Tulane Green Wave Primed for Challenge of Transfer Portal Losses in NIL Era
The Tulane Green Wave felt the unavoidable sting of the transfer portal in today's college football era with their losses on Monday.
Most importantly, quarterback Darian Mensah declared his intent to play elsewhere next season.
The team's retention of head coach Jon Sumrall prevented a significant influx of players, unlike what happened last season after Willie Fritz's departure. However, they still lost, and will have to account for, key contributors the day the portal officially opened.
Backup kicker Bobby Noel entered the portal with one season remaining of eligibility. He was a redshirt junior and did not play this year.
On defense, Tulane lost nose tackle Parker Petersen and potentially Bandit Matthew Fobbs-White, both of whom rose to prominent roles and increased playing time over the 9-4 season. Fobbs-White has not officially declared his entry, but plans to enter the portal per On3.
After reports of Rayshawn Pleasant entering the portal were declared false by Pleasant himself on X, it's important to note that until the players themselves declare their entry, one has to operate under a neutral assumption.
Peterson, a redshirt junior, flashed for the Green Wave in his move to the interior after spending prior seasons on the depth chart at defensive end. He ended the year with 21 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery.
Fobbs-White is a sophomore who competed for the starting Bandit role this season and eventually split the majority of the position snaps with Adin Huntington. Fobbs-White recorded 21 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, and a forced fumble.
On offense, the running back room took a hit with the departure of Trey Cornist, who showed promise in his snaps throughout the year. The redshirt freshman ran in his first collegiate touchdown against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns and totaled 22 carries for 149 yards.
Tulane is sitting strong with Makhi Hughes and Arnold Barnes and the intriguing freshman Jamari McClure.
The Green Wave lose a developmental piece at tight end in Joshua Goines, though Sumrall noted earlier this season that he was a little behind where they would've liked with injuries to Alex Bauman and Reggie Brown dwindling the room down. The redshirt freshman played in five games this year with no recorded stats.
As of Monday afternoon, Kai Horton was announced to be entering the portal. The quarterback from Texas took Tulane to an overtime win against Houston in 2022 and started in place of Pratt against Ole Miss and Southern Miss last season. He entered the portal last season and came back to the Green Wave, where he eventually lost out in the quarterback competition.
Ultimately, the loss of Mensah hurts most. The redshirt freshman in his first collegiate season threw 189 passes for 2,723 yards, 22 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and rushed in one touchdown.
He led Tulane to a third consecutive conference championship and was considered Michael Pratt's successor. His departure makes Sumrall's job more challenging in the portal as he must replace the talent of senior wide receivers Mario Williams, Yulkeith Brown, and Dontae Fleming.
However, it's important to consider his work in the portal last season, where he operated without a designated starting quarterback until the night of Tulane's season opener in August.
Sumrall recruited players with potential he couldn't tangibly point to in the program he coached at, as it was impossible until the team played the season. The team's performance on the field this year only reinforces all the factors that attracted the highest-ranking transfers in program history.
The Green Wave lost their last two games, and they were the ones that mattered most. This does not alter the course of the program under Sumrall, nor the players who adhere to his philosophy.
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