A longtime Tulane Green Wave defensive end is moving on to the NFL draft.
The Tulane Green Wave are going to have a lot of turnover between the transfer portal and graduating seniors, some of whom will hope to move on to the 2026 NFL draft. It can lead to a serious mass exodus if a team has a lot of seniors ready to depart. For the Green Wave, they’ll need to fill some holes on their defensive line – including every starting position.
Defensive tackle Santana Hopper, nose tackle Tre’Von McAlpine, and Bandit Harvey Dyson are entering the transfer portal. Backup defensive end Jordan Norman is also entering the portal. That leaves the end spot really thin. Starting DE Kam Hamilton recently announced that he will be entering the NFL draft in a statement on his Instagram.
"I want to formally thank Tulane and the great coaches and staff who have been alongside me for the past four years," Hamilton wrote. "I want to extend even more gratitude to Coach Fritz and Coach Sumrall. These past four years have been special and instrumental to my own growth- not only as a player, but as a man as well."
"I couldn't ask for better community and environment to prosper and grow in. The amazing people that have surrounded me have taught me lessons that l will forever cherish and given me memories of a lifetime. From winning the AAC championship and Cotton Bowl in my freshman to winning another AAC championship and making a CFP appearance in my senior year, this has truly been a great one."
"I will always cherish the connections, relationships and the great men that I have been blessed with to carry me these past four years. With that being said, I would like to officially say that I will declaring for the 2026 NFL draft. And last but not least - RMFW. Jeremiah 29:11."
Hamilton has been a great example of shining in the face of adversity, who was born premature and is legally deaf. He has to wear hearing aids during normal daily activities but has to remove them during football games. Initially feeling alone at Tulane, Hamilton learned to get more comfortable talking with people, at one point thanking Guerry Smith of NOLA.com for a feature he did that helped him gain his confidence.
Here is a fantastic feature done by Tulane video that really illustrates what Hamilton experiences during games.
Hamilton never let it stop him on his play on the field. He had 29 tackles this season, three sacks, four tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, and three pass deflections. In his career 53 games played for the Green Wave, he has 45 solo tackles, 90 total, 16.5 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, three pass deflections, and three forced fumbles.