Just How Good Will Tulane Football's Linebacker Corps Be This Season?
In this story:
The Tulane Green Wave's linebacker corps will have a different look this season. The greatest loss was Tyler Grubbs, the team's leader in total tackles. Grubbs was everywhere for the Wave, recording three sacks and two interceptions.
On top of losing Grubbs, Tulane lost Matthew Fobbs-White in the transfer portal. Fobbs-White chose to play at Baylor this upcoming season. In his sophomore season with the Wave, Fobbs-White was hounding opposing quarterbacks, recording four sacks. Unfortunately, the Wave are now unable to tap into his star potential.
While those two losses are certainly detrimental, Tulane brings back Sam Howard, who will lead a different group of linebackers. Howard is fresh off a dominant Junior season, recording the second most total tackles on the team. Similarly to Grubbs, Howard was all over the field with 2.5 sacks and an interception.
In addition to Howard, the Green Wave kept Dickson Agu and Chris Rodgers in the linebacker corps. Agu had a promising sophomore season with 35 total tackles. Agu is expected to have a greater role his Junior season. If his sophomore season is any indication, he can fulfill those expectations.
Rodgers also had a sophomore season that showcased his potential, recording 24 total tackles. He will be looking for a breakout season this year.
In the transfer portal, Tulane brought in Harvey Dyson and Dallas Winner-Johnson. Dyson had 12 total tackles last season for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Dyson also recorded two sacks.
After redshirting in the 2023-2024 season, Dallas Winner-Johnson had a standout freshman season for the Missouri State Bears, recording 62 total tackles. Both Dyson and Winner-Johnson could play prominent roles on the field.
The 2025-2026 Green Wave linebacker corps features multiple playmakers who are capable of disrupting offenses and making tackles at a high volume. There is plenty of talent at linebacker for this upcoming season, which is a great sign for this Tulane defense.
Austin Levin is a rising Junior and English Major at Tulane University. Austin was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. He has experience writing for Tulane's baseball twitter and articles for basketball and golf for his high school's Sports Information Department. He won the Voice of the Saints Award in high school for his work in their Sports Information Department, was awarded the Hampden-Sydney Book Award for his outstanding effort in high school, and has made the Dean's List twice. Austin is a Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Falcons fan. His favorite athletes are Julio Jones, Donovan Mitchell, and Rory Mcilroy.