Michael Pratt stays right where he belongs at Tulane

Why in the world would Michael Pratt leave Tulane?

As the internet speculation ramped up in the last week that the Green Wave starting quarterback was considering a departure (remember, if it is on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, it must be true), I wondered and then guessed that Pratt would still be wearing Olive, Blue and Green.

Which he will.

This week, Pratt and his sidekick, center Sincere Haynesworth, announced they would return for 2023.

Pratt never gave me the impression he’s a player infatuated with shiny objects or cash. Maybe that makes me naïve, but I don’t think so.

He’s the quarterback, who still honors a deceased high school teammate on his social media. Pratt is long on loyalty, which is very much a commodity in today’s college football.

If Pratt did enter his name in the transfer portal, he could have drawn a considerable amount of interest.

Down the stretch in Tulane’s magical season, Pratt was a maestro. In the last four games, when his team needed it most, he was superb in throwing 11 touchdown passes and rushing for five more. In the American Athletic Championship Game, Pratt threw four touchdown passes, and rushed for another.

A very underrated as a passer, Pratt averaged 8.6 yards per attempt and threw 25 TD passes against only 5 interceptions. Those are big time numbers.

His talent would have translated at just about any Power 5 school.

Yett, next September, he will be Uptown. It’s frankly where he belongs.

Michael Pratt, in the annals of Tulane football, will stand upon the school’s Mount Rushmore of quarterbacks. He will be there with Shaun King, Roch Hontas, Steve Foley and Mike Walker.

Those men had one thing in common, for sure. They were all big winners.

If the transfer portal were around then, I think all of them would have made the same decision made by Michael Pratt. They are Tulanians, through and through.

Just like Pratt.

The rampant transfer speculation turned out to be just that.

“I never thought he was leaving,” said head coach WIllie Fritz, on signing day Wednesday.

So that’s the end of that, and not the end of Pratt.