Tulane enters the 2026 football season carrying championship expectations into one of the most important transitions in program history.
The Green Wave finished 11–3 in 2025, won the American Conference championship, reached the College Football Playoff for the first time and finished No. 18 in the final Associated Press and Coaches polls. Tulane is 43–13 over the past four seasons, has played in a league-record four consecutive conference championship games and has won two American titles during that stretch.
That is no longer a brief hot streak. Tulane has built a winning program.
The challenge is proving the program can survive another major coaching change and heavy roster turnover. Jon Sumrall left for Florida after the playoff breakthrough, 10 of Tulane’s 13 all-conference selections from last season must be replaced, and the Green Wave will start a fourth different Week 1 quarterback in four years.
Will Hall now takes control of a team that expects to compete for championships—not merely reach bowl eligibility.
Can Tulane keep the Wave rolling? Here is the complete 2026 season preview.
Will Hall Takes Over—but He Already Knows Tulane
Hall is a first-year head coach for the Green Wave, but he is not an outsider.
He returned to Tulane in 2025 as passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach before being selected to replace Sumrall. Hall also served as the Green Wave’s offensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020, when his units ranked among the nation’s most productive rushing attacks.
Tulane averaged 243.2 rushing yards, 449.3 total yards and 33.1 points per game in 2019. The Green Wave followed by averaging 217.1 rushing yards and 34.7 points in 2020. Hall has 70 collegiate head-coaching victories and previously led West Alabama, West Georgia and Southern Miss.
His return gives Tulane valuable continuity. He understands the university, the recruiting footprint, New Orleans and the championship standard established over the past four seasons.
Hall said he wants the 2026 team to be “explosive and fundamentally sound” while playing disciplined football and trusting one another. That identity will be tested immediately against a schedule that begins with two Power Four road games in the first three weeks.
Tulane’s 2026 Key Coaching Staff
Position
Coach
Head coach
Will Hall
Offensive coordinator
Russ Callaway
Defensive coordinator/inside linebackers
Tayler Polk
Co-defensive coordinator/bandits
Nate Fuqua
Special teams coordinator
Chris Forestier
Zeon Chriss-Gremillion Wins the Quarterback Job
Tulane’s most important preseason decision is settled.
Redshirt senior Zeon Chriss-Gremillion is listed as the starting quarterback ahead of Kadin Semonza on the Green Wave’s unofficial depth chart. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Baton Rouge native brings starting experience, athleticism and the ability to stress defenses as both a passer and runner.
Chriss-Gremillion began his career at Louisiana before spending two seasons at Houston. During the 2024 season, he completed 63.8 percent of his passes and rushed for 388 yards with four touchdowns. His signature performance came against Kansas State, when he completed all 11 of his passes, rushed for 75 yards and accounted for two touchdowns in Houston’s upset victory.
That history becomes especially relevant when Tulane visits Kansas State on September 19.
Hall’s offense has traditionally benefited from quarterbacks who can create numbers advantages in the running game. Chriss-Gremillion fits that approach. His mobility should help the Green Wave survive breakdowns, expand the option package and create opportunities for a deep group of running backs.
The concern is consistency. He has not entered a season as the unquestioned starter since his earlier stops, and Tulane cannot afford turnovers or prolonged red-zone struggles against Duke, Kansas State, Memphis and UTSA.
The Green Wave does not need Chriss-Gremillion to duplicate everything Jake Retzlaff provided in 2025. It needs him to protect the football, punish defenses that overload the box and turn productive drives into touchdowns.
Tulane’s Backfield Could Be the Offense’s Greatest Strength
Tulane may not rely on one featured running back. The unofficial depth chart lists Jamauri McClure, Maurice Turner and Johnnie Daniels with “OR” designations at the position, while explosive transfer Jaylin Lucas headlines the new “Superback” role.
Jamauri McClure
McClure enters the season as the most accomplished returning runner. He carried 83 times for 540 yards in 2025, averaging approximately 6.5 yards per attempt. He saved some of his best football for the biggest moments, rushing for 121 yards and a touchdown against North Texas in the American championship game before producing 84 yards against Ole Miss in the CFP.
Maurice Turner
Turner was limited to eight games last season but remains an experienced and versatile option. He can contribute as a runner, receiver and returner, giving Hall another movable piece across multiple personnel packages.
Johnnie Daniels
Daniels arrives from Mississippi State with SEC experience. His most productive season came in 2024, when he rushed for 540 yards and four touchdowns while averaging five yards per carry. At 5-foot-10 and 209 pounds, he gives Tulane another physical runner capable of handling early-down work.
