Tulane vs Southeastern Week 1 Preview

Patrick Harkness • August 29, 2024

Tulane Week 1 Preview: Southeastern Louisiana vs. Tulane Green Wave

Spread: Tulane -27 

Total: 53.5


Football is back, baby! Tulane kicks off the season opener this Thursday night at 7 PM in Yulman Stadium. There are a lot of questions on my mind that will hopefully be answered, such as: How are our three quarterbacks looking, and how will they perform under pressure? Will we be a run-heavy team with an experienced offensive line? Which receivers will step up and solidify themselves as the top options? How does our new defensive front look, and how many sacks will the defensive line rack up? Can Sam Howard and company step up in place of the injured Jesus Machado? And last but not least, who will emerge from this intriguing, transfer-driven secondary to claim the DB1 and DB2 spots?


Offensive Preview


Quarterback (QB)


Who is QB1? This might be a two-quarterback system until someone steps up and takes control. Mensah, a redshirt freshman with wheels, is the shiny new toy everyone's excited about, but we haven't seen him in action yet. Expect some early mistakes, but what I really want to see is how he handles those mistakes. Can he stay calm, cool, and collected, ready to move on if he fumbles or throws a pick? Let's see if Mensah can stay poised in the pocket, and if nothing’s there, use his legs to make a play without forcing anything into coverage. It’s going to be a handoff-heavy day, but I’d love to see him utilized in some rollout play-action plays. If nothing’s open, tuck it and run. Overall, Mensah has tremendous promise, possessing that 'it' factor, as Jon Sumrall himself has stated. 


Next up is Ty Thompson. This guy has a cannon, and I’ve heard he’s been improving week by week. His accuracy has always been a question mark, but I’m eager to see how he operates this offense. The question is can he step up in the huddle, get the guys going, and be a leader? There’s no doubt he has all the potential in the world; he just needs to show it.


Running Back


What should we expect from this running back room? MAKHI, MAKHI, MAKHI! This guy is a baller and looks ready to pick up right where he left off last season. His running style is reminiscent of Maurice Clarett from Ohio State back in 2002—only faster. Expect a lot of ground-and-pound football in this game. We have three very capable backups: Shadie Clayton-Johnson, who will be the first off the bench and primarily serve as a third-down back/change of pace guy. Look for him to be a receiving threat out of the backfield, especially in the screen game. Arnold Barnes, who had an impressive spring and looks poised to take a significant step forward this year. He's definitely a between-the-tackles, lower-your-shoulder type of runner, perfect for grinding out those tough short yards. Expect him to give Makhi a breather every so often. And last but not least, Trey Cornist, my fellow Ohioan who’s made great strides during the offseason. He’s a bruising type of runner, and while it may be tough for him to see the field, when he does, you can be sure to see him pull a few truck sticks.


Wide Receiver


We’ve got three guys battling for the outside receiver spot: Dante Fleming, Shazz Preston, and Yulkeith Brown—all former transfers. Dante has had a great offseason, and I expect him to line up outside. But don’t blink; this guy has some serious takeoff speed. Hopefully, we’ll see some nice touch passes down the sideline for six from both QBs. Yulkeith Brown is another speedster with great return ability. He stepped up last year when Tulane’s receivers went down with injuries. We need to get the ball in his hands with some space and let him work. Shazz Preston, the former Alabama wideout, has been injured these past few weeks, and it’s unclear if he’ll play, but he’s another exciting piece in this WR room. 


The slot position could be the most exciting one this year. Mario Williams, a former USC transfer, has all the potential in the world. Look for quick passes, screens, or maybe even some jet sweeps out of the backfield. Let the man cook. Multiple players could be backing up Mario or lining up as the fourth slot: Yulkeith, Shazz when he gets healthy, Bryce Bohanon, or Phatt Watts. Bryce is the type of receiver you’d love to see on third downs—great hands and an innate sense of where the sticks are.


Tight End


This is Alex Bauman’s room for the next two years, but keep an eye out for 12 personnel this year while our QB room is still sorting itself out. Reggie Brown has impressed this year and looks to snag some catches away from Bauman. With a young QB, the tight end can quickly become a favorite target, racking up yards and catches. Don’t be surprised if Bauman has some big games early on. Blake Gunter and Josh Goines could also become significant receiving threats if our starters get any bumps or bruises.


