Could Michael Pratt's Mentee Be the Answer at Quarterback for Tulane Football?
While most Tulane fans believed the quarterback competition would ultimately come down to Ty Thompson and Kai Horton, Darian Mensah is making waves. Interestingly, Mensah was not highly recruited in high school, as Tulane was his sole FBS offer. You must credit the Tulane staff for identifying the talented prospect when other schools somehow overlooked Mensah.
In Tulane’s scrimmage this week, Mensah was the first quarterback to play with the first team and lead the most successful drive of the night. Mensah also made the play of the day with a deep throw on the left sideline to Mario Williams.
I spoke to one of the team's pass catchers to get his perspective on the quarterback competition. He told me that while he feels confident in the ability of all three guys, he enjoys playing with Mensah the most. Mensah has a much stronger arm than he was given credit for coming out of high school and has developed well after his first season at Tulane.
Mensah recently mentioned that former Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt took him under his wing as a true freshman and taught him how to be a leader on the team. Looking back, Pratt likely saw a lot of himself in Mensah.
Michael Pratt started as a true freshman at Tulane, and Mensah has the opportunity to start as a redshirt freshman if he wins the spot. If he can earn the job, it will be because he and Pratt have similar characteristics. They don’t turn the ball over and can be great in pressure moments. Coach Jon Sumrall has spoken highly of Darian Mensah, and I would not be surprised if he were the starter for Tulane in week one.
JOHN BURROWS