Tulane Running Backs Have Big Shoes to Fill in Fast-Approaching Season

The running back position for the Green Wave will look very different from a year ago. Star running back Makhi Hughes has transferred to the Oregon Ducks. Running back Shaadie Clayton-Johnson has left New Orleans as well.

While the Green Wave brought in transfers Zuberi Mobley and Maurice Turner, the heir apparent to Makhi Hughes' role as star running back, could be returning junior Arnold Barnes III.

A season ago, Barnes ran for 402 yards and six touchdowns on 87 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. He had eight receptions for 19 yards and a touchdown in the passing game. His most notable performance was an 82-yard two-touchdown day on the ground with 11 carries in a 71-20 Tulane victory over UAB.

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With more carries and more experience, Barnes has the potential to become a star. While replicating Hughes' 1,401-yard rushing season with 15 touchdowns on the ground may seem unlikely, it's important to remember that no one knew just how successful Hughes would become after he took the mantle of Tulane running back from Tyjae Spears after Spears went to the NFL and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2023.

With the recruitment of Mobley and Turner in the transfer portal, the Tulane running back room will be competitive.

After all, Mobley rushed for 487 yards and four touchdowns on 92 carries at Florida Atlantic in his junior year.

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Meanwhile, Maurice Turner ran for 136 yards and a touchdown last season with the Louisville Cardinals. But Barnes does have the advantage of returning to this Tulane offensive scheme.

While Mobley and Turner are both capable of becoming elite running backs for the Wave, Barnes may have the inside track given his knowledge of the scheme and his productivity in it. If Barnes secures the role he has spent two years in New Orleans working toward, he can have the breakout season he has been searching for.

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