Tulane Green Wave's Superstar Running Back Shows Out In Homecoming Return
Three years ago, a special Tulane running back dashed past defenders and racked up over 2,700 rushing yards and 29 total touchdowns for Huffman High School in Birmingham, Alabama.
Now, sophomore running back Makhi Hughes is making the opposition pay when they get in his way on the gridiron. The talented back racked up 119 yards on the ground and two scores in the thrashing of the Blazers.
Needless to say, the hometown kid showed up and showed out for his city in his return to Birmingham.
“It was a great enjoyment seeing my family and friends,” Hughes said. “It brought excitement, and also, a big victory. I [felt] very blessed today.”
Hughes never let his foot off the pedal during last Saturday’s contest. The speedy back kicked off the second quarter with the longest score of his career. Hughes’ 51-yard touchdown clocked him in running 20.7 mph, which tied for eighth among all players in the week six slate.
Career long TD run for the hometown kid! @HughesMakhi’s 51-yard score is the Call of the Game! #UptownFootball pic.twitter.com/9eGyKQ4nWl
— Tulane Football (@GreenWaveFB) October 7, 2024
For Hughes, you could not ask for a better homecoming. With more than 50 family members and friends cheering him on, Hughes made a statement with his impressive flashes on the gridiron for the Green Wave.
“Makhi Hughes is maybe the most consistent guy on our team,” head coach Jon Sumrall said. “He doesn’t say a peep [and] he came and opened his mouth and started talking. You got to challenge yourself sometimes to do that. He’s a great kid [and] he had his longest touchdown of his career today, which was awesome to see.”
Hughes' journey to the top of Tulane’s running back room began at the HHS Stadium in downtown Birmingham.
He recorded over 1,600 rushing yards for an average of 8.0 yards per carry and 20 touchdowns in his senior year for Huffman. The breakout senior year shot Hughes up recruiting rankings across the country, as the superstar athlete was rated the 85th-best running back in the country and the 46-best overall player in the state of Alabama.
With over 2,700 yards and 29 total touchdowns under his belt, it came time to make his decision of where he would further his education and football career at the collegiate level. On December 12, 2021, Hughes committed to the Green Wave and signed his letter of intent three days later.
Since arriving on campus in New Orleans, Louisiana, Hughes has displayed a knack for running over defenders and the sophomore has dramatically improved his speed. With continuous upgrades to all facets of his game, Hughes is going to be a game-changer for the Green Wave for years to come.
🗣️Here are the Runner-ups for #CFB’s 5 Fastest Players of Week 6️⃣!
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) October 11, 2024
T8. @GreenWaveFB’s Makhi Hughes
51-yard Rushing TD 🌊 20.7 MPH@HughesMakhi #UptownFootball #RollWave pic.twitter.com/SGQSGSFfbn
As much talent as Hughes flashes on the field each week, he has become a fierce leader for Tulane’s talent-filled running back room.
The backs’ undeniable chemistry has resulted in a plethora of impressive performances from the group, including Saturday’s dominance on the ground against UAB. Hughes, freshman Jamauri McClure and sophomore Arnold Barnes III combined for 285 rushing yards and five touchdowns in the win.
“We knew last game wasn’t it, but this game, we had to turn it up a notch,” Hughes said. “Coach Brock [Hays] always preaches about running angry and that’s what we did. Every running back did good.”
