When it was reported earlier this offseason that Tulane receiver Devon Breaux would be leaving the football team to pursue his career in track and field, things looked bleak for the Green Wave. However, last week college football fans in New Orleans were able to breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Breaux announced via Facebook that he had a change of heart and would be returning to the football squad after missing spring workouts. The news comes as a godsend to a Green Wave team that lost another star receiver in Teddy Veal earlier this year.
But it isn’t just the receiving corps that Breaux is elevating with his return.
For a team whose quarterback situation is spotty to say the least, Breaux could spell a big plus for coach Willie Fritz and company. In 2015, Breaux racked up 431 yards and three touchdowns. Furthermore, he accounted for Tulane’s lone touchdown in its first two games. The redshirt senior’s experience if nothing else will prove to be monumental this coming season.
Breaux’s coming back brings some stability back to the young receiving corps, but not entirely in the way that one would think. Yes, his production on the field will be important, but his value lies more so in what he can teach the wideouts. Tulane, prior to last week, was a team that was preparing for life without any real experience in the passing game. Now that Breaux is back in the mix, that experience can, and hopefully will rub off on the other receivers.
Even with his comeback, Tulane must be ready for a life with only its young signees. Getting to work with Breaux, even if only for a year, has the potential to help leaps and bounds in the long run.
All around this is very good news for Tulane and its fans. If there was one drawback, though, it would have to be the fact that Breaux is returning after the spring workouts and spring game. With it being May now, he will have some catching up to do, not so much in terms of fitness but more over in terms of the mental side of the game.
Breaux’s physical condition shouldn’t be a concern as his track and field training has undoubtedly kept him in shape. However, because he is joining the team at this juncture of the offseason, he may be behind on Fritz’s new playbook. Breaux, like everyone else on Tulane’s team, will have to adapt to the new coach. The only difference is that he has less time to do so.
This is only a minor detail in the grand scheme of things. Breaux’s return is huge. It was just what the doctor ordered for Fritz who will, without a doubt, take advantage of this opportunity.
However it’s spun, seeing Breaux in green and white for another season is a sight for sore eyes in the Big Easy.
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