Bayou Boy: Derek Carr Rejuvenated

Ethen Meyers • September 24, 2023

Derek Carr

        Quarterback Derek Carr was California born, attended college in California, and wound up a pro on a California team. The Raiders may have packed up and went to Vegas, but it may have been around that time that Carr realized that not only were the Raiders due for a change of scenery, but maybe he was too. Carr lasted three seasons in Vegas before he found his way down to the bayou in hopes to revitalize his career, and give his former head coach in Dennis Allen the fair shake they thought they deserved his rookie year.

        We are only two games in, but I think one thing is ringing true, Derek Carr would have won a lot more games with even a mediocre defense. Sitting at 2-0 and looking at going head-to-head with a young inexperienced QB for the second week in a row, Carr is still looking to prove some doubters wrong. It feels like Carr is getting just as much hype as he is hate as some folks compare his first two games as a Saint to HOF Saints QB Drew Brees, while others do not consider him an upgrade over his current backup Jameis Winston. Either way you look at it, it feels like an unfair comparison, I am personally a big fan of letting a player be a player, and leave the comparisons at the door.

        I could throw stats at you, bore you with how he did this and that, but this isn't about that. This is about Derek Carr showing that not only does he want to play here, but it looks like he is loving his time here. When you bring a guy in to be the leader of your offense, that can go a whole lot further than just having some talent. The stats he has today will not be the stats he has tomorrow, and he can only get things like timing and in game decisions down by being in that beloved black and gold.

        A pro bowler 4 times one as recent as last year. Votes for league MVP in just his 3rd year. It feels crazy that he is somehow already 31, but also only 31. He has a lot of tread left on his shoulders and a lot of energy to give. Carr still has a lot to prove; a lot to prove to the fanbase that has embraced him, a lot to prove to the league, and a lot to prove to himself. Time will tell where Carr ranks as a Saints QB long term, but either way he is our QB1 and we are rocking with him.

-Ethen Meyers @BeInTheKneaux

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Football player in red kicks as teammate kneels on field during game, crowd blurred in background
By Patrick Harkness August 20, 2026
K 
Jackson Courville- Ohio State 
He committed on January 12, 2026 (after entering the portal January 2) and is now on Tulane’s 2026 roster as a redshirt junior (#96, 5’10”, 185 lbs) from Centerville, OH (Centerville HS). 
Here’s why Courville aligns so well with the Green Wave program: 
• Proven Leg Strength and Clutch MAC Production
: In two seasons as Ball State’s starting kicker (2023-24), he went 26-of-34 on field goals (76.5%) and 54-of-56 on extra points. Highlights include a game-winning 52-yard FG as time expired vs. Northern Illinois (2024), his career long, plus multiple makes from 50+ yards. He was automatic inside 40 yards and showed the power and accuracy Tulane needs after the departure of standout Patrick Durkin. 
• P4 Experience and Fresh Start
: After battling for the job at Ohio State in 2025 (limited to just 4 XPs in one appearance), he brings valuable Big Ten reps and camp competition experience. Now at Tulane, he’s locked in a competitive spring battle with Cooper Helmke and Zach Marini. 
• Immediate Depth and Competition in a Reloading Unit
: Tulane aggressively addressed special teams via the portal after losing Durkin. Courville arrives as a high-upside veteran with two years of eligibility left, ready to compete for the starting job and provide reliable kicking depth right away. 
In short, Jackson Courville is a smart, high-character portal pickup who brings proven production, big-leg power, and built-in chemistry with the offense to a position group that needed reinforcements. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X
Dagan Bruno football player in teal helmet, number 14, during action pose with name and stats graphic.
By Patrick Harkness August 20, 2026
Dagan Bruno: The Local Walk-On Made Some Noise in Tulane’s Quarterback Room during Spring Camp Dagan Bruno is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound redshirt sophomore quarterback wearing No. 14 for the Tulane Green Wave. A Preferred Walk-On from New Orleans and John Curtis Christian School, the hometown product has steadily transformed from scout-team specialist into a legitimate competitor in the quarterback room under head coach Will Hall. Bruno arrived at Tulane as a late addition to the 2024 class after a standout multi-sport career at John Curtis. As a junior in 2022, he helped lead the Patriots to a Division I Select state championship and was named the most outstanding player in the title game. In his senior season he completed over 72 percent of his passes for 1,504 yards with 13 touchdowns and just one interception while adding 527 rushing yards and eight scores. A true three-sport athlete who also excelled in basketball and baseball, Bruno maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout high school. At Tulane he redshirted in 2024 and spent the bulk of his first two seasons running the scout-team offense, particularly the triple-option looks used by Army and Navy. His experience in John Curtis’s split-back veer made him uniquely valuable in preparing the defense. Playing time was limited, and the lack of consistent reps tested his confidence. Everything changed in spring 2026. Bruno forced his way into the conversation with accurate, decisive play. In the final spring scrimmage he went 5-of-5 for 69 yards, capping the day with a perfect 40-yard touchdown strike down the sideline to Antwaun Parham. Coach Will Hall was emphatic in his praise: “You can win with Dagan Bruno. This is not some feel-good story anymore… Dagan can play. I love his competitive spirit. He’s a tough guy, a winner and a leader.” Bruno has made it clear he wants to shed the “option quarterback” label. “A lot of people tried to push me into being the option quarterback guy,” he said. “I’m trying to break away from that a little bit and become a real quarterback that can go out there and throw the ball around, make the right checks and just do everything right.” Heading into fall camp and the 2026 season, Bruno sits in a competitive four-man race alongside Zeon Chriss-Gremillion, Kadin Semonza, and true freshman Trace Johnson. While the early days of camp have been a mixed bag for him after his strong spring, his accuracy, athleticism, toughness, and local knowledge continue to make him a valuable piece of the room. Whether he earns the starting job, serves as a key backup, or provides package plays, the John Curtis product has already proven he belongs. For a preferred walk-on who stayed home and kept working when the spotlight was elsewhere, Dagan Bruno’s rise is a classic New Orleans football story, one that Green Wave fans should watch closely. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X
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