The Tulane Green Wave football team will conduct their first scrimmage under Will Hall. What can we expect to learn?
The Tulane Green Wave football team entered its second week of spring football with their fifth practice session on Tuesday. Like the first few days of pads, it was unseasonably frigid and windy in New Orleans, which hasn’t exactly tested the out of state transfer guys who have yet to experience a real, muggy Uptown day outside of the second day of practice that saw a few guys experience cramps. And unfortunately, the forecast for Thursday’s practice is along the same, cooler lines that the last few sessions have been. However, the team will conduct a mini scrimmage on Thursday before they head off to Spring Break.
The scrimmage will involve basically everything but goal line situations, which coach Will Hall told reporters after practice will be installed following the break. But it’ll give a glimpse into drives, the tempo and playcalling style of the offense under Hall and offensive coordinator Russ Callaway, and who steps up on defense. The skill position group on offense feels elevated from this time last season, as does the quarterback competition feeling a bit further along with a returner competitor being one of the leaders of the pack. Kadin Semonza has settled in with a level of poise and command he just wasn’t displaying this time last year. It’s not clear whether Zeon Chriss-Gremillion will participate if it’s a scrimmage with pads, as he’s been dealing with a hamstring.
When observing the Gauntlet, the Green Wave’s offseason conditioning program, some leaders started to step up towards the end. That was a different environment than a scrimmage, and it’ll be interesting to see who takes the lead on both sides of the ball, even in a truncated mini camp scrimmage. Hall was a bit disappointed after Tuesday’s session in the lack of cleanliness from an assignment standpoint. Will they bounce back and tighten it up on Thursday? Seeing how the team builds and progresses and stacks days is also important, as is seeing how Hall is able to address things that are below standard or expectations.
What it’ll also do is give a mini glimpse at what the depth chart is starting to shape out as. For the first time in years, those building block can start in spring without worry that half will be gone and will be replaced by unknowns. With a few star players out recovering from offseason surgeries, notably running back Jamauri McClure and safety Jack Tchienchou, it’ll also allow some players to fill that void and step up. It won’t be as illuminating as the final scrimmage of spring camp, but each insight into the 2026 Tulane team is valuable.