Tulane Football 2017 Position Preview: Linebackers

NEW ORLEANS – Tulane football hit the turf Wednesday morning on Day 15 of preseason camp for a two-hour workout at Yulman Stadium.

As the 2017 season approaches, with just 17 days to kickoff, the units are rounding into shape, and previews of each position will follow on TulaneGreenWave.com in the coming days and weeks. Today: linebackers.

The Green Wave return to the practice field Thursday morning for a workout at the New Orleans Saints facility in Metairie. Practices are closed to the public.

Linebackers

The Tulane defense has the difficult task of replacing a productive linebacker now in the NFL, but does return starters Zachery Harris and Rae Juan Marbley, who has 35 games under his belt. Nico Marley, in training camp with the Washington Redskins, wreaked havoc for opposing offenses, accounting for 88 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, three sacks an interception and two fumble recoveries.

Harris, a redshirt junior from New Orleans, started eight games last season, accounting for 45 tackles and four TFL. He has 63 total stops, including 36 solo tackles in his 17-game career. Marbley, a Destrehan, La., native, earned a pair of starts last season, but played in all 11 contests, racking up 36 tackles. The senior counts 81 stops and an interception to his career tally.

“Zach Harris started quite a bit for us last year, and Rae Juan Marbley has started a few games here in his career as well. He’s a very smart football player, kind of a bigger linebacker,” Fritz said. “Luke Jackson, who we moved over there, has pretty good instincts for not having played there before. Lawrence Graham might be playing the best out of the whole crew. Those are the guys that will play most of the snaps for us at linebacker.”

Jackson (a senior from LaPlace, La.), Graham (a sophomore from Lauderhill, Fla.) and fellow sophomore Larry Bryant (Kennesaw, Ga.) all played in at least 11 games last season, while redshirt senior Quinlan Carroll (Belle Chasse, La.) played in seven contests with a start. Jackson was active last season with 20 tackles, five TFL, a sack, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry, while Carroll tallied 15 stops, including six TFL and two sacks with an interception. Bryant and Graham look to increase their roles on the defense after spending most of their time on special teams last year.

Sophomore Chase Napoleon (Grand Prairie, Texas), who saw action in seven contests in 2016, as well as freshmen Marvin Moody (Bryant, Ark.), Monty Montgomery (Norcross, Ga.) and KJ Vault (Hoover, Ala.) are competing to contribute on the middle of the defense.

Season tickets, mini-plans and single game tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging onto TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center. Season tickets that includes all six home games during the 2017 season start as low as $200 for a single book and $300 for a family four-pack. Mini plans include the 3^rd & Goal package for $75 and the Homecoming & Lagniappe package for $65. Seats are available in locations throughout Yulman Stadium.

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