Six Tulane Football Players Named Preseason All-AAC in College Football Preview
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The Tulane Green Wave have made it to each of the last three American Athletic Conference championship games.
A program like Tulane can’t do that without talent, and the Green Wave has had plenty of it come through New Orleans the past few years.
Going into the 2025 season, Lindy’s Sports, a popular preseason magazine, has released its previews of all FBS conferences, including the AAC. The magazine is high on the Green Wave, picking them second in the preseason, only to Navy.
Along with that, the magazine singled out six players for its all-AAC preseason team.
Which Tulane Players Made Lindy’s All-AAC Preseason Football Team?
Five Green Wave players made the first team — offensive linemen Derrick Graham and Shadre Hurst, defensive linemen Kameron Hamilton and Mo Westmoreland, and linebacker Sam Howard. One Tulane player made the second team — defensive back Bailey Despaine.
Many of these players were among the top players in the AAC last year. Graham and Hurst anchored the all-AAC first team after the regular season in 2024. Hamilton also made the first team. Howard and Despaine were on the second team.
Graham, a redshirt senior, is a former Texas A&M transfer. Hurst, who is a redshirt junior, has spent his entire career with the Green Wave. Along with the rest of Tulane’s offensive linemen, they cleared the way for last season’s leading rusher, Makhi Hughes, to earn all-AAC first-team honors.
Hughes is now with Oregon after transferring out. He could be one of the best backs in the Big Ten.
Hamilton is a senior and has spent his whole career at Tulane. Last season he played in all 14 games, as he finished with 21 tackles, six tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. He’s the one returning starter up front.
Westmoreland transferred in from UTEP this offseason. He’s listed as a linebacker in Lindy’s team preview, as a defensive lineman on its all-AAC team and Tulane lists him as a BAN. Whatever the 250-pound defender does, he does it well. He was all-Conference USA first team last season after he registered eight sacks, along with 46 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss.
Howard played his first season with Tulane in 2024 after he transferred in from Austin Peay. He had 63 tackles a year ago, with 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and an interception.
Despaine is a senior and a long-time Green Wave defender who is coming off a 2024 in which he finished with 53 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and two passes defended.
The Green Wave went a 9-5 last season, reached the American Athletic Conference title game and made a trip to the Gasparilla Bowl. Tulane opens the season at home on Aug. 30 against Northwestern.
Tulane Green Wave 2025 Football Schedule
Aug. 30 vs. Northwestern, 11 a.m., ESPNU
Sept. 6 at South Alabama, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Sept. 13 vs. Duke, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Sept. 20 at Ole Miss, time, TV TBA
Sept. 27 at Tulsa*, time, TV TBA
Oct. 9 vs. East Carolina*, 7 p.m., ESPN
Oct. 18 vs. Army West Point*, time, TV TBA
Oct. 30 at UTSA*, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Nov. 7 at Memphis*, 7 p.m., ESPN
Nov. 15 vs. FAU*, time, TV TBA
Nov. 22 at Temple*, time, TV TBA
Nov. 29 vs. Charlotte*, time, TV TBA
(all times central; *-notes conference game; home games in bold; games on radio at WRBH - 88.3 FM)
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Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers Major League Baseball for OnSI. He also covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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