2027 Recruiting Overview: A Look at Everything So Far
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On July 9th, Tulane managed to add the two newest prospects on their increasing 2027 list.
With the total at 23, we’ll break it down by position, list our picks for the notable player(s) of each position, and give a grade for each position.
Note: Each player will contain a hyperlink that links back to the original article in which they were first mentioned.
Position Numbers
Position | # of Recruits |
|---|---|
QB | 1 |
RB | 3 |
WR | 5 |
TE | 2 |
OL | 3 |
DL | 4 |
LB | 1 |
CB | 2 |
S | 2 |
Quarterback: Solo Act in Commits
Starting with the most important position, the QB. What’s almost more important than the position itself is the ability to be a dual-threat QB, especially in today’s CFB era.
Kingston Johnson from Starkville, Mississippi fits the bill. Johnson racked up 2,510 passing yards and 488 rushing yards with 25 total touchdowns.
Although he has impressive numbers, Johnson is a bit undersized for the position, standing at 5’11 and 180 pounds. He could use another year of high school and hitting the weight room, but we’re curious to see how he plays out.
QB Grade: C+
Running Backs: Quickness and Speed
Moving on to the running backs, our noteworthy pick of the three is another Mississippi native. That of Anquan Jackson of Ellisville. Jackson showcases good size and strength, but also explosive and dangerous speed.
If you’ve read any of our updates regarding the 2027 class, you’ll know that TU has recruited with a clear goal in mind: speed. Throughout our noteworthy names and picks, you’ll notice that just about none of them run above a 4.5 40-yard dash (aside from the lineman, but they’re quick as well).
With that being said, Jackson clocks a 4.38 40, and uses that to his advantage. He’s a versatile back that can line up outside and take on any matchup and can especially create mismatches against linebackers. Jackson tallied 1359 all-purpose yards and 16 total touchdowns.
The other names include Peyton Perkins out of Eupora High School and Aymaud Sykes from Grant High School. We talk about them in more detail Perkins here and Sykes here.
RB Grade: A-
Wide Outs: Staying Local
Next are the receivers who have five to their name, which is the most of any position. And the prospect that’s opened our eyes the most is NOLA native, Ray’quan Williams out of St. Augustine.
Williams has smooth releases with great route running and lightning speed. He stands at 6’1, 163 pounds and has great hands to be a reliable target. Such promising abilities at a young age is very promising for the future, and of course there is always room to grow.
Following Williams is Ja’ir Burks, another guy with insane speed at a 4.35 40. More blazing speed could spell good things for the Wave offensively. However, we think it’s reasonable to question if they are perhaps becoming one-dimensional? Only time will tell.
With this many play-makers, it was hard to narrow it down to just one or two guys, so we went with three. Jaden Terrance is another NOLA native from Archbishop Rummel continuing the speed trend.
Terrance clocked a 4.39 40 and tallied over 1,600 all-purpose yards last year split between running back and receiver. He’s a bit undersized at 5’10, 170, but his shiftiness and playmaking makes you want to put the ball in his hands.
Terrance is a big play machine, his tape was pretty much nothing but 30+ yard plays where he’d put his speed to the test.
Other receivers include Dallas Crescenzo and Josh Sylvain, who you can read more about here.
WR Grade: A-
Tight Ends: Big and Athletic
Tight ends have the most interesting assets to grade. While only having two recruits, one of these is our favorite player to watch so far, Korden Randle.
Randle is a 6’4, 210 pound jump-ball-winning machine. He has great size and length for his position with quick and aggressive blocking. He could benefit from some weight but that’ll come with time, and the mismatches he’ll create out wide are far more important than any weight.
Randle boasts a 4.4 - 40, making him a nightmare for anyone to defend at his size, whether it be a LB or a DB. He also turned down former head coach Jon Sumrall’s Florida to come to Tulane. A great win that Wave should try their utmost to keep their hands on.
Despite the low number, we’ll take a more quality over quantity approach to the grading on this one.
The other, slightly taller TE, Teddy Graff is talked more about here.
TE Grade: B+
Linemen: L-O-T-S of Size
For our next segment, we’ll combine our OL and DL groups (sort of). We’ll still give individual grades for each position, but we’ll also give a combined grade for both positions as well.
