Two Tulane Skill Position Players Look to Dominate AAC

The New Orleans native and the LSU transfer will both look to carry the load in year one for Jon Sumrall.

Dontae Fleming (1 in white) makes a touchdown grab during Fall Camp. | Photo by Tulane Football on X

In Uptown New Orleans, there has been no shortage of talent at the skill positions in recent seasons. Jha'Quan Jackson, Lawrence Keys, Ryan Grant, Darnell Mooney, and several others have made impacts with both the Tulane Green Wave and the NFL.

At running back, the name Tyjae Spears jumps off the page right off the bat as the most recent Green Wave back to make a mark in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans. However, when you look at fall camp for the first year of the Jon Sumrall era and what stands out about the two key skill groups, one name stands above the rest: Dontae Fleming.

Fleming, a senior from LaPlace, had five catches for 73 yards in 2023, appearing in 11 games behind a loaded wide receiver room. Prior to that, he spent three seasons in Lafayette playing for the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns where he had 680 yards and six touchdowns during those three seasons.

However, through the first few weeks of fall camp, Fleming has shined as a top target for whoever wins the quarterback battle between Kai Horton and Oregon transfer Ty Thompson. Fleming has made highlight reel catches during practice and Tulane fans are hoping he will do the same under the bright lights of Yulman Stadium.

If you’re not careful @DontaeFleming_1 will…

PUT. YOU. ON. TAPE!#UptownFootball pic.twitter.com/OOy4MrnYmM

— Tulane Football (@GreenWaveFB) August 12, 2024

"He's been very consistent and very productive all training camp," Sumrall said of the East St John product. "He's been reliable, dependable, and steady. I mean, to be able to make those big plays, he's been playing at a very high level."

"You get what you earn and he's earning it right now with how he's performing. He's worked extremely hard and I'm proud to see the results that he's getting. I think he's going to have a big year."

On the other side of that conversation is Khai Prean, a dynamic reciever that transferred to Uptown after the LSU Spring Game. The redshirt freshman didn't appear for the Bayou Bengals in 2023, but caught a touchdown pass in the L Club Spring Game.

Prean is a name that many fans are excited about along with Fleming, Mario Williams and Shazz Preston as Sumrall and his coaching staff look to have one of the top skill groups in the AAC when you look at that receiving corps along with Shaddie Clayton-Johnson and preseason AAC Running Back of the Year Makhi Hughes in the backfield.

All in all, it appears that heading into the 2024 football season, the Tulane Green Wave could have the best skill positions in the American Athletic Conference.