Offensive Line


Tulane comes in with one of the most experienced offensive lines in college football this year, featuring Derrick Graham (left tackle), Shadre Hurst (left guard), Vincent Murphy (center), Josh Remetich (right guard), and Rashad Green (right tackle). What should we expect in this first game? Dominance. All five of these guys are more than capable of handling their own in both the run and pass game against this FCS opponent. The true test comes against KState and Oklahoma.


Offensive Review


Expect a lot of ground-and-pound early and often. We shouldn’t have to rely too much on the QBs in this game, but hopefully, we’ll get to see what these guys can do. The offensive playbook may be pretty conservative in this first game, with Kansas State and Oklahoma up next, but down the road, I’d love to see this offense spread out in a lot of 4-5 WR sets when Shazz returns, utilizing these speedy receivers. A heavy dose of ground-and-pound football with play-action should open the field up for the Tulane Green Wave offense.


Defensive Preview


3-3-5 Defense


Bandit/Pass-Rushing Defensive End: 


These guys are lined up on the defensive line edge, standing up with no hand in the dirt. Terrel Allen, last year’s FCS sack leader, will likely get the bulk of the snaps. Expect to see him in the QB’s face a lot this game. I’m looking forward to seeing him match up against FBS-level offensive linemen later in the season. Matthew Fobbs-White will also see some snaps as a rotational piece—a reliable depth player if something happens to Allen.


Defensive End


 Adin Huntington is a beast. If you haven’t seen him, you should Google him. Freak of nature—this dude would eat glass. He transferred from ULM and was in the top 5 in college football for pressures on QBs. Expect more of the same this year. He’s rumored to be dealing with an injury, so we’ll see if he suits up. If not, Angelo Anderson, one of Willie Fritz’s best recruits from five years ago and a native New Orleanian, is a very good depth piece who could come in and start if needed. Desahun Batiste, the former Troy DE, has a lot of potential and will be fun to watch down the road, but he probably won’t see a lot of play this season.


Defensive Line - 3-Tech/Rushing Defensive Tackle


 Pat Jenkins, the star from the Cotton Bowl, and Kam Hamilton will be key pass-rushers in this game. Jenkins will be playing no matter what, but keep an eye on Hamilton to take a leap this year after recording 4 sacks in limited action last season.


Defensive Line - Nose Tackle/Run-Stuffers


Eric Hicks and Adonis Friloux are the big boys clogging up the middle to stop the run. Adonis is looking to bounce back after an injury last year, and Hicks filled in very well in his absence.

Defensive Line Backups: Elijah Champaigne and Parker Peterson. 


Defensive Line Summary 

I know it’s an FCS opponent, but what we all want to see is how this new defensive scheme and front looks. Can they get pressure? Can they get to the QB and either make the sack or force mistakes? The answer should simply be yes. With so much star power and potential on this D-line, expect the QB and RB to be running for their lives.


Linebackers


Sam Howard is one of my favorite transfers. Look for him to step up into a defensive leadership role, given the injuries to Jesus Machado and Tyler Grubbs. Howard is used to playing FCS-level football, so let’s see how he does as the season progresses, but I expect him to thrive in this defense and step up this year. Tyler Grubbs, another local New Orleanian, will be holding down the Will LB spot—basically the outside linebacker. Look for these two guys to rack up tackles this game and all season long. Howard’s backups will likely consist of Makai Williams and Dickson Agu, both of whom could come in and provide quality minutes and have made great strides this offseason. As for Grubbs’s backup, install Chris Rodgers, a former Troy transfer who played safety at Troy, so look for him to excel in pass coverage situations.


Cornerbacks 


Where do we begin? This secondary room got a massive overhaul. Three transfers—Micah Robinson, Jonathan Edwards, and Lu Tillery—will be battling for the CB1 and CB2 spots. But don’t count out the returning players from last year, Rayshawn Pleasant and Jahiem Johnson. Coach has been speaking highly of both of them. Ultimately, it all comes down to who can play mistake-free, smart football at this position. Expect all of these guys to see the field, but Micah and Jonathan should get the bulk of the snaps. Also, keep an eye out for Lu Tillery coming up in the box and rushing—he has that ability and reminds me of Mike Hilton, the current Bengals nickel corner.


