Much of a football team’s success is determined off the gridiron during the months that baseball and basketball run rampant and the pigskin is one of the furthest things from most people’s minds.
That being said, Tulane could be said to have taken a huge hit with its chances at success when, earlier this month, it lost three of its stars. However, like it usually is in the world of sports, it never takes long for replacements to step up and fill in. Tulane followed this trend when it landed three commitments recently.
Receiver D.J. Owens committed to the Green Wave after meeting with head coach Willie Fritz earlier this January. The Dallas native recorded 12 touchdowns and nearly 1,000 yards receiving his senior year of high school. Tulane has only four scholarship wide receivers returning in 2016, so coach Fritz will undoubtedly look to use Owens to fill the void left by either Teddy Veal (who was granted release from the team upon request) or Devon Breaux (who decided to join Tulane’s track and field squad next year).
Joining Owens is linebacker Lawrence Graham from Delray (FL) American Heritage. Although The Wave didn’t suffer heavy losses on the defensive side of the ball, it is never a bad thing to add depth to a defense that allowed 435 points last season over the span of 12 games.
Along with Owens and Graham comes offensive lineman Tyler Johnson. Hailing from Stone Mountain Stephenson in Georgia, Johnson will be used to help keep whomever Tulane’s fresh face at quarterback upright. Johnson felt as though he had obligations to coach Fritz as he offered him a scholarship before he even played a snap of high school ball. This occurred while attending a football camp in Georgia before his junior year (of which prior he had focused his talents on basketball). Johnson will have to gain some weight before next season, though, as he only checks in at 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds.
These three additions are undoubtedly significant for a Tulane football team looking to rebound from its 3-9 season (1-7 American) last year. However, these three commitments by no means answer all of the uncertainties hovering over the Green Wave entering 2016. Quarterback is still a big question mark, although it is of significant note that prospect Lindsey Scott is no longer a Syracuse commitment after visiting with Tulane. (Scott also has a pending offer from AAC rival Navy.)
All this aside, it is clear that great change is hitting the Green Wave and it’s change that’s necessary. The past formula hasn’t seemed to work for Tulane in recent years, but this new plan, featuring these young commitments, could be just what the football team needs to contend in an upstart American Athletic Conference this year.
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