Tulane Star Kickoff Returner Earns Top Spot on College Football List
Until now, one of the Tulane Green Wave football team's more significant returnees has gone largely unnoticed.
Potent Tulane football kickoff returner Rayshawn Pleasant was just named to EA Sports College Football Stars of the Season.
Voted on by the EA Sports community, the star roster features the best players in college football this last season.
Pleasant joins a prestigious list that includes Boise State Broncos Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty, Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward, and Heisman winner Travis Hunter from the Colorado Buffaloes.
In the player items released for the winners on Feb. 7, Pleasant has a 96 rating on EA Sports as one of the highest rated stars who landed on the notable list.
Pleasant emerged as a top return specialist for the Green Wave, leading the nation with two touchdowns in the 2024 season. He returned 13 total kickoffs and averaged 35.54 yards per return.
Ray isn’t just in the game. He is a star of the game! ✨#UptownFootball | @RayshawnPleasa1 pic.twitter.com/wa7b8VC60x
— Tulane Football (@GreenWaveFB) February 12, 2025
Incredibly, Pleasant didn’t return kicks for the Green Wave until Week 4. He slotted in due to an injury to running back Shaadie Clayton-Johnson, and his instincts were sensational. Pleasant’s second-ever return was a 94-yard touchdown.
Head coach Jon Sumrall remarked postgame on the surprise standout returner.
"It was huge," Sumrall said. "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."
He first displayed his speed in his role at cornerback in Tulane’s season opener, when he returned a 100-yard interception for a touchdown.
The vision and field awareness Pleasant displayed in the fluid pick-six was reminiscent of the way Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears would glide down the field for the Green Wave.
Frankly, he appears unstoppable when teams give him the opportunity to run it back, invoking another memorable comparison to Hall of Famer Devin Hester.
He received recognition as a midseason candidate for the Annual Jet Award after his second touchdown return against the UAB Blazers. It became that much more impressive when Sumrall disclosed postgame that the kickoff coverage didn’t block correctly.
His playmaking ability quickly led to teams electing to kick the ball well over Pleasant’s head.
When discussing the competitiveness of college football teams, special teams is an underrated and often forgotten topic.
The third phase of the game is hidden yardage that can be the difference between a win and a loss. As a former special teams coordinator, Sumrall emphasizes the value of the unit to the team.
Pleasant now has a full offseason to devote to kickoff returns and dare teams to try his speed in the 2025 college football season.
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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