'The Brotherhood' Member Dickson Agu Talks Duke and More

Tulane Football Schedule 2026

Week 1 - at Duke, September 5
Week 2 - South Alabama, September 12
Week 3 - at Kansas State, September 19
Week 4 - Southern Miss, September 26
Week 5 - OPEN DATE, October 3
Week 6 - at Army, October 10
Week 7 - Memphis, October 16
Week 8 - UTSA, October 24
Week 9 - at Charlotte, October 30
Week 10 - Tulsa, November 7
Week 11 - at Rice, November 14
Week 12 - North Texas, November 21
Week 13 - at South Florida, November 27

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"I love away games, (I feel like) the hostile atmosphere makes you play harder," Tulane linebacker Dickson Agu said following the first question.

Agu met with the press following head coach Will Hall on September 1st.

His confidence and optimism reinforces that 'it's going to be okay' feeling for the Wave as they enter a tough matchup against Duke this Saturday.

Thinking About Last Year

Agu totaled 10 tackles, 1.5 TFL, and a PBU last year against Duke. When he was asked about what lit that fire for him, he recalled his former teammate, Darian Mensah, "Last year I think we were playing against Darien (Mensah). But this year, it's the excitement of being back and being with the team, and getting back to what I do."

When asked about comparing Mensah to San Jose State transfer Walker Eget, Agu replied, "I think Mensah is one of the best quarterbacks in the country, but Eget is a good player, so we have to prepare accordingly... It's different from playing our own offense, but we have a good game plan in place, and we're going to execute."

Agu went on to reinforce how deep this defense is. Reiterating that "(When) one person goes down we have another person that's ready."

We've talked plenty about how deep this defense is from the defensive line to the secondary, and the rotational part of this defense will help keep them fresh and dominant throughout all four quarters.

This depth will be vital to stopping second year running back Nate Sheppard who averaged 15 yards a carry during last year's game.

"Make (Sheppard) go sideways, that's the biggest thing... That's what the game plan is built around: stop #20."

Feeling Disrespected

Agu was asked if he felt the Duke vs Tulane game had been looked over, and while he himself felt that the game wasn't, he did say that he felt disrespected as a team.

"I do think we've been getting disrespected by (other people predicting) we're only going to win seven or eight games. We've been to the (American) championship four years in a row, but that doesn't mean anything this year, and we have to go prove it again," Agu said.

Recovering From Last Year and Linebacking Nickname

Dickson Agu spoke to his struggles last year during recovery, and how the hard work he has put in has paid off with Saturday's game looming.

It was a long process, but Agu is grateful to be back on the field with his "Brotherhood."

That nickname, "The Brotherhood," was brought about when he was asked what nickname he'd give the linebacking room (think the Dome Patrol from the Saints).

"We go by 'The Brotherhood,' that's our motto. From top to bottom we're brothers," Agu finished.

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