The Tulane Green Wave have one of the most explosive running backs in the country leading their backfield. Makhi Hughes is entering his sophomore season after an electrifying freshman year in 2023.
Hughes is a step back in the backfield. In his first season with the Green Waves, he carried the ball 258 times for 1,378 yards and seven touchdowns. He is not heavily involved in the passing game, catching just seven passes for 61 yards in 14 games.
This leaves open the possibility that a second running back could emerge as a legitimate part of the team’s offensive strategy. One of the players vying for that spot is freshman Jamauri McClure from Goshen, Alabama.
McClure is competing with Arnold Barnes III, a sophomore, and Shaadie Clayton-Johnson, a fifth-year junior who began his college career at Colorado. Both rarely played behind Hughes last season and many would expect them to be ahead of McClure again this year.
Not only is McClure a freshman competing with experienced college players, he also had a fumble problem in fall camp. In each of Tulane’s two scrimmage games, the Goshen product put the ball on the ground.
But head coach Jon Sumrall won’t punish the young player for the early mistakes. The fumbles hurt, but he’s also done a lot of good work in the offseason. Sumrall is very impressed with the athleticism and physicality he brings.
“You can’t deny that something pretty explosive happens when he has the ball in his hands,” Sumrall said. “He can do 10.4 100m, which isn’t Olympic fast, but it’s pretty damn fast. He’s physically strong.”
“I will never forget an inside run (during practice) a few weeks ago where there was a collision between two adults. The defensive player, who is much bigger than Jamauri, buckled and fell to the ground.”
The Green Wave will need to find some players to step in behind Hughes; he can’t play every snap on every play. McClure certainly remains in the running, as Sumrall has hinted that a potential package of plays could be used for him.
“I could see him playing for us this year and having a package,” Sumrall said. “The whole offense is a lot of work for a kid like him, but the player is there. We just need to let him mature as quickly as possible.”
Tulane remains confident that McClure will be a player for them. His opportunities may be limited early in the season, but they like what he brings to the table and a bigger role could be on the horizon once he learns the playbook.