Spear/Nickel

 

Caleb Ransaw, the other Troy transfer, is expected to shut down those shifty slot receivers and come up in the box—this guy can hit. He’s already on the NFL’s draft radar and should be a top nickel corner taken. Behind him, we’ve got two true freshmen: Jayden Lewis, the best recruit in Tulane history, and Javion White, who has been getting good reviews from the staff. Let’s see how they do getting some playing time this week and for Jayden more as the season goes on.


Free Safety

 

Jalen Geiger is a coach’s dream in the centerfield spot. He’s a leader, smart, and just an all-around great person. He came over from Kentucky, so he’s got some SEC blood in him. We only have him for a year, but he’s going to be a great teacher to Josh Moore and Jack Tchienchou. Jack flashed in the spring game and is a great depth piece—look for him to be a key part of the defense next year.


Strong Safety


Bailey Despaine, Mr. Reliable, will be holding down this spot. He's a solid defender at the back end of the defense, capable of coming down to fill a gap when needed if a running back slips through. Tulane is fortunate to have two young freshmen backing up both safety positions. Kevin Adams, another young guy, is poised to take the mantle in a couple of years.


Defensive Review


It’s going to be very exciting to see how this defense performs this year. On the D-line, who’s lined up where, and how much pressure can we generate? How will this FCS transfer-driven secondary hold up? Only some of these questions will be answered in the season opener, but we won’t know much until those K-State and Oklahoma matchups! 


Roll Wave! Follow me at @RollDatWave on X, and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere!

A quick share helps us a lot!

