Tulane went without a drafted player for the first time since 2022, but former Waves were selected while others landed camp invites.
The Tulane Green Wave had a hard hit this past draft, not having a single player drafted for the first time since 2022. However, there were a few players from that era of Green Wave football who did find homes in the 2026 NFL draft, as well as some players who are continuing to receive camp invites as the undrafted free agency period goes on through Monday.
Two former players were selected: Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Chris Brazzell in the third round at No. 83 overall by the Carolina Panthers, and Oregon Ducks defensive back Jadon Canady in the fourth round at No. 109 overall by the Kansas City Chiefs. In addition, Tulane offensive tackle Derrick Graham received a camp invite by the Tennessee Titans, and tight end Johnny Pascuzzi is heading to a camp invite by the Chiefs.
That now brings it up to one unsigned free agent in KC Eziomume with the Chicago Bears, and camp invites extended to Jake Retzlaff by the Seattle Seahawks, defensive end Kam Hamilton by the New Orleans Saints, and now Graham by the Titans and Pascuzzi by Kansas City as players from the 2025 team that reached the College Football Playoff.
However, in today’s NIL era with the freedom of the transfer portal, a lot of former players ended up finishing their college careers elsewhere but were initially part of Tulane’s recruiting class under former coach Willie Fritz.
Brazzell came in the 2022 class, the year Tulane went on to win the Cotton Bowl and have the greatest single-season turnaround in college football history, and played for two seasons with the Wave, having a breakout campaign in 2023 where he was a primary target for Michael Pratt. He 44 catches for 711 yards and four touchdowns before transferring to the Volunteers for the final two seasons of his collegiate career.
Canady was a part of the team that won the Cotton Bowl and the team that came before that – the last one to not have a drafted player back in 2021. He played for two seasons with Tulane, showing off versatility to play a cornerback, and later moving to nickel where he shined before an ACL tear ended his season in 2022. Canady had 75 total tackles, six pass deflections, and two interceptions for the Wave. He transferred to the Ole Miss Rebels for two seasons before finishing out his career with the Ducks under former Tulane defensive coordinator Chris Hampton.
So, while they aren’t technically a part of Tulane’s draft class this cycle, it shows that the Green Wave are able to find, develop, and cultivate talent that is league-bound, regardless of where they finish and hang their cleats up at.