The Process Ft Trey Murphy III

Ethen Meyers • August 8, 2022

Sure There is Bigger News

        I woke up today and saw the news of Cale Gundy resigning, and didn't have a clue who he was prior to the headlines. My day continued into the Dejounte Murray and Paolo Banchero beef that only gets weirder. Then, the unfortunate news of Jameis Winston tweaking his ankle in 7 on 7 drills which appears and is hopefully nothing. Finally it was all capped all of that off with the fact that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson nearly instantly had the answer of "Megan Thee Stallion" to a question of "What celebrity would you want to be the pet of?" and Kevin Hart seemingly like he has heard that before:

I know The Rock said don't ask, and honestly if you need to then maybe just forget it happened at all.  None of that stopped my desire to write about our Pelican daily content provided Trey "Trigga" Murphy.

Rookie Year, Rookie Mistakes?

        Obviously, the coaching staff saw something in Trey that they weren't quite ready to force him to work through mistakes despite allowing Herb Jones to start. I don't know how often to happens, but a 2nd round pick starting over a 1st round pick in the same draft class their rookie year likely isn't something you see happening every year. We saw glimpses of Trey here and there but it seemed his ability to carve out consistent minutes was an uphill battle and we never saw the other side of the hill he was climbing. Despite this, he still won the admiration of many even making sure a creator and fan got credit where it was due:

        I can't think off the top of my head anything Trey did wrong yet still we saw plenty of Garret Temple minutes instead of him. We even saw the coaching staff move Jaxson Hayes to a 4 and get starting minutes when it was clear Jax was not perfect and hit or miss if he showed up to play consistently. All of this, inconsistent playing time, and Trey still came out and shot like he was drafted to do leading all rookies in 3pt percentage. The best part of it all? None of this deterred Trey, and if you have seen Summer League or even the cell phone footage in games during his down time it is evident, Trigga is not playing around any more.

New Year, New Player

        Coming out of college being touted as a "bigtime shooter" but severely lacking in awareness to rebound effectively despite his size. Lacks the ability to find teammates, lacks good positioning on defense, and lacks a ball handling skill set. There seemed to be only one thing Trey could offer, shooting, but if you watched Summer League he came to be better and clearly worked on all the things he "lacked". One of the biggest things I saw repeated on a few draft profiles was Trey himself didn't quite understand what he was capable of and lacked confidence. I think this was the only rookie mistake the coaching staff was not willing to let him work through. Based on what we have seen since then, Trey has been a gym rat and looks more comfortable and capable in his frame that offers more agility than most guys who are 6'10 and in the NBA. Check out a few quick clips from the summer:

All Part of The Process

        Despite not playing as much as I think a lot of fans wanted, I still think the coaching staff made the right decision limiting Trey's minutes early on. Battling a demon like confidence in one self is something that can take a toll on a player even if they have been playing in the NBA for more than just their rookie year. Guys come back from injury and their confidence in their body or even if they will still play at the same level is something we have seen before. Trey battled and persevered through everything he "lacked" and is ready to come back and put the league on notice and remind everyone of something he realized, he was drafted in the first round for a reason. Watching Summer Trigga I can't help but think of the Kanye sample from his song "Stronger":


Work it, make it, do it
Makes us harder, better, faster, stronger


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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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