How failure at Southern Miss forced Will Hall to confront himself, travel the country in search of answers, and return stronger to try and lead Tulane. Failure does not always arrive with a single, dramatic collapse. Sometimes it arrives as a slow, grinding erosion, one loss after another, one season after another, until the weight becomes impossible to carry. For Will Hall, that weight settled fully on a Sunday evening in October 2024. Southern Miss fired him after a 1-6 start to his fourth season. The final record stood at 14-30. The 2022 season, a 7-6 campaign capped by a LendingTree Bowl victory, felt like a distant memory. What remained was the hard truth that the program had not moved forward under his watch in the way anyone, least of all Hall himself, had envisioned. Most coaches in that moment retreat into bitterness, silence, or the next available job. Hall did something rarer. He treated the failure as a teacher rather than a verdict. Shortly after being let go, Hall was already on the Tulane practice field. Not as a visitor seeking employment, but as a coach who needed to be around the game again. In the weeks that followed, he deliberately stepped off the treadmill of the coaching carousel. He traveled. He watched. He listened. He went to Houston to sit with Willie Fritz, the man who had once given him the offensive coordinator job at Tulane. He spent time at Army. He visited Oregon. He stopped at Jacksonville State. These were not networking trips. They were intentional acts of study, visits to programs that had figured out how to sustain success at a high level. What Hall discovered on those trips was not a single schematic secret. It was something more fundamental about himself. At Southern Miss he had drifted into the role of CEO and fundraiser. The job of modern head coach had pulled him away from the field, away from the daily teaching that had defined his earlier success at West Alabama and West Georgia, where he went 56-20 and made four playoff appearances. “I’m not a CEO,” Hall would later say with quiet clarity. “I have to coach on the field. The CEO route, I tried it and it doesn’t work for me.” That realization did not come easily. It required the humility to admit that the version of himself that succeeded as a lower-level head coach and as an offensive coordinator had been diluted by the demands of an FBS head job. The trail of those visits forced him to confront the gap between who he had become and who he needed to be. When the opportunity came to return to Tulane in January 2025 as pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach under Jon Sumrall, Hall took it without hesitation. He returned not as a former head coach demanding the title, but as a teacher hungry to work. The role put him back on the grass, back in the meeting rooms, back in the daily work of developing players. One year later, when Sumrall left for Florida, Tulane turned to the man who already knew the program, the city, and most importantly the hard lessons of the previous chapter. In December 2025, Will Hall was named head coach of the Green Wave. The story is not one of simple redemption. It is one of deliberate progression. Hall did not pretend the Southern Miss years never happened. He examined them. He traveled to understand how successful programs sustain themselves. He returned to a place that already knew his strengths and asked to be judged on the version of himself that had been refined by failure. There is a quiet power in that sequence. Many coaches experience setbacks. Fewer use them as a mirror. Fewer still leave the comfort of their own system long enough to study someone else’s. Hall did both. The trails at Southern Miss became the trail that led him back to New Orleans with clearer eyes and a renewed conviction about how he wants to lead. In the end, the measure of a coach is not only the wins recorded on a résumé. It is the capacity to learn when the record turns against him. Will Hall’s path from the firing in Hattiesburg to the head coaching chair at Tulane is a living example of that capacity. The failure was real. The learning that followed was more real still. And the Green Wave program now stands as the place where that hard-earned growth will be tested and, if history is any guide, put to use. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston Churchill #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X

Jaxson Dixon- @JaxsonDixon10 5-10/165 Foley, AL He has camped and impressed at places like Florida State (7-on-7 and camps in June 2026) and has drawn additional regional interest. He is currently uncommitted. Prep Redzone previously ranked him as high as the #3 ATH/DB in Alabama and around #4 ATH / top-65 overall in the state. Production and athletic traits continue to generate offers and attention in FCS/G5. • Elite short-area quickness and change of direction: True “joystick” mover. Exceptional lateral agility and ability to make defenders miss in tight spaces or after the catch. Prep Redzone scouting describes elite YAC ability and an uncanny knack for escaping congestion. • Separation and route bounce: Creates separation quickly. Shows burst out of breaks and the ability to stack moves while maintaining speed. Effective in the slot against linebackers and versatile enough to work outside. • Vision and elusiveness after the catch: High-end run-after-catch traits. Turns short throws, screens, and jet sweeps into explosives. Forces missed tackles and punishes poor angles. • Deep threat / field-stretching speed: Can take the top off a defense and is dangerous on vertical routes and returns. Game-changing speed in the open field. • Versatility / multi-phase value: Legitimate gadget/playmaker profile. Returns kicks and punts, contributes on defense (coverage and finishing ability), and can be used in creative packages (motion, sweeps, etc.). High football IQ and competitiveness noted. • Big-play production: Consistently produces highlight-reel plays. Junior film and the senior opener both show the ability to take over stretches of games. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X

