaylin Lucas.

Jordan Anthony, a WR from Tylertown, MS that we had offered, has committed to Kentucky.

Zailen Henry, a LB we offered from Dothan, AL, has committed to USM.

Jacob Williams, a LS from Ocean Springs, MS, has been offered by the Wave.

Wayne Picou used to harp about how Tulane’s AAU membership might get them into a bigger conference. He never quite articulated why that’s important to an athletic conference but he seemed to think it was crucial. Apparently it is crucial to the Big 10. Has anyone ever heard of this being a factor before? For the record I’m in no way suggesting we would be a candidate for the Big 10, I’m just asking generally why it’s important

https://www.heartlandcollegesports....dq1rj2ZZQ2SOGW08qED1NjiHek-gg2kwoKWx7KdvipJF4

Exactly 28 years ago, when Midnight Madness was all the rage for the opening men's basketball practices, the University of Florida billed its first workout as Meet the Team Night. Lon Kruger was entering his fourth season as the Gators' coach and was coming off a dismal loss in the first round of the 1993 SEC basketball tournament to an Ole Miss team Florida had beaten 94-47 in their only regular-season meeting, ending the Gators' long-shot NCAA hopes and setting up a first-round NIT defeat the following week. Outside expectations for 1993-94 were not high, and the NCAA having shortened the shot clock to 35 seconds from 45 seconds appeared to be doing the deliberate Gators no favors. In a bit of snark as the practice began in front of media and a modest crowd at the O'Connell Center, I turned to the reporter next to me and joked they could have attracted more people by billing the event as "Beat the Team" night and invited five fans from the stands to come down and see if they were better than the Gators. There was plenty of guffawing about that one.

Florida proceeded to go 29-8, reach the Final Four for the first time in its history and even lead Duke and Grant Hill in the semifinals in Charlotte for a good while before its dream season finally ended. In other words, I could not have been more wrong in my estimation of the team's worth.

Overall, my track record on preseason predictions is pretty good, but I've had some flashbacks to that night in Gainesville with my AAC preseason picks recently. in 2018, I tabbed Navy as the surprise winner of the West. The Midshipmen went 1-7 in league play. In 2019, I tabbed Tulane as the surprise winner of the West after it tied for first at 5-3 the year before. Despite rallying from a 28-7 deficit to stun Houston on the fake kneel down/Jalen McCleskey touchdown two-play combo in September, the Wave finished 3-5. Thank goodness the AAC eliminated divisions last year--I correctly picked Cincinnati to win the league--but clearly my opinion in July frequently has not amounted to much.

Yes, that's a long preamble to discount my picks this time. Although I really like what Willie Fritz has done and is doing with his program, I don't see the long-awaited breakthrough coming this season. It's certainly possible with a quarterback like Michael Pratt, an offensive coordinator with the credentials of Chip Long and a needed change at defensive coordinator after some unfathomable secondary collapses in critical situations last year. But I can't call for a championship with Cincinnati and UCF on the schedule while lifeless Temple and predicted second-tier Navy are off of it. Preseason expectations often do not pan out, but the conference schedule certainly appears to be unfriendly. In addition to the Bearcats and Knights (league favorite Cincy comes to Yulman and the Wave plays at UCF, which is the wrong combination), Tulane plays at Memphis, which has beaten it by the composite score of 103-43 in two road meetings under Fritz, and plays at SMU, which has won all five of its meetings with Fritz in incredible excruciating fashion. After finishing below .500 in AAC games for four of Fritz's five years, it's a big ask to make a dramatic rise with this schedule, particularly with the graduation of bookends Cam Sample and Patrick Johnson.

The scenario for success involves Pratt and receivers Duece Watts, Jha'Quan Jackson and company grooving to Long's system right off the bat, linebacker Dorian Williams living up to preseason AAC defensive player of the year billing (by one outlet) and the defense playing with the confidence it strangely lacked in a bizarre 2020 that featured two of the most inexplicable defeats in school history (Navy, Tulsa).

Here are my picks:

1) Cincinnati--I predicted Desmond Ridder as Offensive Player of the Year in 2020. He still has doubters, but the doubters are wrong. Will the defense be as good without its standout coordinator?

