Tulane Green Wave Tight End Named to Mackey Award Watch List
The Tulane Green Wave offense will look a lot different than it did last year, but there is still plenty to be excited about.
One key player that will carry over from the previous regime is tight end Alex Bauman. He was the top player at the position last season and will continue in that role under new leadership.
Bauman was recently named to the 2024 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List in preparation for the upcoming year of football.
The John Mackey Award is handed out yearly to the best tight end in college. Georgia Bulldogs standout Brock Bowers has won the award in each of the last two seasons. With him now in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders, the path clears for someone else to take home the top prize.
Over the past five award-winning seasons, tight ends have averaged 910 yards and 7 touchdowns when rounded to the nearest number. While that wouldn't be impossible for Bauman to replicate, some things would have to change around in the offense.
The New Jersey native made his way to the Green Wave as a three-star EDGE defender in the 2022 recruiting class. He chose Tulane over Buffalo, Coastal Carolina and UCONN.
With his athleticism being clear, the switch to tight end made sense as a way for him to find his way onto the field.
He didn't do much outside of blocking as a freshman, but found a nice lane as a red zone threat a year ago. He finished with 35 catches for 286 yards and five touchdowns.
The scoring production was nice, but if he hopes to win any awards, the key will be in becoming a full-field threat in the passing game. The strides he's made in the blocking game will only open up more for him as well, winning over the coaching staff with effort.
The 6-foot-5, 245-pound threat has made a nice start in camp, showcasing previous chemistry with Kai Horton and building a new relationship with Ty Thompson.
When Jon Sumrall was hired over from the Troy Trojans, he brought over Joe Craddock to run the offense for him once again.
The bad news is that tight ends weren't really a part of Craddock's offense last year, the leading receiver having just 16 catches for 168 yards and four scores. The coach did come to Sumrall as a tight end specialist, so there should be plenty to learn from him at the position.
Overall, it'll be up to Bauman to make himself known in the offense early so that Craddock can trust him enough to call plays for him to get the ball.
DYLAN SANDERS