Jon Sumrall Still Confident in Tulane Green Wave Freshman Despite Miscues
The Tulane Green Wave have one of the most explosive running backs in the nation leading their backfield. Makhi Hughes is entering his sophomore season after an electric freshman year in 2023.
Hughes is a throwback in the backfield, carrying the ball 258 times in his first season with the Green Wave, gaining 1,378 yards with seven touchdowns. He isn’t heavily involved in the passing game, as he caught only seven passes for 61 yards in 14 games.
That leaves the door open for a second running back to emerge as a legitimate part of the team’s offensive game plan. One of the players vying for that spot is freshman Jamauri McClure out of Goshen, Alabama.
McClure is competing with sophomore Arnold Barnes III and Shaadie Clayton-Johnson, a fifth-year junior who started his collegiate career at Colorado. Both played sparingly behind Hughes last season and many would presume they are ahead of McClure again this year.
Not only is McClure a freshman competing with experienced college players, he has had a fumbling issue in fall camp. In each of Tulane’s two scrimmages, the Goshen product has put the ball on the ground.
But, head coach Jon Sumrall isn’t going to punish the young player for the early miscues. While the fumbles hurt, he has also done a lot of good work during the offseason. Sumrall has been very impressed with the athleticism and physicality he brings to the table.
“You cannot deny when the ball is in his hands, something pretty explosive is going to happen,” Sumrall said. “He’s a 10.4 100 guy, which is not Olympics fast but pretty darn fast. He’s physical.
"I’ll never forget for as long as I live an inside run (in practice) a couple weeks ago when there was a grown-man collision. The defensive lineman, who is much bigger than Jamauri, got buckled and fell to the ground.”
The Green Wave is going to have to find some players who can fill in behind Hughes; he can’t play every snap of every game. McClure certainly remains in the mix, as Sumrall hinted at a potential package of plays being used for him.
“I could see him playing this year for us and having a package,” Sumrall said. “The whole offense is a lot to chew on for a kid like that, but the player is in there. We just have to mature him as fast as we can.”
Tulane remains confident that McClure will be a player for them. His opportunities may be limited early in the season, but they like what he brings to the table and an expanded role could be on the horizon once he learns the playbook.
KENNETH TEAPE
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.