Tulane Football Emerging Star Lands on Jet Award Watch List
The Tulane Green Wave aim to be potent in all three phases, and their breakout star return specialist leads the nation as a gamechanger.
Thrust into returning kickoffs due to injury, Rayshawn Pleasant has been a sensation on special teams, and his playmaking ability was rewarded when he was named as a midseason candidate for the Annual Jet Award.
Named after Heisman Trophy winner Johnny "The Jet" Rodgers, the award honors the most outstanding return specialist in college football on both punt and kickoff returns. Notable former recipients include Christian McCaffrey, Tyler Lockett, Zachariah Branch, and Marcus Jones.
Pleasant is currently the top return specialist in the country with both a pair of kickoff return touchdowns and an average 44.7 yards per return. Most impressive is the fact that he didn't return kicks until Week 4. His second attempt in a college football game was a 94-yard touchdown against the Ragin' Cajuns.
"It was huge," coach Jon Sumrall remarked postgame on Pleasant's touchdown return. "It made it a two-score game. It's momentum. You talk about wanting to get points on the first drive. Well, there you go, you get it on the opening kickoff, how about that? Rayshawn has worked so hard. He's such a tremendous worker. He gives great effort. He's a great teammate. He has a really bright future."
Under the tutelage of an all-time great special teams coach in Greg McMahon, Pleasant's skill has immediately translated. He didn't even know his second touchdown wasn't blocked right by the special teams unit, something Sumrall was displeased with after beating the Blazers.
When told the kicker was the only player who had a shot at tackling him, his response was one of earned confidence: "I take that personally. I can't let the kicker tackle me."
He debuted his lethal speed in his role at defensive back with Tulane's first pick-six of the season, a monumental 100-yard interception return. Quite frankly, his vision and spatial awareness are reminiscent of Tyjae Spears.
Pleasant possesses a distinct ability to hit the crease, and when he's gone, it's not close. His fluidity and long speed are quickly becoming elite traits. As I watched his second kickoff return touchdown from the sidelines at UAB, my only thought was, "Devin Hester, you are ridiculous."
Rayshawn Pleasant has been a pleasant surprise, and his return efforts make him a strong candidate to snag the Jet Award.
Maddy Hudak is the deputy editor for Tulane on Sports Illustrated and the radio sideline reporter for their football team. Maddy is an alumnus of Tulane University, and graduated in 2016 with a degree in psychology. She went on to obtain a Master of Legal Studies while working as a research coordinator at the VA Hospital, and in jury consulting. During this time, Maddy began covering the New Orleans Saints with SB Nation, and USA Today. She moved to New Orleans in 2021 to pursue a career in sports and became Tulane's sideline reporter that season. She enters her fourth year with the team now covering the program on Sports Illustrated, and will use insights from features and interviews in the live radio broadcast. You can follow her on X at @MaddyHudak_94, or if you have any questions or comments, she can be reached via email at maddy.hudak1@gmail.com