Tulane Green Wave football stars secure unique NIL contracts ahead of season

The Tulane Green Wave enters the 2024 season with a lot of positive momentum. The team has achieved double-digit wins in two consecutive seasons for the first time in program history, opening up opportunities for players off the field in the NIL.

The more productive they are on the field, the more attention Tulane will receive. More attention and viewership means more money for everyone in the program.

Thanks to NIL, Green Wave fans can represent their favorite players in the stands with unique jerseys from Campus Connection. The two athletes most recently signed with the off-campus retailer are quarterback Darian Mensah and star defensive lineman Patrick Jenkins.

Both players are now part of the CampConn NIL family, as announced on X, formerly known as Twitter. Jerseys bearing the number 10 and Mensah’s name are now being sold online on the Campus Connection website.

That’s quite a rise for Mensah, who wasn’t heavily courted out of high school. Tulane was his only FBS offer and he appeared to be No. 3 on the quarterback depth chart in the race to succeed Michael Pratt.

Former five-star recruits Ty Thompson and Kai Horton were expected to be ahead of him, but Mensah was the first quarterback on the field in the Green Wave’s scrimmage last week. But it’s Pratt’s former backup who is making the most of the opportunity.

While Mensah is trying to make a name for himself, Jenkins already has. He is part of a Tulane defense that returns many key contributors from last season and has drawn a lot of positive attention in the preseason.

Jenkins was on several waiting lists for preseason awards and was named the best player returning to the program in 2024. After recording 5.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss last season, the star defensive lineman will now be in the spotlight as one of the country’s best in the trenches.