Tulane Offensive Star is Excited to Execute in New System
The Tulane Green Wave will have a new quarterback, new head coach, offensive coordinator, and scheme in their season opener. Coach Jon Sumrall brought his coordinators from Troy to implement their systems on both sides of the ball.
Defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato runs a similar 3-4 base scheme to what we saw last year under Shiel Wood, who came to Tulane from Sumrall’s staff. On offense, however, Joe Craddock has brought explosive plays, pre-snap motion, and an increased role for tight ends.
Last season, Troy’s offense under Craddock ranked fourth in the nation with nine passes of 50-plus yards and five passes of 60-pass yards. Per PFF, the Trojans ranked second in the Sun Belt in overall offense and first in passing, rushing, and receiving.
More intriguing was Craddock’s time coaching tight ends at UAB from 2020-21, where his players produced at an elite level. Gerrit Prince led all tight ends in the nation in yards per reception in 2021, and led the team with 34 receptions and 10 touchdowns. His 699 receiving yards ranked second.
In his first season with the team, the Blazers advanced to a Conference USA championship. Of the team’s 14 receiving touchdowns, Craddock’s unit accounted for five of them.
That is music to the tight end’s ears at Tulane. Alex Bauman is glad he stayed with the Green Wave.
One of the important philosophies we've heard from Craddock is to design his offense to match personnel, valuing each player's skill set over adhering to a tried-and-true method or system.
While his propensity for tight ends was known when he came over with Sumrall’s staff, it was unclear how they viewed the personnel across the board for Tulane on offense. Last season, Alex Bauman was a critical part of the Wave's offense, especially for his blocking. Spring Camp missed his presence as he recovered from offseason hernia surgery.
He immediately made himself known the first week of fall camp, highlighting chemistry with both Ty Thompon and Kai Horton amidst the quarterback competition. Bauman spoke with media members after practice Tuesday, and I spoke with him about his utilization in the new system; he’s seen increased work in pre-snap motion plays and as a pass-catcher.
“Coach Craddock comes from a tight end background,” Bauman said excitedly. “He told us right when he got here—he loves using the tight ends, but we have to prove to him that we can show up and make those plays in the run game and in the pass game. He gives us those opportunities, and when we get those plays called, we have to go out and execute.”
His broadened build and muscle mass stood out just as much, especially his lower body. His legs were frankly skinny while he was recovering from his procedure, but he looks stronger and more explosive than I remembered.
“That’s a credit to coach Rusty Whitt and the strength staff that they brought in,” he explained. “His regimen is a little different than coach Hester. I wouldn’t say it benefitted me more, but it was a different way of working out and getting stronger. I think that helped me overall because I needed to build up my lower half a little bit more, get a little bit stronger, and Coach Whitt and his staff really helped me with that.”
The statement highlights the fit between the strength and head coach as he builds back players in the way they’ll be utilized on the team this season. After returning from the transfer portal, Alex Bauman has already shown his ability to step up in critical moments. He should be highly featured in Tulane’s offense under Coach Craddock.
MADDY HUDAK