Riding a New Wave
Capped off by an unprecedented two-year run, in which the program soared to new heights, 23 wins, a conference title, and Cotton Bowl victory, the Willie Fritz era is officially over.
With Tulane firmly established as one of the premier Group of Five programs in college football, the Green Wave now turn to former Troy head coach Jon Sumrall to continue building on the momentum Fritz created in Uptown New Orleans.
Sumrall joins Tulane as one of the most successful young coaches in college football. Oddly, the 42-year-old Huntsville, Alabama native is also Tulane's 42nd coach in program history. The former Tulane co-defensive coordinator (2012-14) led Troy to a pair of Sun Belt Conference championships and a 23-4 record during his two years with the Trojans.
Returning to New Orleans, Sumrall inherits a much more advantageous situation than what his predecessor took over. The program's success is attracting impressive talent like never before, and the conference is more wide open than ever. With the departure of four of the American Athletic's heavyweights in the past two years (Cincinnati, Houston, Central Florida, and Southern Methodist), there have never been fewer roadblocks for the Green Wave to perennially dominate the conference and maybe eventually earn a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff one day.
Offense
Tulane's offensive attack will be led by new coordinator Joe Craddock, who coached under Sumrall at Troy. Craddock brings years of experience to the role, previously also serving as offensive coordinator for former AAC rival SMU, as well as Arkansas. At SMU, Craddock revitalized the Mustang offense, which finished last in scoring in college football the year prior to his arrival and rose to 12th in the nation by his third season.
Craddock is joined by several new skill players from the transfer portal, including former five-star high school quarterback Ty Thompson. Serving primarily as a backup the past three seasons at Oregon, Thompson threw for 456 yards and six touchdowns in Eugene. Thompson will challenge redshirt junior Kai Horton for the quarterback position this fall. Horton served as Michael Pratt's backup the past few seasons and threw for 485 yards and three touchdowns last year.
The Green Wave welcomed a trio of transfer receivers, all former highly ranked recruits. Mario Williams (Southern California), Shazz Preston (Alabama), and Khai Prean (LSU) join Tulane's leading returning receiver Yulkeith Brown in New Orleans. Last season, Brown hauled in 28 catches for 328 yards and touchdowns. Williams is the most accomplished of the transfer receivers, with 104 receptions, 1,316 yards, and 11 touchdowns over three years at USC and Oklahoma, but all three have yet to truly live up to the lofty expectations coming out of high school.
In the Tulane backfield, American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year Makhi Hughes returns after an electric inaugural collegiate campaign. Hughes rushed for a conference best 1,378 rushing yards with seven touchdowns. He's joined in the backfield by Shaadie Clayton-Johnson.
Defense
At Troy, Sumrall's two teams were known for their ferocious, stingy defenses that attacked opposing offenses, while allowing few scores. That's why it made sense when Sumrall enlisted another familiar face in Greg Gasparato to run the defense. Gasparato, who served as Troy's defensive coordinator last season, takes over one of the best defenses in the league. Tulane's unit led the American Athletic in rush defense (113.4 yards per game) and finished second in scoring defense (20.5 points per game) last year.
The defensive line features one of the most formidable defenders in the league in tackle Patrick Jenkins. He's joined by tackle Eric Hicks and defensive ends Matthew Fobbs-White and Angelo Anderson. The linebacking corps returns Tulane's top two tacklers from last season, Jesus Machado and Tyler Grubbs.
The Green Wave secondary will feature plenty of new faces this season, with several transfers and new recruits joining the ranks. Cornerback Caleb Ransaw (Troy) appears to be the most fearsome of the bunch, along with Lu Tillery (Louisiana Monroe) and Jalen Geiger (Kentucky). Safety Bailey Despanie, third on the team in tackles last season, is one of the few returning impact contributors in this group.
Prediction
The season may get off to a rocky start with matchups against Kansas State and at Oklahoma in the first three weeks, but the rest of the schedule is very winnable. Avoiding UT San Antonio this year is beneficial, and the regular season finale against Memphis could determine who makes the conference championship game.
A successful foundation has been laid for Tulane football over the past eight years but that does not make Sumrall's role any less arduous. The Green Wave are in the midst of a Golden Era of Tulane football and expectations have never been higher. Sumrall must not only maintain the current state of the program but also elevate it in the years to come.
Tulane: 11-3, American Athletic Championship Runner-Up, Frisco Bowl
