Tulane Green Wave Graduates Speak Highly of Former 'Work Horse' Teammate

Tulane Green Wave graduates had high praise for their former teammate, who now calls another team home.
Nov 16, 2024; Annapolis, Maryland, USA;  Tulane Green Wave running back Makhi Hughes (21) scores a touchdown during the first half against the Navy Midshipmen at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Nov 16, 2024; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; Tulane Green Wave running back Makhi Hughes (21) scores a touchdown during the first half against the Navy Midshipmen at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
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The Tulane Green Wave far exceeded expectations on the football field under first-year head coach Jon Sumrall.

The program finished the 2024 campaign with a 9-5 record overall, with a 7-1 record in American Athletic Conference play, and their only conference loss coming to the Army Black Knights in the AAC Championship game.

It has been an interesting time in New Orleans, as the Green Wave has lost both their star quarterback and star running back in Darien Mensah and Makhi Hughes, respectively, to the transfer portal.

While Mensah questionably transferred to the Duke Blue Devils, Hughes made a much more promising move for his future by transferring to the Oregon Ducks.

In two years with Tulane, Hughes rushed for 2,779 yards on 523 attempts across 28 games with 22 touchdowns, while adding two more touchdowns on 30 receptions for 243 yards.

At the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, Green Wave graduates who played with Hughes spoke highly of the back to The Oregonian.

“Some people they’re more power backs and there’s receiving backs and just running backs," former safety Caleb Ransaw said. "He can do it all.”

“He’s a workhorse, so you can depend on him first down, second down and third down,” former defensive back Johnathan Edwards said.

"Workhorse" as a label for runningbacks is thrown around haphazardly, but for Hughes, it is a spot-on assessment.

In his freshman season, Hughes led the American Athletic Conference with 258 rush attempts in 14 games, 18.4 attempts per game.

In 2024, his sophomore campaign, Hughes did not experience a slump, despite pounding opposing defensive lines more often. The back rushed 264 times in 14 games in 2024, 18.9 attempts per game.

The ground game was a key aspect of Tulane's success in 2024, and the Ducks will be capitalizing on that success with Hughes replacing Jordan James, who declared for the NFL draft.

Hughes is built much the same as James and should fit right into head coach Dan Lanning's game plan with no hiccups.

The Green Wave will certainly miss Makhi Hughes and the workhorse nature that he brought to the program from behind the line of scrimmage.


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Troy Brock
TROY BROCK

Troy Brock is an up and comer in the sports journalism landscape. After starting on Medium, he quickly made his way to online publications Last Word on Sports and Athlon before bringing his work to the esteemed Sports Illustrated. You can find Troy on Twitter/X @TroyBBaseball