Highest Graded Tulane Green Wave Players Through First Bye Week
The Tulane Green Wave rode some great vibes into the bye week off a dominating victory over the UAB Blazers and are now preparing to take the field against the Rice Owls this weekend.
Taking stock of the program right now, there are a couple of players that have stood out through the team's 4-2 start.
Using the Pro Football Focus' constantly updating season grades, it's not hard to tell that the offense has been the highlight of this team.
There are 11 different offensive players that have higher grades than anyone on the defensive side of the ball.
Unsurprisingly, star running back Makhi Hughes has been the team's highest-graded player (min. 200 snaps) with an elite 87.3 grade.
Following in the footsteps of Tyjae Spears, now tearing it up for the Tennessee Titans, Hughes entered the season with expectations of being one of the country's best backs.
It's safe to say, after six solid games, that he has lived up to those expectations.
The redshirt sophomore has run the ball 109 times so far en route to picking up 604 yards. He has already matched his career high with seven rushing touchdowns while also adding his first receiving score.
Despite bringing in a couple of high-profile receiver transfers, the wide out with the highest grade so far has been Yulkeith Brown.
Brown has 14 catches for 207 yards and a career-high three scores this season. He was the third option in the passing game a year ago and has seemingly carried that role over to this offense as well.
The senior joined the program from the Texas A&M Aggies for the 2023 season. While he maybe hasn't broken out to become a star, he's grown into a very reliable player.
The Green Wave's third-highest graded player has been the guy throwing the ball to Brown, freshman phenom Darian Mensah.
After not being considered a likely option heading into camp, Mensah came out of nowhere to win the starting job.
He saw fast success in this offense, faced some adversity, and made some hard throws look easy.
It's been a freshman experience, plenty of mistakes, but he's looked as good as they could have hoped for.
He's completed 66.1% of his passes for 1,256 yards and 10 touchdowns to just two interceptions.
Broadcast crews compared him to Jordan Love. While that may seem reactionary, the play styles do match.
Down the road, head coach Jon Sumrall would probably like the team to be a bit more balanced. For now, though, it's a good thing at least one side of the ball is finding their groove early.
