Exclusive: Tulane Football Star Sharpens Fearless Mentality Against Kansas State
For Tulane football to beat No. 17 Kansas State this Saturday, the trenches must dominate the ground game on both sides of the ball.
That importance grows with a forecast that predicts a strong possibility of rain. It'll be critical for Tulane to control the line of scrimmage against the Wildcats, where Group of 5 teams either fail or contend with Power 4 opponents.
Tulane had to reload their pass rush in the portal. On the edge, they lost production, particularly at Bandit. While no one stepped up in that role in the opener, the defensive line has a ferocious edge rusher to the field side, ready for the opportunity on a big stage.
Adin Huntington sat down with Tulane on Sports Illustrated to discuss his journey to Tulane, the culture that drew him in, and the standard he expects the team to set this weekend on the field.
Saturday’s matchup isn’t the first Power 4 opponent for Huntington. He recorded one sack and two hurries against Ole Miss last season and had a total of 63 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 9 hits, 32 hurries, 16 tackles for loss, two pass deflections, and three forced fumbles. On the first watch of his film, Huntington's violent upfield burst jumps off the screen.
Production like that typically requires a combination of athleticism, technique, and understanding pre-snap tendencies. Incredibly, Huntington was largely self-taught. He saw Tulane as his best opportunity to grow his football intelligence, and he trusted the coaching staff from their recruiting efforts at Troy.
“They believed in me before I had the 8.5 sacks,” Huntington said. “They told me, we want you to come in and dominate, allowing me to open it up. They had the resume. The biggest thing for me was the mental side of the game. Last year I was out there just playing football. The coaching staff sat down with me and explained the keys they'd show me. I’m a lot better with pre-snap keys and alignments. It's allowing me to play faster and recognize what's going to happen.”
"I'm sharpening my saw now. I don’t need 20 pass rush moves; I don’t need 10 moves. Dwight Freeney had one move. Aaron Donald had one move. Khalil Mack had one move. I have my move, something to compliment that move, and something to counter.”
Previously, he did a lot of film study on his own on PFF and researched his opponents. He now sees a clear picture pre-snap and is primed to find more rush opportunities on every down.
When Tulane beat the Wildcats in 2022, they dominated the tone with strong tackling, stifling the run game, and limiting Adrian Martinez's mobility. On designed runs and improvised scrambles, Avery Johnson is a threat, and he's a more formidable passer. Huntington resonated with Jon Sumrall’s message to the team this week.
"He told us to do your job this week. That means the interior guys push the pocket while we rush the edge. I think Johnson is a very good athlete. They have a team full of talented athletes. It’s about controlling what we can control. We can’t focus on what they have to do. If they make a big play, good. We’re going to come back and make a stop.”
The team's response to adversity, brought over by Sumrall from Troy, is good. His mention of it demonstrates buy-in. A big theme this offseason was finding a team identity. Huntington clearly defined the defensive mentality.
“We are a bunch of blue-collar guys that are mature and have a lot of confidence. This defense is full of Alpha dogs. There’s no weakness on the field. The experience and maturity of the team are very high. Guys are confident in their abilities. It allows us to play fast and without worries or doubts. Everybody trusts the person next to him. I know I don't have to worry if Pat (Jenkins) is going to do his job on third down. I don't have to worry if Sam (Howard) is going to fit the right gap on first down. I don't have to worry about if Micah (Robinson), Ray(shawn Pleasant), Johnathan (Edwards), Slim (Bailey Despanie), or Jalen Geiger's going to do their job in coverage. There's a lot of trust and maturity. We have a lot of hard workers with confidence through the work that they put in.”
Containing Johnson's abilities is key to a victory, and how the defensive line performs will tell us a lot about the season hopes for this team. Adin Huntington is ready to set the tone and play to their standard against the Wildcats.
MADDY HUDAK