McMillan transfer gives Fritz, Tulane peace of mind

For Tulane head coach Willie Fritz and his staff, a chance to breathe a bit more easy came only days before Tulane opens the season at home Thursday night against Wake Forest.

The Green Wave has quality depth at quarterback, now that LSU graduate transfer Justin McMillan has enrolled.

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McMillan is the perfect backup for starter Jonathan Banks. For three seasons, the former standout Texas prep quarterback practiced against one of the better defenses in the Southeastern Conference. He is a solid thrower and capable runner.

If Banks goes down, McMillan can win. Tulane’s backup quarterback spot has gone from a potential sore spot to a strength.

Transfers are a key part of the college football world. For a school such as Tulane University, a transfer or two can provide a quality upgrade amd make a significant difference.

Through the years, several transfer quarterbacks have helped the Green Wave.

Nick Montana provided solid play and leadership on the 2013 team that won six games and reached the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.

Lester Ricard, another LSU transfer and high school star at Amite, is sixth all time in passing yards (6,608) for Tulane.

Quarterback Ken Karcher is 10th on the same list with 3,332 yards.

Last season, Banks missed one game with a broken rib, an injury that hampered him for much of the season. When Banks got healthier, his passing improved. In the final three games, he completed 46 of 75 throws.

Banks has a chance to be one of the best quarterbacks in The American and one of the better quarterbacks in college football. He is clearly a better runner than McMillan and a legitimate threat in the spread option offense.

If McMillan is pressed into duty, the Tulane offense will evolve into more of a true spread concept.

For McMillan, Tulane is a great spot. He can work on his postgraduate studies, and next season, could compete with Southern Miss transfer Keon Howard for the starting quarterback spot.

In the spring, Fritz emphasized the importance of the quarterback position and opined that if you are not good at the quarterback position, you must be really good elsewhere to have success. At a school such as Tulane, the latter is tough to accomplish.

Think about most of the outstanding Tulane clubs in the past, and you can connect the dots with victories and quality quarterback play.

In 1973, the Green Wave won nine with Steve Foley at quarterback.

In 1979, senior Roch Hontas, a four-year starter, led the Green Wave to nine wins including one over LSU.

In 1980, Nickie Hall threw 21 touchdown passes in a seven-win season, including a Hall of Fame Bowl berth.

Terrence Jones quarterbacked Tulane to the Independence Bowl seven years later.

Shaun King led Tulane to 19 wins in two seasons, including the perfect 12-0 season fuelded by a dynamic offense in 1998.

J.P. Losman, an eventual NFL first round pick, led Tulane to a Hawaii Bowl victory in 2002.

Quality quarterback play is something every college coach searches. He knows that without it, his job security is tenuous.

So, this week, Fritz will be worried about a lot of things, but having a solid quarterback in reserve isn’t one of them.

McMillan, who apparently wasn’t the answer to LSU’s quarterback dilemma, is far more appreciated in his newest pigskin address uptown.