Tulane’s 2023 hopes bolstered by 5 key returnees

Tulane closed the final chapter on its storybook season with a 46-45 win over the USC Trojans in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl classic. But in a way, that wasn’t the end of the tale.

It can mark the start of a new beginning in which the Green Wave are poised to be a consistent contender both within the American Athletic Conference and on the FBS level as a whole – something that hasn’t been the case before.

Tulane has lost several of its most talented players to the 2023 NFL Draft and graduation, but there are a host of names still in the fold to be excited as the team looks to run it back. Here’s a look at five key returneees.

1. QB Michael Pratt

It’s been nearly two decades since Tulane quarterbacks garnered a heavy amount of attention and performed at the NFL level. Perhaps that is changing.

With a proper supporting cast around him, much stronger offensive line play and the addition of offensive coordinator Jim Svoboda, Pratt completely overhauled his stat line between 2021 and 2022. The three-year starter ended the season with a 63.6% completion rate, 3,010 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. That’s a jump from the previous year in which he completed 57.6% of his passing attempts for 2,381 yards with 21 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.

Now appearing in the top 10 of several analysts’ returning quarterback rankings, the rest of the nation has finally caught on to what we’ve been saying since June of last year – Michael Pratt is a quarterback with the potential to be a rising draft prospect and compete for the Heisman Trophy.

2. WR Jha’Quan Jackson

It’s reasonable to look at Jackson as the receiver who could see the highest number of targets in 2023 after his 2022 performance and the way the wide receivers room looks to shake out ahead of the season. The Hahnvilel High School product one of the most complete receivers Tulane has while also being a dynamic asset in the return game.

Jackson finished out 2022 with 33 receptions for 554 yards with 3 touchdowns. He helped set a Cotton Bowl record with his yards after catch on an 87-yard score that was a key moment when Tulane faced a 14-point deficit before he took it to the house.

“I give a lot of the credit to my coaches, my offensive line and my receivers,” Pratt said after the Cotton Bowl. “Really, all I had to do was deliver a good ball in a lot of situations… Jha’Quan Jackson getting the ball and taking it for almost 90 yards definitely made me look really good. Having players who can win one-on-one matchups like that, those are the guys I give the credit to.”

3. WR Lawrence Keys III

Keys was quietly effective in 2022 as part of a receiving corps that included standouts Deuce Watts and Shae Wyatt. Both of them have departed for the draft though, and the Notre Dame transfer out of McDonogh 35 looks poised to fill a bigger role in 2023.

Keys had clutch moments on special teams while finishing out the season with 30 receptions for 296 yards and three touchdowns.

One of those scores came during the New Year’s Six matchup with USC on a 43-yard score that made a difference in a contest in which every point could not have mattered more.

Keys has been used in a number of different ways. The Notre Dame transfer who prepped at McDonogh 35 will come into season riding the momentum of the success, particularly in the back half of last year.

4. OC Sincere Haynesworth

It was anticipated Haynesworth would declare for the draft and there’s no question that his stock was high enough to do so. Everything starts up front in football and it is impossible to have a successful offense without a line that can hold up. Haynesworth has played a huge role as the anchor up front so his return is a big deal for the Green Wave.

There’s a reason why he was named to the All-AAC team this season. Just as valuable as his ability to pick up blitzes and quickly react to what the defense is doing are his intangibles as a veteran figure and leader who teammates know to follow.

5. DB Jarius Monroe

Monroe had his moments in the 2022 season. One of the East St. John product’s most notable came during the Cotton Bowl with an interception on a Caleb Williams throw that gave Tulane a rare stop in a shootout. Monroe put on one of his best performances of the season in Arlington, finishing with 7 combined tackles (5 solo), a pass defended and the interception.

Projected to be a leadership figure for Tulane’s secondary moving forward into the fourth season of his college football career, Monroe is an important player to have retained as the likes of Jadon Candy, Lance Robinson Jr. and Rayshawn Pleasant return to the secondary as well.