Tulane Green Wave Quarterback Competition Better Off From Efforts In Transfer Portal

The Tulane Green Wave will enter spring practice with a consecutive quarterback competition, but with lessons learned and applied from the first one.

Head coach Jon Sumrall made public pleas during last year's spring practice to fill positions on the Tulane football team in the transfer portal, focusing on defensive linemen, especially edge rushers, and experienced cornerbacks.

As incoming transfers, TJ Finley, Donovan Leary, and Kadin Semonza battle to be Mensah's successor at starting quarterback, they'll do so against a loaded defense stacked in all levels.

The team conducted the first part of the quarterback competition, initially between Ty Thompson and Kai Horton, without starting cornerbacks Johnathan Edwards and Micah Robinson.

Redshirt sophomore defensive end Deshaun Batiste, who came over from the Troy Trojans with several teammates, was the only transfer pickup in the first portal window. The second window, where opportunities can be more limited, saw the addition of Adin Huntington, Terrell Allen, and Javon Carter.

While the trenches are largely removed from a lot of spring and fall training camp, the quarterbacks need to get used to a rapid pass rush and quick decision-making.

This season, the Green Wave have added seven playmakers on the defensive line to test that outright. They've brought in three experienced FBS defensive backs, mirroring last year's strategy.

An indication that pointed to Mensah taking control of the race last fall was Sumrall's acknowledgment following one practice that it was the first time Mensah was faced with a live pass rush in a practice setting.

A trait that strengthened Mensah's case was his consistent timing and decisiveness, even in drills without pressure.

Horton and Thompson struggled to compete with the same ease, often waiting for the difficult read that would have led to a sack in a game setting. When Robinson and Edwards joined fall practices, they began throwing more interceptions.

Some of the throws Mensah made that won him the starting job in the final camp scrimmages were ones where he was flushed from the pocket by the defensive line. They were careful ones that protected the football.

The incoming quarterbacks should not strive to emulate Mensah at the expense of their unique playing style. However, the qualities Mensah exhibited that separated him from his competition are ones Sumrall will be coveting in his next starter.

Notably, that live pass rush rep for Mensah didn't come until a few weeks prior to the season starting. After opening against an FCS opponent, he faced Power 4 front lines back-to-back by the Kansas State Wildcats and Oklahoma Sooners.

In the two contests, Mensah incurred eight sacks out of his total 18 and threw two out of six interceptions. The Wildcats sacked him while he attempted to evade rushers, fumbling a return for a touchdown in the one-score loss.

The losses showed Mensah's youth while highlighting his toughness and poise to build off of.

The team needs to test these traits in the Green Wave's next starting quarterback this offseason. Their transfer portal efforts have focused on the areas that need playmakers to do so.