Zeon Chriss-Gremillion is your Week 1 starter, and Tulane’s offense just got a whole lot more dangerous with the option. Today sources confirmed what many around the program had sensed coming: fifth-year senior Zeon Chriss-Gremillion has won the quarterback competition and will start for the Green Wave against Duke on Sept. 5. The Baton Rouge native and Madison Prep product beat out redshirt junior Kadin Semonza after a competitive fall camp that began as a four-way battle. This isn’t just a QB decision. It’s a scheme decision. Why Zeon Fits: Chriss-Gremillion brings proven dual-threat production and starting experience at two previous stops. At Louisiana in 2023 he completed 66.7% of his passes for 1,222 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 492 rushing yards and six scores. At Houston in 2024 he started seven games, threw for 824 yards, and rushed for 388 yards with four touchdowns. His legs have always been the separator, elite speed, vision, and the ability to make defenders miss in the open field. Coach Will Hall has repeatedly said he wants at least one quarterback who can move. Zeon is that guy. In camp he consistently showed the ability to extend plays, finish drives with his legs (including multiple red-zone touchdowns in scrimmages), and force defenses to account for the quarterback as a runner. Hall Ball with Option Teeth: Hall’s offense is a multiple-personnel West Coast/spread system built with tempo, shifts, motions, and versatility. He loves tight ends (one-TE base with heavy two-TE packages) and hybrid “Superback” types who can line up in the backfield or in the slot. The running back room is deep. Jamauri McClure, Jaylin Lucas, Maurice Turner, Johnnie Daniels, DJ Dugar, and Jake Randle, the staff has emphasized a run-first approach that sets up play-action. What changes with Zeon under center is how often the quarterback becomes a legitimate run threat in the design of the play. Hall’s football roots include the triple-option principles he learned from his father. That “always have the extra number” mentality shows up in zone-read and option concepts. Camp reports ( @DougJoubert and @greenwavecolin ) noted that every quarterback worked option plays, not just Zeon. With a true dual-threat starter, those concepts move from change-of-pace to core identity. Expect a heavier dose of: • Zone-read and power-read looks where Zeon is reading the defensive end or edge defender • Designed QB keepers and keepers off play-action • Option elements that force the defense to account for the quarterback, the running back, and the pitch man or receiver (Jaylin Lucas) • Misdirection that plays off the threat of Zeon’s speed This is classic “put the defense in conflict” football. When the quarterback can run at a high level, defenses have to slow-play their edges or commit an extra defender. That opens lanes for the backs and creates one-on-ones for the tight ends and receivers on play-action. What It Means Moving Forward Tulane already had the pieces for a physical, multiple run game. Zeon elevates it. The offense doesn’t have to abandon the West Coast passing concepts or the tempo, it simply becomes harder to defend because the quarterback is now a legitimate third option in the run game. Semonza remains a strong backup with a different skill set (more of a pure pocket passer with accuracy). The battle may not be completely closed for the season. Hall has kept things competitive, but the Week 1 decision is clear. Zeon gives Tulane the best chance to stress Duke’s defense with scheme and athleticism from the jump. Louisiana product. Dual-threat experience. A coach who understands how to use a mobile quarterback. The pieces fit. The Green Wave are about to run a heavier option-oriented attack than many expected, and Zeon Chriss-Gremillion is the engine. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X

What Went Wrong for the Pelicans in Late-Game Situations?

