The Tulane Green Wave Seeks a New Identity Under Head Coach Jon Sumrall
In an age of constant change, the Tulane Green Wave’s decision to hire new head coach Jon Sumrall settled the storm of losing Willie Fritz. Despite being a Group of 5 school often poached by Power 4 programs, the Wave continue to make splashes this offseason. More impressive, they’ve done so without naming a quarterback.
The Wave have a gauntlet to start the season with back-to-back games against Oklahoma and Kansas State, yet they’ve been prudent in their approach to find Pratt’s successor. The quarterback competition between transfer Ty Thompson from Oregon and Pratt’s backup, Kai Horton, will continue into fall. For a lot of teams in this position, the panic alarm might have sounded after spring camp.
Instead, Tulane has accumulated an arsenal of weapons at receiver, with pedigree unprecedented for the program. Transfer Mario Williams from USC displayed very good short-area quickness off the line of scrimmage as a playmaker from Day 1 of spring ball. Incoming transfer Khai Prean from LSU seeks to see the field in what’s now a crowded room.
In NFL free agency, wide receivers pass over teams lacking a certain caliber of quarterback. One would expect a similar trend with much more freedom in the market at the college level. That’s where the legacy of Tulane football for the last three years comes in.
When I became the sideline reporter ahead of the 2021 season, I arrived to fall camp as an alumnus with little to no expectations. No team I experienced in my time there was led by a quarterback like Michael Pratt. Nor did they have the likes of Tyjae Spears, Nick Anderson, Dorian Williams, and Sincere Haynesworth, the latter three serving as captains heading into the Cotton Bowl year alongside Pratt.
People around me kindly suggested I find greener pastures after my first season in sports radio broadcasting saw a 2-10 record. After years of losing myself in toxic work environments, I found a chip on my shoulder identity that paralleled what I saw in the Green Wave. When not one leader entered the transfer portal following that year, I knew I was where I was meant to be. As did the players that pulled off the greatest single-season turnaround in college football history.
The players that won 23 games over two seasons laid the foundation for what is now a top G5 school. The recruiting pitch is an amalgamation of opportunity, education, a return to many players’ hometown, the uniqueness of New Orleans, and a legitimate lane to the college football playoffs. A pitch is nothing without a closer. Jon Sumrall not only recruited and retained his own roster, but he also acquired players in the portal and recruits for future squads that rival any top signings over the past several years.
Most teams survive a coaching change; fewer thrive under the next regime outright. To say Sumrall is the perfect man for the job is an understatement. The only thing left is finding a new identity. When former linebacker Nick Anderson was with the program, he discussed the idea of leaving a legacy akin to the undefeated 1998 team. That legacy has never been more important.
The Wave will be led by a new quarterback for the first time since 2020, who will receive snaps from a new center. The starting skill players on both sides of the ball are undetermined. The weakness of spring ball was the defensive line. Acquisitions in the portal, including Adin Huntington, spell for a ferocious unit headlined by Patrick Jenkins. But who steps up in the huddle down two scores heading into the fourth quarter? Who picks the team up after a harsh loss?
The leaders who require excellence and discipline through every snap of practice are who will pave the road to the playoffs. The mentality that replaces 1-0 under coach Fritz will prevail in adversity. The players on Tulane’s roster this season have their own legacy to accomplish. Finding a team identity is that critical first step.
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