Jackson Shaw kicks us off as he was recruited as an offensive lineman, but he also lined up on both sides of the ball in high school. What Shaw shows us is elite athleticism. The Baton Rouge native stands at a massive 6’6, 260 pounds, giving him the ideal size for a tackle/edge position.
His coaches know this too, using him to the utmost on both sides of the ball as he enforces his will onto the line. Offense or defense, Shaw uses his length to keep lineman at bay, and pretty much does what he wants at the line.
Focusing on the defensive side of the ball, we have Hans Emery Julien out of football powerhouse—Baylor School in Chatanooga, Tennessee.
Julien measures 6’3", 235, and also showcases elite length. A 6’7 wingspan gives him great upside with his frame, and he’s practically a brick wall for opposing lineman. With every meeting at the line, Julien stands tall and strong to get around his block on the inside to provide great run defense.
Keeping linemen at bay with his long arms helps him during pass rush, as he’s able to make his opponent do what he wants as he makes his way to the backfield.
Other guys to mention include: Owen Reineck, Sharontae Bailey, Kavarris ‘Duke’ Duncan, Malik Ward, and Demetrius Terrell.
OL Grade: B+
DL Grade: B
OL/DL Grade: B+
Linebacker: Another Single
Tying for our shortest section, the linebackers. As of right now, only one backer has committed to TU, August ‘Gus’ Faulkner.
Hailing from Fairhope High School in Fairhope, Alabama, Gus is a disciplined backer with great breaking speed with big-hit potential. Gus is fantastic at plugging holes in run support and just as good in coverage. He spies the QB well, not biting on any fakes that would otherwise lose him the play.
He stands at 6’2, 212 pounds with a great understanding of the game. With his brain, football IQ, and size, Gus will be an effective backer in the future, but with him being the only linebacker in the class so far, it’ll tank the grade just a tad.
LB Grade: C+
Defensive Backs: Work to Do
The last group is our DBs. Consisting of both corners and safeties, we’ll look at a noteworthy player from each position and evaluate what they’ll bring to the table.
What started the entire speed trend was TJ Stinson from Spalding Highschool in Griffin, Georgia. He was the first announced prospect to boast a sub-4.5 40, clocking a 4.48 himself. Stinson also turned down other American conference schools like Florida Atlantic and East Carolina.
Just as impressive as his speed is his coverage and ball skills. Stinson racked up three interceptions and 10-PBUs during his junior season, showcasing his quick hips and great speed. Stinson tracks fantastic, and that combined with his ball-hawking abilities make him a great cover corner. Not to mention what he brings to special teams. His shiftiness and good speed allows him to be a danger with the ball in his hands. Stinson is a big play just waiting to happen.
Safety, Raeshaun Pugh is from Lake Wales High School in Lake Wales, Florida. Pugh is a sure-tackling safety that recorded 119 total tackles with 93 solo tackles last year.
Pugh is incredible at coming downhill to support run defense / rush the QB, making him an optimal strong safety. He recorded eight tackles for loss and returned both of his interceptions for touchdowns last year.
His decent size at 6’0, 180 and great speed at a 4.48 40 give him big play potential with the ball in his hands. However, his strong point is his run support and closing speed that enhance his tackling ability. Pugh will be a versatile DB and we’re excited to see what he brings to TU.
Our last recruits include James Tyson and Devin Lavalais, who you can check out here and here, respectively.
CB Grade: C S Grade: B- DB Grade: C+
Overall Recruiting Grade: B
With everything reviewed and graded, how does Tulane stack up to other American Conference schools in this class?
Tulane ranks second in the American, trailing only behind USF by four points. Clearly Sumrall left his mark in recruiting, as it remains to be one of TU’s strong points that they hold over the American (they finished first for the 2026 recruiting class).
So, while TU recruiting stays vigilant, the ever looming giant of USF still lingers in the background of the 2026-2027 season for the Green Wave. With many liking the USF head coach hire and recruiting being as strong as its ever been, it’s not crazy for one to say that Tulane might be chasing USF this year in the conference rankings.
With all that said though, no questions can be answered until week one on September 5th, but make sure to stay tuned for more recruiting updates! We're pretty sure this won’t be the last we see of the 2027 class.
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Colin has been following football for over a decade. Growing up supporting LSU naturally led him to be a massive Saints fan. He is a regular guest on the Ball Don’t Lie podcast on WBOK-AM in New Orleans as well as Apple Podcasts, where they discuss the NFL, College Football, and the NBA.