The Green Wave are 3-4 and coming off a 42-19 home loss to UTSA, with an offense that has yet to find consistent identity and a defense that has been uneven outside of one strong night against Memphis. None of that has slowed the work on the 2027 recruiting staff trail.

On October 26, Tulane landed one of its highest-profile additions of the cycle when interior offensive lineman Caleb Unger committed.

The 6-2, 300-pound prospect from Madison-Ridgeland Academy in Madison, Mississippi, holds an 89 grade from 247Sports and ranks as one of the top interior linemen in his state. He is the highest-rated pledge in Tulane's 2027 class to date and arrives after previously committing to Mississippi State before decommitting earlier in the summer.

Unger chose the Green Wave over offers that included Mississippi State (De-Commit), LSU, Colorado, and others. He pointed to the environment and the relationships he built. "Just being around the family vibe, seeing what they have going on in that school, it has me relieved," he said. "I trust Coach Hall and Coach Kennedy. I can tell they love me and want me to be a part of what they're building." He added that it mattered that "they wanted me for me" rather than treating him as a fallback option. Tulane sold him on a legitimate chance to compete for early playing time if he enrolls in January and works, which aligned with his preference not to have anything handed to him.

Scouts see a high-floor interior lineman who plays with leverage, quickness, and technical soundness. He can beat defenders to the spot, climb to the second level, and sustain blocks with strong hand placement and footwork. While he may not check every ideal measurables box, his pad level, balance, and motor give him a path as a multi-year starter at the Group of Five or Power Four level, with some projecting him as a candidate at center.

He has been a productive starter and leader on a competitive Madison-Ridgeland Academy line.

This commitment fits a larger pattern.

Tulane's 2027 class has grown into the low-to-mid 20s in commits and has ranked near the top of the American Conference for much of the cycle. The staff has continued adding pieces on both sides of the ball even while the current team has searched for consistency on Saturdays. Recruiting has been one of the clearer strengths of the program through the transition from Jon Sumrall to Will Hall, and Unger's pledge is another data point that the evaluation and relationships are still producing results.

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Tulane Recruiting Trail — Part 2

That said, a commitment in late October is not a signed letter of intent. Prospects flip, official visits continue, and the full picture of any class is not locked until the early signing period in December or the traditional National Signing Day in February. Programs across the country have learned that the hard way in recent cycles.

Tulane's 2027 group looks solid on paper right now, and Unger gives it a clear interior line building block, but the only number that ultimately matters is the one that appears on the signed roster.

The on-field product still has to improve if the program wants to keep converting the talent it is bringing in. A 3-4 record through seven games, with an offense averaging roughly 20 points and struggling to generate consistent explosives or protection, does not sell itself. The staff's ability to develop players like Trace Johnson, stabilize the line, and produce more reliable Saturdays will determine whether future classes stay on board or look elsewhere.

Recruiting momentum can outrun short-term results for a while, but it rarely does forever.

For now, the Green Wave have added a physical, high-character interior lineman who sees a fit in New Orleans and a chance to play early. That is a win on the trail. It becomes a real win for the program when Unger, and the rest of the class, are on campus and the results on the field start matching the evaluations that got them there.

Until then, nothing is final.

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