The Curious Case of the Player to Be Named Later

By David Rainey • July 19, 2025
It’s that time of year again. The excitement of All-Star weekend and the Homerun Derby are behind us, and it’s on to the second half of the MLB season. This is the time where the great teams separate themselves from the good teams. It’s the time for teams to show whether they should be considered contenders or pretenders. And with this time of the year, of course, comes the MLB trade deadline. Arguably the most intriguing trade deadline of all the major sports. Fringe teams will have to decide whether to be buyers or sellers, and the great teams will mortgage their futures for one player they believe will take them to the promise land. Now, as out of left-field as the ending to this year’s All-Star weekend was (raise your hand if you also weren’t aware that swing offs were a thing), the MLB trade deadline features something much more curious. The Player to Be Named Later. You see, as most of us know, it’s extremely common in Major League Baseball for a team like the Padres, for example, to sell off a handful of their top prospects at the trade deadline for a lefty reliever they hope will help them navigate the difficult waters that is the postseason. But what some people aren’t aware of (outside of us baseball nerds of course) is the use of something, or someone more specifically, called the “Player to Be Named Later (PTBNL)” in these trade scenarios. For those of you who don’t know, here’s a quick explanation of what exactly the phrase “Player to Be Named Later” means. In baseball, when a team isn’t sure exactly which prospect they want in return or when they are trying to finesse the roster management rules, they will accept a “Player to Be Named Later” in return in a trade. This gives that team the opportunity to further evaluate players and choose who they want in return at a later date. This doesn’t mean that the team will just be able to choose a superstar down the road, there are limitations placed on who can be chosen, and most of the time the player ends up being just another player lost in baseball lore. However, sometimes these PTBNL turn out to be more than just a journeyman or even lead to oddities that only baseball can provide. So, what are the most famous cases of Players to Be Named Later? Well, I’m glad you asked. Let’s start with the not so unexpected scenario that actually led to the PTBNL rules to be changed. Trea Turner Before 2015, there was a rule in place in the MLB in which prevented players from being traded for a year after being drafted. Trea Turner was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the first round of the 2014 Draft which meant, you guessed it, he wasn’t eligible to be traded until the following year. However, in December of 2014 the Padres, Nationals, and Rays agreed to mega-deal that involved 11 players AND a Player to Be Named Later. So, what does this have to do with Turner? Well, everyone was aware of who that PTBNL would be. Trea Turner. But as I mentioned before, he wasn’t allowed to be traded yet. So Turner had to spend the beginning of the next season playing for the Padres who had already traded him. This led to a rule change in MLB before the next draft to avoid this situation ever playing out again. But where is Trea Turner now? He’s certainly no journeyman. He had an incredible start to his career with the Nationals, before being traded (again) to the Dodgers with Max Scherzer in 2021. He eventually signed a $300 million deal with the Phillies where he still plays and remains one of the best players in Major League Baseball. But is he the best PTBNL of all time? Not quite. David Ortiz Big Papi. Ever heard of him? Sure you have. But did you know he wasn’t always the mashing lefty for the Red Sox that we know and love? That’s right. Early on in David Ortiz’s career he actually struggled to find a place in the league; and at one point, was even a Player to Be Named Later in a trade. He actually started his career with the Seattle Mariners, but he doesn’t mean much to the Mariners franchise outside of being a PTBNL in a trade in 1996 with the Minnesota Twins for Dave Hollins. As a matter of fact, not only was Ortiz not the player we know on the field, he wasn’t even David Ortiz on paper. At the time, he was actually known as David Arias. You might be thinking, “Wow. The Mariners really traded BIG PAPI.” Trust me when I tell that the Twins feel even worse. Ortiz would play a handful of seasons for the Twins from 1997-2002; however, even after a solid season in 2002 with the Twins, they would go on to RELEASE Ortiz. That’s right. Even one of the greatest players to ever step foot on a baseball diamond was not only traded as PTBNL but was also outright released. Of course in 2003, David Ortiz would go on to join the Boston Red Sox. Ten All-Star games, 3 World Series Championships, a World Series MVP, and a Hall of Fame selection later, David Ortiz would go down in baseball history as one of the most feared batters of all time, and the legend we know him as today Big Papi. What is the oddest Player to Be Named Later situation? There is a rare, but always delightfully bizarre situation in which a player is traded for himself as a Player to Be Named Later. This hilariously absurd scenario is so rare that it has only happened four times in the history of Major League Baseball. Harry Chiti – traded from the then Cleveland Indians to the Mets in 1962 for a PTBNL. However, he was so bad that the Mets decided trade him back to Cleveland as the PTBNL Brad Gulden – traded (with $100,000) from the Yankees to the Mariners for Larry Milbourne and a PTBNL in 1980. Once again, he performed so poorly that the Mariners traded him back to New York as the PTBNL in the original trade. Are you sensing a theme? Dickie Noles – In 1987 the Cubs traded him to the Tigers for a Player to Be Named Later. Sadly, he didn’t do enough during the Tigers playoff run that year for them to want to keep him around. So, they shipped back to the Windy City to complete the trade as the PTBNL. John McDonald – The most recent example. He was acquired by Detroit, who clearly didn’t learn anything in 1987, from the Blue Jays in 2005 for, that’s right, a PTBNL. Later that year, he was sent back to Canada for cash considerations. There you go. Next time you’re hanging out with your buddies on the back porch naming random athletes from your pass, feel free to drop in a “Dickie Noles” reference and explain the wonderful scenario of him being traded for himself. Baseball is such a beautiful sport in so many ways. For many of us, it’s the first sport we play as children, or the sport we remember watching with our grandparents on the living room floor. It has such an iconic and rich history. It’s known as “America’s past time” for a reason. But throughout that history, there are so many things that have happened that can only be described as strange and uniquely baseball. And that’s why we love it. So, when you’re scrolling social media or watching ESPN this trade deadline season and see that stud middle reliever traded for nothing but a Player to Be Named Later, maybe you won’t just brush it off this time around. Maybe you’ll wait to see who that player becomes, and maybe they’ll end up being another great piece of baseball trivia.

Tulane Football Season Preview E-Book

July 14, 2025
First and foremost, thank you for your interest in not only Tulane Football but also BeInTheKneaux. It is our goal to provide the most in depth coverage of Tulane Green Wave Football in the state of Louisiana. We do this 100% free of cost, but would genuinely appreciate if you took the time to donate to Fear The Wave, a very important cog in helping Tulane athletics be as successfull as they are, and will be. With that being said, feel free to download our Tulane Football Season Preview E-Book below, as well as subscribe to our mailing list.
Show More