Tulane Adds Illinois Quarterback Donovan Leary As Green Wave Rebuild Offense
The Tulane Green Wave continue to make waves in the transfer portal, adding former Illinois Fighting Illini backup quarterback Donovan Leary to their roster just a week after securing Western Kentucky Hilltoppers transfer T.J. Finley.
What was once a dire quarterback situation, following the exodus of all three of Tulane’s top signal-callers, has quickly begun to stabilize.
With Leary joining Finley, the Green Wave are slowly but surely rebuilding their QB room as they look ahead to the 2025 season.
Leary, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound passer from Sicklerville, New Jersey, arrives at Tulane with two years of eligibility remaining. While his on-field experience has been limited, he has shown flashes of potential during his time at Illinois.
The former three-star recruit made his collegiate debut in 2024, completing a two-point conversion on a perfectly placed throw against Michigan and appearing briefly in a blowout win over Eastern Illinois.
Though he’s attempted just five passes in live action, Leary earned praise from the Illinois coaching staff for his development and poise, particularly during a spring game performance in which he threw for 207 yards.
His signing adds depth and competition to a Tulane quarterback room that was left bare after the departure of freshman standout Darian Mensah to the Duke Blue Devils, and backups Ty Thompson and backup Kai Horton still in the portal.
While Mensah’s transfer was particularly painful, the addition of both Finley and Leary offers the Green Wave a chance to reset.
Finley, with his extensive college experience spanning five programs, brings a veteran presence, while Leary adds a younger, promising arm has untapped upside.
The stage is now set for what could be one of the most compelling quarterback competitions in the American Athletic Conference.
Finley, who threw for over 3,400 yards and 24 touchdowns during his 2023 campaign at Texas State, enters as the early favorite for the starting job, however, Leary’s arrival ensures that no one can rest easy.
His pedigree — combined with the raw potential that saw him heavily recruited out of high school — gives him every opportunity to push Finley in camp.
For Tulane, what once looked like a disaster at the game’s most critical position now feels like an opportunity for reinvention.
Head coach Jon Sumrall has worked quickly and decisively to address the issue, and the Green Wave appear to be on the right track.
While questions still linger, Tulane’s efforts in the portal show a commitment to staying competitive at the top of the AAC, even as massive roster fluctuations have become the new normal in college football.
Leary may not arrive with a long résumé, but in the NIL and portal era, all that matters is opportunity, and he will have every chance to seize his in New Orleans.