Jaylin Lucas—the Superback
Lucas may be the offense’s most dangerous chess piece. The Houma native and former Edna Karr standout earned All-America recognition as a kick returner at Indiana before transferring to Florida State and then Tulane.
Lucas has three career kickoff-return touchdowns and more than 2,000 all-purpose yards from his Indiana career alone. Tulane lists him at Superback, a hybrid role designed to move him between the backfield, slot and return game.
The Green Wave’s unofficial offensive depth chart includes 13 positions because of its multiple packages. That does not mean Tulane will put 13 players on the field. It reflects the variety Hall and Callaway plan to use with multiple tight ends, traditional backs and the Superback role.
The objective is simple: force defenses to identify personnel without knowing where the ball is going.
Who Steps Up at Receiver and Tight End?
The running backs are proven. The receiving hierarchy is less certain.
Tulane’s first depth chart lists Destyn Hill, CJ Lewis and Anthony Brown-Stephens atop the three receiver positions. Bredell Richardson, Antwaun Parham, Oliver Mitchell, Gabe Daniels and Garrett Mmahat provide the next wave of options.
At tight end, Dawson Johnson leads the Y position. Former Oregon player Ty Thompson is listed at the F spot alongside Gabe Lovorn and Cam Roberts.
There is intriguing size and athletic ability in this group, but no established go-to target has separated from the pack publicly. That creates one of the offense’s defining questions: Who becomes the receiver Chriss-Gremillion trusts on third down and in the red zone?
Tulane can manufacture touches for Lucas and the backs, but championship-level opponents will eventually force the Green Wave to win outside the numbers.
The Offensive Line Must Come Together Quickly
Tulane’s early depth chart lists Dominic Steward at left tackle, Gresham Perry at left guard, John Bock II at center, Reese Baker at right guard and Boston College transfer Ryan Mickow at right tackle.
The group has size—Mickow is listed at 6-foot-7 and 311 pounds—but the larger issue is cohesion. Offensive lines are built through communication and repetition, and Tulane does not receive a comfortable September runway.
Duke will test the protection immediately. Kansas State follows two weeks later in one of college football’s most difficult road environments. If the line settles early, Tulane has enough backfield depth and quarterback mobility to create a dangerous offense. If protection and red-zone execution remain inconsistent, the opening month could become an uphill climb.
Defense Has Proven Leaders at Every Level
Tulane lost substantial production, but the defense still has legitimate star power.
Jack Tchienchou Anchors the Secondary
Safety Jack Tchienchou is the defense’s centerpiece. The senior started all 14 games in 2025, led Tulane with 83 tackles and added two interceptions, three pass breakups, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Tchienchou earned First Team All-American Conference honors and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2025 conference championship game. He enters 2026 on the preseason watch lists for the Chuck Bednarik, Bronko Nagurski and Jim Thorpe awards.
His ability to diagnose plays, tackle in space and organize the secondary will be critical while Tulane breaks in new pieces elsewhere.
Chris Rodgers Leads the Linebackers
Senior linebacker Chris Rodgers started all 14 games and finished second on the team with 80 tackles last season. He also recorded seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.
Rodgers was named to the 2027 Senior Bowl Top 300 and gives defensive coordinator Tayler Polk a dependable veteran at the WILL position. Dickson Agu is listed at MIKE, with transfer Dalton Hughes strengthening the rotation.
Secondary Depth Could Be Tulane’s Defensive Advantage
E’zaiah Shine returns at boundary corner, while Anthony Rogers, LJ Green and Louisville transfer Justin Agu compete at field corner. TJ Smith and South Florida transfer Kajuan Banks headline the hybrid Spear position, with Kevin Adams and Chase Green working at strong safety.
The defensive front carries more uncertainty. Josh Lewis, Derrick Shepard, Ed Smith IV and Jah’rie Garner sit atop the initial depth chart, with Houston transfer Reshad Sterling among the additions expected to help the rotation.
Tulane does not need one defensive lineman to replace every departed snap. It does need enough disruption to keep blockers away from Rodgers, Agu and Tchienchou.
Tulane’s Most Important Transfer Additions
Player
Position
Previous school
Expected role
Zeon Chriss-Gremillion
Quarterback
Houston
Starting quarterback
Jaylin Lucas
Running back/Superback
Florida State
Multipurpose offensive weapon and returner
Johnnie Daniels
Running back
Mississippi State
Physical rotational runner
Ryan Mickow
Offensive tackle
Boston College
Starting right tackle
Dalton Hughes
Linebacker
South Alabama
Experienced linebacker depth
Reshad Sterling
Defensive line
Houston
Defensive-front rotation
Justin Agu
Cornerback
Louisville
Field-corner competition
Kajuan Banks
Spear/defensive back
South Florida
Hybrid defender and coverage option
Complete 2026 Tulane Football Schedule
All kickoff times listed below are Central. Unannounced times are marked TBA.
