Tulane Green Wave Lose Out on Recruitment of Local High School Product to Duke
The Tulane Green Wave did an excellent job of hitting the transfer portal during Jon Sumrall’s first offseason as head coach. There were several holes to fill and he managed to plug each one, getting a lot of talented players to commit to the program.
However, Tulane was not as fortunate when it came to getting a local product in the 2025 class to stay home. Running back Nate Sheppard, a star at Mandeville High School, will not be joining the Green Wave.
Tulane was among the top schools that he considered, but he will be taking his talents to Duke instead. A three-star recruit, Sheppard revealed that it was his relationship with their running back coach, Willie Simmons, that sealed the deal for him.
“There were a lot of variables that went into the decision,” Sheppard said, via Joe Trombatore of NOLA.com. “There were a lot of good schools I could choose from. (Duke) has a good culture up there, and coach (Willie) Simmons. That was really the deciding factor.”
Positive relationships were built by Sheppard with coaches at other schools. But the Blue Devils made him feel the most wanted and were among the first programs to offer him a scholarship.
“The Duke staff was great,” Sheppard said. “I received a text from them every day, especially coach Simmons. It’s cool, especially when the head coach reaches out to you often. That’s when you know they want you. When you feel wanted, it feels good.”
As a junior, Sheppard ran for nearly 2,000 yards at Mandeville. This season, he has set a goal of surpassing that mark while leading his team to a state championship.
Last season, Mandeville fell just short of the title game, losing in the semifinals. Now that he has committed to Duke, he can focus solely on playing football.
“(Committing) is a big weight off your shoulders,” Sheppard said. “I don’t have worry about where I’m going to go to school, having my spot locked in and everything, so that’s a big part. The goal is to build on last season.”
One of the major selling points that Tulane had was proximity to where he grew up. Sheppard wouldn’t have to move far, as New Orleans is less than an hour away from his high school.
But, that ended up not being something Sheppard held highly in his decision. While he was complimentary of the Green Wave coaching staff, he is ready to expand his wings and see what other parts of the country have to offer.
“Coach (Brock) Hays is a phenomenal running backs coach (at Tulane),” Sheppard said. “Coach J.J. (McCleskey), I’ve known him since I was real young. They were big aspects in my recruiting process."
“Louisiana’s great, but there’s a lot to experience in this country, so being able to go somewhere else and play in the ACC, it’s real nice.”
KENNETH TEAPE
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.