The Tulane Green Wave are set to run back nearly their entire linebacker room from last season under new defensive coordinator Tayler Polk.
College football is in a bit of a weird waiting period as the regular season is over, players can declare intent to enter the transfer portal but can’t technically do so until Jan. 2 when it officially opens. So, it leaves programs in a bit of a limbo, at least optics wise. Scouting and recruiting departments are scouring the presumed available talent in the transfer portal to be able to sign them quickly on Friday. It makes things look worse when a lot of players are intending to depart without the ability to announce replacements.
That makes the few returning announcements hold some excitement and perhaps give a glimpse into what the portal needs will be. The Tulane Green Wave have slowly added a core of returnees to build around once the portal opens. Linebacker Chris Rodgers was the first to commit on X as one of the top leaders and playmakers on the field as the second-leading tackler. Breakout star running back Jamauri McClure soon followed him. Those were two must-keeps off the bat. Then they added some depth at linebacker with Makai Williams announcing his return.
Those were all good signs that the promotion of linebacker coach Tayler Polk to defensive coordinator was a strong choice by head coach Will Hall. Now, that unit is poised to return all impact players who are eligible to play next season – Sam Howard is out of eligibility.
Linebacker Dickson Agu announced on Monday that he was returning to the Green Wave for the 2026 season. Agu was the team leader in tackles before suffering a knee injury in the team’s first conference game against the Tulsa Hurricanes that ended up being season-ending. Agu backed up Tyler Grubbs in 2024, and he and Rodgers would sub in often either in three-linebacker sets or to give Grubbs and Howard some rest. Polk helped develop Agu into a full-time starter opposite Howard, at least through the non-conference slate.
Agu played in five games and posted 15 solo tackles, 36 total, two tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, and a pass breakup. In 2024, Agu had 34 total tackles, 2.5 TFLs, an interception, and one pass breakup in 14 games, showing how his playing time and production grew in tandem last season before his injury.
That was a room that suddenly looked quite thin when Agu got hurt and Howard had to miss time this season. It helped cultivate Rodgers into a real full-time starter, who should be poised to return now alongside Agu with Williams as a strong third member of a linebacker room that should be a strength of Tulane’s defense in 2026.