Date
Opponent
Location
Kickoff
Sept. 5
at Duke
Durham, North Carolina
2:30 p.m.
Sept. 12
South Alabama
Yulman Stadium
6 p.m.
Sept. 19
at Kansas State
Manhattan, Kansas
11 a.m.
Sept. 26
Southern Miss (Hall of Fame)
Yulman Stadium
TBA
Oct. 3
Open date
—
—
Oct. 10
at Army*
West Point, New York
11 a.m.
Oct. 16
Memphis*
Yulman Stadium
6:30 p.m.
Oct. 24
UTSA*
Yulman Stadium
TBA
Oct. 30
at Charlotte*
Charlotte, North Carolina
6 p.m.
Nov. 7
Tulsa* (Homecoming)
Yulman Stadium
TBA
Nov. 14
at Rice*
Houston, Texas
TBA
Nov. 21
North Texas*
Yulman Stadium
TBA
Nov. 27 or 28
at South Florida*
Tampa, Florida
TBA
*American Conference game
Five Games That Will Define Tulane’s Season
1. Sept. 5 at Duke
Tulane defeated Duke 34–27 at Yulman Stadium last season, but this rematch comes on the road against the defending ACC champion. A new quarterback, head coach and offensive line combination will receive an immediate national test.
2. Sept. 19 at Kansas State
Tulane stunned Kansas State 17–10 in Manhattan in 2022. Chriss-Gremillion also helped Houston upset the Wildcats in 2024. None of that makes this trip easy, but it gives Tulane proof that winning there is possible.
3. Oct. 10 at Army
Army’s option attack demands discipline, assignment football and patience. The game also begins Tulane’s conference schedule, with Memphis arriving only six days later.
4. Oct. 16 vs. Memphis
Tulane scored five first-half touchdowns in last year’s 38–32 victory at Memphis. The rematch under the Yulman Stadium lights could become one of the most important games in the American title race.
5. Oct. 24 vs. UTSA
UTSA handed Tulane its only conference loss last season, winning 48–26 in San Antonio. The Roadrunners bring physicality and scoring power. Tulane will learn whether its rebuilt defense can handle an opponent capable of turning one mistake into a scoring run.
North Texas on November 21 and South Florida in the regular-season finale could also decide whether the Green Wave returns to the conference championship game.
The Three Biggest Questions
Can Chriss-Gremillion finish drives?
Moving the football will not be enough. Tulane’s offense must convert red-zone trips into touchdowns and avoid turnovers that expose its rebuilt defense.
Can the offensive and defensive fronts mature fast enough?
The skill positions and secondary offer talent. The season’s ceiling may be decided by how quickly Tulane establishes dependable line play against Duke and Kansas State.
Can Tulane protect Yulman Stadium?
The Green Wave went 7–0 at home in 2025. Memphis, UTSA and North Texas all visit Uptown this season. Winning those three games would place Tulane directly in the American championship conversation.
Gee Bino’s Prediction
Projected record: 8–4 overall, 6–2 in the American Conference
Tulane is too well established to call this a rebuild. The culture, backfield depth, defensive leadership and home schedule are strong enough to keep the Green Wave in the upper tier of the American.
However, repeating an 11-win season and reaching the College Football Playoff will require nearly everything to break correctly. Tulane must replace most of its all-conference production, establish a new quarterback and survive road trips to Duke, Kansas State, Army and South Florida.
Eight wins is the most responsible preseason projection. A 9–3 or even 10–2 season is possible if Chriss-Gremillion becomes a consistent playmaker, the offensive line stabilizes and Tulane wins the key conference games at Yulman Stadium. The floor falls closer to 6–6 if the front five struggles and the turnover exposes the defense.
The Green Wave should remain an American championship contender. A fifth consecutive title-game appearance is realistic, but it will be earned through development rather than reputation.
Final Verdict: Can Tulane Keep the Success Going?
Yes—but success may look different in 2026.
Maintaining the program does not require Tulane to repeat its first CFP appearance immediately. An eight- or nine-win season, another serious run at the American championship and visible development under Hall would prove the Green Wave has become bigger than one coach or one roster.
That is the real test facing Tulane.
The last four years established the standard. The 2026 season will reveal whether Will Hall can preserve it and build the next Wave.
