It was only a month after Willie Fritz was hired as the University of Tulane’s new football coach that he was faced with the tough task of replacing not one, but three, key players.
The lifeblood of nearly every offense is the quarterback. It is now Fritz’s job to restore that lifeblood; a task that, as if it wasn’t difficult enough, is paired with the chore of replacing two of the Green Wave’s top receivers.
When quarterback Tanner Lee’s transfer proposal was granted, Tulane was struck a blow. Over the last two seasons, Lee has started 19 games for the Green Wave. In those games, he’s put up 23 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. If Tulane is to improve from its 2015 campaign that ended in with a dismal 3-9 record (1-7 in the AAC), then filling the void left by Lee will be vital.
The move isn’t difficult for only the organization, but for Lee as well. He described the process of transferring as “the hardest decision I’ve made thus far in my life.”
Roll Wave! pic.twitter.com/SniGbH25y1
— Tanner Lee (@TannerLee13_) January 7, 2016
Replacing Lee will be a challenge and coach Fritz will have to survey his options. Tulane’s roster currently features several young quarterback choices. If Fritz so chooses, someone like sophomore Dylan Richman or Desmond McGovern could be under center next season. As if the task of finding Lee’s successor wasn’t difficult enough, the club, more recently, lost two of its top receivers as well.
Tulane says good bye to its most productive receiver, as Teddy Veal recently announced via Twitter that he had requested and was granted a release from the program. Veal led the team in receiving yards (644), receptions (48), and touchdowns (5).
Along with Veal leaves another wide receiver, Devon Breaux. Breaux announced last week that he will not return to Tulane’s football team in 2016 and instead will focus on track. Last season, he started in eight of Tulane’s 12 games, racking up 431 yards, which was second best on the team. Along with that, he tallied 25 catches (3rd), three touchdowns (2nd), and 17.2 yards per reception (1st).
The Green Wave will lose a lot of productivity next season, but all hope is not lost. This challenge facing Fritz will prove to be a good test in his team’s ability to withstand the loss of three of its premiere offensive weapons.
With question marks hovering over Yulman Stadium, two things are for certain; a new face will be taking snaps for the Green Wave and he will be tossing it to new pairs of hands, and maybe that’s just the change of scenery a new-look Tulane team needs.
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