2) UCF--This team was hit hard by COVID last year, and replacing Heupel with Malzahn is a plus in my book after two year of losing games the Knights should have won.

3) Houston--the Cougars do not face Cincinnati or UCF, and two of their road games are against predicted bottom feeders USF and Temple.

4) SMU--If I had another shot at this, I might downgrade the Mustangs, who do not play Temple and ECU, but they always fare better than I expect under Sonny Dykes.

5) Tulane--I was convinced I was right two years ago when I picked the Wave first in the West. If I'm just as wrong in this prediction, it will be good for the Wave.

6) Memphis--Not a believer in that defense or coach Ryan Silverfield, who had an exodus of transfers, but the talent at the skill positions is always high.

7) Navy--If the Middies find a quarterback, they will move up. If they don't, seventh might be too high. Their offense was awful last year except for one half against Tulane.

8) Tulsa--the Golden Hurricane had a legitimately outstanding defense last year, but how much of it was due to Zaven Collins? My guess: a ton.

9) East Carolina--If Mike Houston is as good a coach as those in the know insist he is, the turnaround for this once proud program will start now. But I did not like what I saw a year ago.

10) USF--The Bulls have to be better than they were the past two years, but even significant improvement would leave them near the bottom of the league.

11) Temple--Man, the bottom dropped out on this program really fast. The constant coaching changes finally caught up the Owls, who also lost a slew of tranfers.

Apparently there was some news in the Houston Chronicle about Oklahoma and Texas talking about going to the SEC. Has anyone heard about this? Thoughts? Is this good for Tulane and/or the AAC? Disaster? Nothing...

After taking more vacation time in one summer than in any other year of my life, I am back and will not be going anywhere (other than, hopefully, multiple Tulane road games) through Christmas. If you want to email me about what was going on in my life, feel free to do so and I will give a full reply, but my family needed time away after a very rough COVID year (not as much for me as for my wife's side of the family). There are two commitment spotlights up on the front page (the interview with Jackson Long was conducted over the phone poolside at a San Antonio motel), representing my sole content over the past few weeks.

Tulane's opener with Oklahoma is 41 days away. And, of course, Oklahoma also is in the news along with Texas for a reported imminent decision to join the SEC that could have dramatic effects on college football in general and Tulane specifically, with the top teams in the AAC being raided by the remnants of the Big 12 or, more hopefully, the reverse, with Big 12 teams joining the AAC (I think the former is more likely than that the latter, but let's see how it plays out). The best case scenario for Tulane in my view would be for this all to turn into posturing and the ultimate decision of Oklahoma and Texas to remain in the Big 12, as unlikely as that may appear at this point. Tulane still is not in any position to call any shots in conference realignment and would be at the mercy of others. Having Mike Aresco as conference commissioner is a huge plus, though, because he is really good at his job and will give the AAC the best possible chance in any free-for-all that happens. The problem is all the AAC schools that have been looking to jump at the first opportunity all along. There's no historical connection between any of the teams like there is in the remainder of the Big 12.

I wanted to do an interview with Fritz before I left town for three weeks on July 4, but I ran out of time. That should not be an issue going forward. I have a good relationship with the coaches and the SID staff.

Tulane's early recruiting class is rated considerably higher this year than last, with seven 3-star guys out of nine as compared to eight out of 17 from the finished 2021 class and with the Green Wave beating out higher caliber programs for their services. I credit Chip Long's presence for a lot of it, with five of the seven 3-star prospects on offense. His cache as a successful former Notre Dame coordinator is paying dividends. Cleary, Tulane has momentum, but it will not be easy for a breakthrough in the AAC with Cincinnati and UCF (the projected top two teams) on the schedule and Navy and Temple (a potential bottom feeder and the consensus pick for last place) falling off. The Wave will have to be much better than it was the last three years to contend in 2021 (EDIT: I wrote 2022 originally, but it only seems like I've been gone for more than a year), which is possible but not easy.

It’s up on the official site. As usual players have changed numbers. I didn’t notice anyone significant missing but I looked quickly.
The amount of walk ons in the program now has to be a recent record. A lot of new ones this year.

New Commitment- Nice offers

Rivals 3 Star-Tulane new commitment.