Is Tulane the King of the Group of Five? On-Field Dominance and NFL Pipeline Say Yes

It has been heavily debated who the kings of the Group of Five are. After the sustained success of this program over the past few years, the debate is being settled. 

The Tulane Green Wave are the kings of the Group of Five.

What Makes Tulane the Kings of the Group of Five?

Totaling 32 wins over the past three seasons, including a 22-2 record in their conference, it is clear that Tulane is dominant on the field. It has been ranked numerous times during this stretch and has made a bowl game in six of the last seven seasons.

Tulane has had the talent and coaching to compete with power conference schools in recent years. They impressively defeated the USC Trojans in the 2022 Cotton Bowl.

How the program has built itself into what it is now is incredibly impressive. The Green Wave were a struggling team until they brought in Willie Fritz to lead the charge in 2016. Fritz led a remarkable rebuild, turning the school into a consistent winner and brought national attention to the Group of Five. 

Fritz left to take the Houston Cougars job in 2023. Tulane, now a powerhouse in the Group of Five, was able to lure in one of the hottest coaching candidates in former Troy Trojans HC Pat Sumrall. The program showed that they were all in on football by paying up to get such a strong candidate.

This move showed their commitment to winning and their aggressiveness in staying relevant and dominant. In the past, Tulane would have never done something as bold as this, but the move shows the program’s growth. Sumrall kept the run of dominance going with a nine-win campaign in 2024. 

The on-field success is apparent, but what’s even more impressive is how they’ve been able to develop talent. Tulane has over a dozen players on NFL rosters and has routinely had players drafted. Players such as Tyjae Spears and Dorian Williams heard their names called as early as Day 2 of the NFL Draft. 

MORE: Tulane HC Jon Sumrall Reveals QB1 Process Ahead of the Spring

Tulane is very well-represented at the Senior Bowl this year just like they have been over the past three years. They are the only Group of Five program to have multiple players on the Senior Bowl roster in each of the past three years. Tulane’s stars are representing the school well by showcasing and competing alongside the top names of the NFL Draft.

Another indicator of success is in their recruiting. Tulane ranks at the top of recruiting class rankings every year among the Group of Five programs.

They have a lot of success bringing in talent through the transfer portal, and when they lose talent to bigger programs, which happens often, they have no problem filling in the holes with talent they have brought in or developed.

Some of their recent talent such as RB Makhi Hughes and QB Darian Mensah, have cashed in on their development at Tulane to earn starting spots at some of the largest programs in the country. Hughes recently transferred to the Big Ten champion Oregon Ducks, and Mensah took the starting QB job with the Duke Blue Devils.

These players came to Tulane as under-the-radar prospects and left as guys who will have NFL potential. Tulane has made recruiting, scouting, and development one of the biggest focuses of its program and is reaping the benefits.  

The pipeline of talent from Tulane and the consistent on-field success show the school’s dominance. This is a program that can compete with the best in every aspect of the sport. Tulane is the king of the Group of Five and will continue to showcase this to the world as they grow larger as a program.

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