After a crushing 41-10 defeat against the University of Mississippi and the departure of beloved head coach Jon Sumrall, the Tulane University football team’s focus now shifts to the offseason. Although in this new era of college football, one that more closely resembles NFL free agency, Tulane’s squad has already been shaken up. For better or worse? Only time will tell as coach Will Hall takes the wheel.
The Tulane defense has already been mostly gutted. Some of the biggest losses were defensive linemen Santana Hopper, Harvey Dyson and Jordan Norman, three players who consistently made big plays, leading the team in sacks and tackles for loss.
It didn’t stop there; the secondary took perhaps the most surprising hits with the departures of cornerback Jahiem Johnson and nickel back Javion White. Johnson, a redshirt sophomore starting for the first time, recorded 42 tackles, a team-best four interceptions, and a team-high nine breakups this season. White, a sophomore, intercepted two passes in the opener against Northwestern University and finished with 50 tackles.
The Green Wave also lost depth on the offensive side with the departures of quarterback Donovan Leary, running backs Javin Gordon and Zuberi Mobley, wide receiver Shazz Preston, who recently announced he will be transferring to the undefeated University of Indiana, Omari Hayes and tight ends Anthony Miller and Justyn Reid.
The offensive line also saw significant turnover with the departures of Shadre Hurst, a three-year starter at left guard, along with Landry Cannon, Jayce Mitchell, Darion Reed and Ananias Harris.
However, it is not all doom and gloom for the Green Wave. A few key players have confirmed they will return for another season, including running back Jamauri McClure. The redshirt first-year rushed for 490 yards in the final five games with a 100-plus-yard performance against the University of North Texas in the American Conference Championship, establishing himself as a potential star. Jack Tchienchou will also be returning, the Most Outstanding Player from the conference championship game, who also led the Green Wave in tackles on the season.
Also returning is linebacker Dickson Agu, who was poised to have a great season before suffering an ACL injury in the league opener, and linebacker Chris Rodgers, who finished with 80 tackles and seven stops for loss. Other confirmed returnees include redshirt first-year Reese Baker, who started all but one game at right tackle, and reserve linebacker Makai Williams with 40 tackles.
Hall now faces the dual challenge of retaining current talent while simultaneously bringing in transfer portal additions and high school recruits to fill the gaps. The transfer portal era has fundamentally changed college football roster management, and this Tulane team was not immune to the challenges college programs face nationwide in player retention.
For Tulane, this offseason will be critical in determining whether the program can maintain its recent success or whether the exodus of talent will set it back.
All eyes will be on how Hall constructs his first Tulane roster and whether the Green Wave can remain competitive in the American Conference.