Which Compelling Quality Will Help Tulane Football's Next Quarterback Seize Job?
The Tulane Green Wave football team needs a quarterback to emerge from their competition as they open the season without a named starter.
There’s no competitive advantage to revealing the order on the depth chart to the public, nor are there any guarantees without a single game snap played. That would only serve as unnecessary noise for a team full of new faces trying to lock in and beat the Southeastern Louisiana Lions.
That said, it’s impossible to ignore the developments in training camp over the last few weeks. What was initially a two-man race between Oregon transfer Ty Thompson and incumbent Kai Horton expanded when coach Jon Sumrall threw redshirt freshman Darian Mensah back in the running.
Frankly, since then, Mensah has somewhat run away with the job for how late he entered the competition. He has shown poise and the ability to operate the offense and engage the necessary playmakers. Mensah emulates a lot of Michael Pratt’s leadership and poise.
But he’s never played a live snap of collegiate football; fairly, neither had Pratt. All players must be thrown in the fire for the first time. Without a preseason, a lot of teams have to work out growing pains and answer questions in Week 1 of the season.
Will that result in a rotation at quarterback for the Green Wave? Until a starter is anointed, Sumrall has made it clear that he wants all three guys to see time. How that gets divvied up will depend on the game flow – and what that quarterback is making of his opportunity.
Simply put, if a quarterback gets hot or in rhythm, Sumrall won’t disrupt his flow. They plan to rotate at the position – even potentially bringing two in the same drive – but without unnecessary disruptions.
There’s been a conflation of uncertainty at quarterback with concern. For one, the coaching staff is likely further in their evaluation of the starter than they’ll let on until games are played. It’s fair to point to the first few weeks of camp where no one was stepping up. That’s changed since Mensah has emerged. Sumrall sees the other two digging deeper in the last few weeks. His phrase, iron sharpens iron, seems to finally be applying in that room.
Eventually, the adages need to give way to a clear order on the depth chart. Sumrall isn’t looking for his quarterback to be a superhero. He needs to execute.
“You want to see them play the position the right way, which means communicate with confidence, lead well and be a great teammate. Protect the football, make good decisions, distribute the ball well. I don't want to say be a game manager. I think that people don't understand how much it takes to go into play in the quarterback position. There's so many things on that guy, but those guys don't need to try to feel like they’ve got to win the game on a throw. When you start to play like that, it's usually when you don't perform very well. We just need them to go out, play clean football, execute at a high level, and do what they're coached to do.”
Tulane has a strong run game; leaning on that doesn’t imply calamity at quarterback. The ability to run the football is what wins football games. Asking quarterbacks to protect the football doesn’t translate to lack of trust. Playing clean football has no mention of limitations. Overfocus on the passing game can run the score up, but does it give any information about the quarterback’s ability to manage the game?
As Sumrall aptly said, the term game manager does a disservice to what’s required at the role. But it quite literally implies exactly what’s asked of the quarterbacks. They know the offensive game plan, but can they operate and adjust it? Can they manage the time left on the clock and hit the desired field position? How do they manage their own mindset and emotions after a bad play?
It’s the most important role on the field, and while Tulane may not have their answer at quarterback just yet, there’s a path to success for whoever shows the ability to execute and lead on Thursday night.
MADDY HUDAK