Get to Know Tulane Green Wave Football's Battling Quarterbacks
The Tulane Green Wave are past their pocket of quarterback security with Michael Pratt and now head into the season's ramp-up without a starting quarterback.
Though the competition hasn't been officially narrowed down, it's expected to be a two-headed race between transfer Ty Thompson and homegrown talent Kai Horton.
In an attempt to understand where they stand right now, one must look back at their journeys so far and how they fit with what the coaching staff is used to.
A few years ago, the Green Wave landing Thompson would have been an all-time grab for the program. While it's still a solid grab for new head coach Jon Sumrall, it has lost a bit of it's shine after a couple of lackluster seasons of not being able to find the field with the Oregon Ducks.
Coming out of high school, he was considered to be one of the best pocket-passing prospects in the country.
Through three years at Oregon, Tho went 42-for-66 with 456 passing yards and six touchdowns to four interceptions, mostly appearing in blowouts. He also had 56 rushing yards on 15 attempts. As a freshman, he sat behind Anthony Brown and then spent two more seasons behind Bo Nix.
While he may have been able to learn a thing or two, he clearly wasn't the type of player the program was looking for at the position.
If he can live up to even just near the potential that he had as a high school prospect, he could make the loss of Pratt sting a bit less for Tulane. He just hasn't been able to show much so far during his career.
Horton was a bit of a different story. He was a three-star prospect out of high school that signed on to be a backup with hopes of breaking into the starting spot.
With Pratt missing a few games last year, he actually did get the chance to play in longer stints. Those chances, however, didn't seem to move the needle. The best game of his career came in 2022 when he hopped off the bench to throw three touchdowns to beat the Houston Cougars in overtime.
He initially entered the transfer portal, but withdrew his name a few days after Thompson signed on and thus began the competition.
Sumrall and loyal offensive coordinator Joe Craddock will have some high expectations coming from the breakout season of sixth-year senior Gunnar Watson and the Troy Trojans.
Those expectations set a high standard in spring camp that neither quarterback could pull away with. Thompson's offseason foot surgery set him back a few weeks in March workouts as he got his new bearings, but both competitors ended the final scrimmage healthy and set for fall's battle.
Thompson's past few years on the sideline for the high-tempo Ducks could give him a leg up in the competition as it may aid the transition as Craddock introduces his fast-paced offensive style.
DYLAN SANDERS