Gavin Sealscott- @GSEALSCOTT10  5-9/160 Kenton, OH Sealscott is one of the purest speed threats in the 2028 class. (4.37 Forty) He is a multi-sport standout in football, track, and powerlifting (2025 state powerlifter, multiple league Male Athlete of the Year honors). Camp/7-on-7: Southern Exposure (Georgia) WR MVP and Ultimate Showcase (Michigan) WR/DB MVP. He has been a two-time varsity starter on teams that have had strong Western Buckeye League success. • Elite straight-line speed and acceleration. Creates separation instantly and is a constant deep and intermediate threat. The 10.72 100m speed translates to real football explosiveness. • Yards after catch & return ability. Elite wiggle and vision in space. Dangerous on bubble screens, jet sweeps, and kick returns. • Physicality relative to size. Willing and effective blocker who finishes. Plays bigger and meaner than his frame. Strong relative strength from powerlifting background. • Two-way versatility. Legitimate free safety / ballhawk traits with range and finishing ability in run support. High football IQ and competitive toughness. • Work ethic & multi-sport development. Track and powerlifting background give him a rare combination of speed + functional strength. • Productivity early. Already a featured player as an underclassman with big-play capability. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X

Drake Olson- @DrakeOlson2028 6-1/195 Houston, TX He is not a traditional inline tight end prospect at this stage. At 6’1”/195 with good athleticism, he has the frame and skill set some staffs could project as a flexed/Y/H-back or big-slot type if he continues to add mass and develops blocking. He is a high-level three-sport athlete (football, baseball, basketball) with private-school production and measurable explosiveness. Olson is a twitchy, multi-sport athlete with good explosiveness for his size. 4.6 forty + 9’6” broad + 33.5” vertical indicate solid suddenness and lower-body power. Baseball background (arm strength, hand-eye, barrel ability) and basketball experience support body control, coordination, and competitiveness. • Reliable hands and production as a sophomore in a featured receiving role. • Functional athleticism and explosiveness that create yards after catch. • Multi-sport development and competitive pedigree (championship experience). • Frame still has room to add good weight while retaining speed. • Work ethic #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X

Well whatever that performance was the Saints sure hope they don’t have again for a long time. It was the type of game where it felt like they couldn’t really manage to do much of the little things right. Sure they had a couple nice moments here and there like Rattlers 25 yard throw to Moreno-Cooper but this game was terrible all around. No other way to put it. Let’s look at some of the key points I was looking for in the game. The backup quarterback battle just got even murkier. After Zach Wilson shined in the first preseason game but unfortunately had a complete 180 of a performance against the Rams. I don’t think Wilson had much help around him today but he did not do enough to have us overlook the circumstances. Rattler was watching this from the sidelines and knew his turn was coming to make up ground in the backup battle. His first drive ended in a 100 yard pick six to completely bury the Saints on the scoreboard. Once you’re down 27 points in the third quarter barring a miracle comeback there’s not much positive merit in individual performance for the rest of the game. Following up the QB battle was the pecking order battle in the receiver room. But because of how the offense performed today we got no answers there. We’ll have to wait till next week against the cowboys to see if we get any clear answers before the rosters are trimmed down. I wanted to keep an eye out for the RB3 battle in this game and unfortunately no one stood out in a positive fashion in this game. Ty Chandler was someone who had a big moment in the last game with a long kickoff return but all that positive momentum he created came to screeching halt. Ty had a lackluster day running the ball and had a brutal fumble that was recovered by the Rams while in the red zone. Just can’t have those two things happen and expect to win a job with so little opportunity left. I came away impressed with the corner depth after the Jaguars game last week and was looking forward to see how’d they look against better competition from the Rams. I won’t single out any one player specifically here but ultimately the defense as a whole just really had no answers for the Rams today. The Rams were moving the ball at will today, didn’t matter if it was on the ground or in the air. The Rams could do whatever they wanted and there should be some concern even if it’s just a preseason game after a performance like that. Lastly was my interest in the kicking battle given Smyth’s uneven track record. Unfortunately the Saints did not give the kickers much if any real work today. Brown got the only chance of the day to kick a FG at the end of the game and missed a 39 yarder. If this keeps up the Saints might have to go in a whole other direction at the kicker position before the regular season starts. I won’t give the Saints an excuse for a poor performance like this. Preseason or not failing to execute at the level they did today is unacceptable and will have to be a lot different in the last preseason game if they want to bring some positive momentum into the regular season. Moving forward though as it’s been noted by others the Saints looked tired today. I don’t believe we will see the Saints schedule two joint practices between two preseason game over a ten day span again. Let’s hope for a more competitive game next week for the preseason finale against the Cowboys.