With Jamauri McClure healthy and a deep receiver room, Tulane's offense looks built for a bigger passing emphasis in 2026.
As the Tulane Green Wave football team is in their offseason, now is the time to peruse through some of the position groups and see what there is to look forward to this upcoming season.
As has been previously broken down, the Green Wave will have new starters at every role besides running back where the offense is expected to feature star Jamauri McClure amid an exciting room.
Several members of that room may look to be real options as pass catchers this upcoming season.
Something that was missing a bit from the repertoire the last few seasons has been an elusive back who is a real pass catcher.
Think back to Tyjae Spears and his incredibly electric catch to beat the Houston Cougars in overtime back in 2022 on a pass thrown by backup quarterback Kai Horton.
Having running backs that can be as versatile as Spears is really essential.
For one, it’ll be exciting to see McClure at full strength after having shoulder surgery this offseason, which undeniably plays into receptions and fumbles.
Someone to look to for that aspect would be incomer Jaylin Lucas, who is shifty and has 64 career receptions for 456 yards and two touchdowns along with a return specialist skillset.
The offense should be expected to have more emphasis on the passing game this year.
Star playmakers in that group are likely to be LSU Tigers transfer Destyn Hill, Anthony Brown-Stephens, and another proven playmaker who we forgot to mention in our wide receiver preview in Zycarl Lewis Jr.
Lewis had 24 catches last season for 330 yards and two touchdowns, which was a big step up from his debut season in 2024 where he only recorded two receptions for 15 yards. He played in all 14 games last year compared to three the year prior.
He’s someone who has taken a major jump under wide receivers coach Carter Sheridan.
Equally important will be the quarterback battle, as several of these receivers have had a different signal caller throwing them the ball in each season with Tulane. This upcoming year will be no different.
But will finding the successor sooner rather than later give an edge this season? Nothing will compare to last year when the eventual starting quarterback arrived on campus a week before fall camp.
That lack of chemistry showed early with Jake Retzlaff and the wide receivers. They’ll have had a lot more time on task this upcoming season with the eventual winner, and that should matter in those first few weeks as top targets get firmly established.
