Tulane Return Game Comes Down to Two Words

Sign up for the weekly On Si Tulane Newsletter here.

This Summer, On SI Tulane has taken a look at the Tulane quarterbacking situation, the Green Wave running back room, Wave receivers, the offensive front, the defensive line, the linebacking corps, the defensive backfield, and the kicking game going into 2026. This week, a look at the Wave return game.

The Return Game = Two Words

Tulane return specialist Jaylin Lucas | Indiana University Athletics

There's a reason Tulane went out to get an All-American to return home. Jaylin Lucas attended Terrebonne High School in Houma for three years before transferring to Edna Karr after his family was forced to relocate due to Hurricane Ida. A three star recruit, Lucas originally committed to play college football at Tulane, before flipping to Indiana.

As a freshman, Lucas served as a rotational running back and as a punt/kick returner, and was the only player in FBS football with multiple kick returns for touchdowns in the 2022 season. At the conclusion of his freshman season, he was named the Big Ten Rodgers–Dwight Return Specialist of the Year, a member of the first team All-Big Ten as a return-man, and made first team All-American.

The Houma native didn't get as much running back time as he would have liked in Bloomington, so he entered the portal after his sophomore year to try things at Florida State. Different location, same result: not as much playing time as he would have hoped. So, Lucas decided to try the place he meant to the first time around, transferring to Tulane for his senior season.

In his four years at Indiana and Florida State, Lucas has carried the ball 145 times for an average of 5-yards per tote. He has never fumbled the football on a carry. In that same time period, he's caught 64-passes for 456-yards.

But where the 5' 9" scatback really shone was returning the ball during his two years at Indiana. 43 of his 54 kick returns were there. He has averaged 26.3-yards per return and has totaled up three into the end zone in those four years. He's had a dozen punt returns in his career for minimal gains.

Though Lucas did not get the opportunities he had wished for in the Big Ten and ACC, he is expected to be THE man in the return game while also playing as a running back and receiver on offense. Tulane coaches plan on wearing him out, if that is at all possible for this motorboat of an athlete.

2025 Contributors

Not a lot can be said for the Tulane return game last season. There was not a true "knock-it-out-of-the-park" kind of guy who would go back to return kicks or punts.

Last season, wide receiver Omari Hayes was the designated punt returner. He averaged 4.69-yards in his 13 returns, his longest going for 16-yards. He transferred to Iowa State when the portal opened.

Three different Greenies ran back kickoffs in 2025, but the most active by far was Anthony Brown-Stephens, who returned 15 of them (more than twice more than anyone else) for a 23.8-yard-per-return average, his longest of which was 40-yards. Brown-Stephens returns to Uptown for his senior season.

Add us as a preferred source on Google