What Media Day Can Teach Tulane About Their Quarterback Competition
As the Tulane Green Wave head to the American Conference Media Days, coach Jon Sumrall has yet to name a starting quarterback.
The team will get their first look at several quarterbacks they’ll face in conference play while the competition between Oregon's Ty Thompson and Kai Horton continues into fall camp.
Five of the 14 teams in the AAC are sending their quarterback to Arlington, Texas, as one of their player representatives. Tulane is familiar with Memphis’ Seth Henigan and UAB’s Jacob Zeno, who they’ll face this season.
But they have yet to meet USF’s Byrum Brown and Charlotte QB Max Brown, both also on the slate.
Tulane's quarterback competition is the second one I've covered. The first was the successor to Drew Brees. I gained a lot of perspective.
People often assume that if you have two potential starters, you have no quarterback. That viewpoint is a bit black-and-white and fails to account for the human experience.
People assumed Baker Mayfield was all but done with an NFL career, suddenly revived by a change of scenery. The Xs and Os are irrelevant if a coach and player have a negative relationship or simply can’t communicate.
No one was interested in Drew Brees besides Sean Payton, who saw promise and potential in an injured free agent.
Football is a people business, and that applies most of all to the quarterback and head coach. While traits and talent are essential, the intangibles always separate the greats. That’s often impossible to ascertain on film.
American Conference Media Day offers a unique opportunity for coach Sumrall to see that symbiotic relationship up close – with opponents he must out-duel with his eventual choice under center.
Sometimes comparisons become too muddied. Days of spring can bleed into one another, and it’s nice to step back and evaluate. Fall camp offers plenty of time to assess Ty Thompson against Kai Horton.
But what universal qualities does coach Sumrall want them to emulate? Becoming the team leader is paramount. Four leaders the Wave will face next season will be in Arlington. Film showcases their play style, but a setting such as Media Day reveals their human qualities.
It’s something I’ll be looking for in between the lines in my two days of coverage.
For three seasons, I watched Michael Pratt as a fearless leader. He battled personal and team hardships on and off the field while leaving a program-defining legacy. If Thompson or Horton can emulate even a little of Pratt, the Wave are in good hands.
Jon Sumrall and his team can learn just as much from the qualities seen in the quarterbacks they’ll face this season. American Conference Media Day is a chance for that first look.
MADDY HUDAK