Tulane Football Back Up 'Nola's Team' Claim With Louisiana Pipeline

For a while, the Tulane Green Wave football team struggled to make inroads recruiting in one of the biggest recruiting hotbeds in the country in New Orleans, La. Then, they started winning, and it became an attractive destination for guys who wanted to play near home and compete for championships.

For reference, two years ago, wide receiver Oliver Mitchell became the first Green Wave commit from local Edna Karr high school since they signed a player in 2011.

For their 2027 recruiting class, Tulane has 20 total hard commits as of this Friday. Out of those 20, five are from the state of Louisiana: wide receiver Ray’Quan Williams from St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, wide receiver Ja’ir Burks from Jesuit High School in New Orleans, cornerback James Tyson from St. Charles Catholic in La Place, offensive tackle Jackson Shaw from Baton Rouge Catholic in Baton Rouge, and running back Jaden Terrance from Archbishop Rummel in Metairie.

One of those recruits that sticks out is Jaden Terrance, who fits a mold that the Green Wave have seemed to build quite a bit of depth with through the transfer portal. That said, their returning starting running back Jamauri McClure is a recruit who has grown through the program.

But he headlines a room anchored by returnee Maurice “Mo” Turner and incoming transfers Jaylin Lucas, DJ Dugar, and Johnnie Daniels. Through all of spring camp, the versatility of the running backs stood out – notably, their pass catching abilities. Several plays had two-back sets with one lined up in the slot as a receiver.

That seems to be the same skillset that head coach Will Hall coveted in Terrance, who is technically listed as a running back on Rummel’s roster, but is also a talented pass catcher and kick returner.

Speaking with local news Fox 8 Nola, Terrance was intrigued by their pitch of being a “super back” to use all of his traits. He also pointed to the closeness of the Green Wave to his family and the ability to have them attend all games. He appreciates that the program is “run by a man of God” in Hall. And he spoke of his strong relationship that he built with running backs coach Brock Hays as being the final factor in his decision-making.

With local products comes some familiarity, and Terrance has that with incoming commit Ray’Quan Williams, as the two played together in New Orleans East as children.

For a while, there felt like a disconnect with Tulane calling itself “Nola’s college football team” and the lack of Louisiana talent. That’s been completely flipped in the last several seasons to make it a local hotbed.