Watch Tulane Green Wave Quarterback Throw First Collegiate Touchdown
Redshirt freshman Darian Mensah was named the starting quarterback for the Tulane Green Wave before Thursday’s opener with the Southeastern Louisiana Lions.
Before Thursday, he hadn’t taken a collegiate snap as he redshirted all of last season. With Michael Pratt as the starter and Kai Horton as the backup, there was little reason to play Mensah and burn a year of his eligibility.
At the start of spring workouts, Mensah seemed to be the odd player out in the competition between Horton and Ty Thompson, the Oregon transfer. In fact, coach Jon Sumrall acknowledged that Horton and Thompson got most of the first-team reps during spring workouts.
But, during fall workouts, Mensah gradually impressed Sumrall and his staff and he got more first-team reps. Before the game, Sumrall wouldn’t name a starter, saying he could win with all three quarterbacks.
In fact, when the depth chart came out Wednesday night, each quarterback had “or” next to his name, indicating there was no decision — or at least one Sumrall wanted to share publicly.
But, when that first drive started, Mensah got the ball. And he drove the Green Wave down the field and it ended with him throwing his first collegiate touchdown pass.
Mensah madness!! Yulkeith Brown catches the freshman’s first career TD.
— Isaac Popper 🟦 (@ipopStats) August 30, 2024
Yulkeith also caught Michael Pratt's pass to break Tulane’s career passing yards record last season: pic.twitter.com/T3p4VTBrHS
Mensah found Yulkeith Brown on a post-corner route, during which Brown created good separation from the defender. The young quarterback put up a great pass that allowed Brown to climb up the ladder to make the catch.
It’s an incredible bookend play, too. As Isaac Popper pointed out, Brown caught Pratt’s pass that broke Tulane’s career passing yardage record.
Sumrall also said it was possible that all three quarterbacks would play on Thursday, and the other two quarterbacks have more experience than Mensah, even after his debut.
Horton started for the Green Wave last year against Ole Miss when Pratt was hurt. Horton has thrown for 824 career yards in college.
Thompson threw for 456 yards in three seasons at Oregon, where he was stuck behind future first-round NFL pick Bo Nix. Then, after Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel transferred in, Thompson transferred out.
If this is a quarterback competition, Mensah certainly made a great first impression.
After the opener, the Green Wave will get 10 days off before hosting Kansas State in a rematch of a game Tulane won two years ago on the road. That contest will be the Green Wave’s most significant test before American Athletic Conference action starts.
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