Tulane Football Replaces Star Punter With Standout in Transfer Portal
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While a lot of attention is on the Tulane Green Wave football team’s next starting quarterback, they picked up a critical position of need on special teams as one of the first moves in the transfer portal.
Tulane is adding transfer punter Alec Clark, who appears to be following his special teams coordinator to his new college football destination.
The surprise entry of former punter Will Karoll into the portal left the team without a crucial piece, an unanticipated pain point for head coach Jon Sumrall.
They are bringing in another Australian in Clark, who began his journey with the Marshall Thundering Herd and had a brief stint with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles after transferring in the December window.
That move came after his special teams coordinator, Johnathan Galante, left Marshall for Southern Miss and became the coordinator for Tulane just weeks later after Greg McMahon retired.
His reunion with his former punter, as he announced on X, is a welcome one for the Green Wave since he comes over with experience.
Roll wave 🌊 pic.twitter.com/IdMFBv4PBZ
— Alec (@iamAlecClark) April 21, 2025
Clark started for Marshall in all 13 games as a redshirt freshman in 2024 and had 55 punts. He averaged 42.4 yards per punt with a long of 67 yards.
Impressively, Clark had 17 punts inside the 20-yard line and 11 of 50-plus yards. None of his punts have been blocked. He also has one career special teams tackle.
For comparison, Karoll punted 42 times in 14 starts last season, averaging 42.8 yards per punt with a long of 78 yards, had 11 punts inside the 20, 11 that went 50-plus yards and no blocked kicks.
Clark also was the holder for kicker Rece Verhoff in 2024, who went 14-for-19 on field goals and made all 40 extra point attempts.
That’s an important distinction from Karoll, who struggled with holder duties with a left-footed kicker last season in Jacob Barnes and didn’t hold in a game setting.
Punter may not be highest on everyone’s wish lists in the transfer portal, but holes on special teams can get ugly quick.
Special teams can also be a game changer of momentum and field position. There were several close contests for the Green Wave last season where Karoll’s performance made a difference for the defense in starting field position.
Strong punting is a security blanket, and that got ripped unexpectedly with Karoll’s abrupt departure.
On first impression, Clark is a strong grab with prior chemistry and time spent with the team’s new special teams coordinator that will account for lost time in spring camp.
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Maddy Hudak is the deputy editor for Tulane on Sports Illustrated and the radio sideline reporter for their football team. Maddy is an alumnus of Tulane University, and graduated in 2016 with a degree in psychology. She went on to obtain a Master of Legal Studies while working as a research coordinator at the VA Hospital, and in jury consulting. During this time, Maddy began covering the New Orleans Saints with SB Nation, and USA Today. She moved to New Orleans in 2021 to pursue a career in sports and became Tulane's sideline reporter that season. She enters her fourth year with the team now covering the program on Sports Illustrated, and will use insights from features and interviews in the live radio broadcast. You can follow her on X at @MaddyHudak_94, or if you have any questions or comments, she can be reached via email at maddy.hudak1@gmail.com