Tulane Loses Corey Dauphine to Injury but Backfield Talent Runs Deep
Looking at the Tulane Offense After Injury to RB Corey Dauphine
Story by FTW writer Kelly Comarda. To follow Fear the Wave, please subscribe to our newsletter here on Substack or follow FTW on Twitter.
Corey Dauphine’s Tulane career came to an abrupt end with an Instagram post on Sunday, July 5th when the sixth-year senior announced that he had a torn achilles tendon. Following two disappointing seasons with little playing time at Texas Tech, Dauphine exploded on the scene at Tulane, running for over 1,300 yards and 14 touchdowns over the past two seasons. The NCAA granted Dauphine a rare sixth year of eligibility due to an injury suffered at Texas Tech.
In 2020, Tulane was excited to get him back for another season but just like one of his long touchdown runs, Dauphine was gone in the blink of an eye.
Impact on the Tulane Offense
If there is a position that Tulane could afford to lose a key contributor, it’s at running back where the Green Wave returns several talented backs. Each member of Tulane’s backfield has a unique skillset that Tulane offensive coordinator Will Hall can utilize to create chaos for opposing defenses. There is no doubt that Tulane will miss Dauphine’s game changing speed, but the Wave’s current stable of running backs is arguably deeper than any other school in the AAC.
Rising junior Amare Jones is a Swiss Army knife who can line up all over the field. His versatility and playmaking ability make him a priority for opposing defenses to identify and account for on every snap. Jones is not only Tulane’s leading returning rusher having gained 371 yards last year, but he’s also the Wave’s leading returning receiver at 34 catches for 367 yards. To stress Jones’ importance to the offense, no current Tulane receiver has 34 career catches. It’s almost unfair to label Jones as a running back. Much like former Kansas City Chiefs player Dexter McCluster, Jones’ position should be “offensive weapon.”
Cameron Carroll is Tulane’s battering ram weighing in at 230 lbs. Carroll, the son of former New Orleans Saint Herman Carroll, is built like a traditional “between the tackles” running back, though he possesses a little more get up and go than most power backs. He’s reportedly been timed under 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash, and Tulane hopes that his combination of speed and power will create problems for opposing defenses. Carroll will likely assume Darius Bradwell’s role. If he can deliver on that talent with a little more juice than Bradwell, Carroll could surprise some with his ability to hit the occasional homerun.
Stephon Huderson is the epitome of a team player. The senior from Petal, MS came to Tulane in the recruiting class of 2017 and has done nothing but work hard since. Huderson has shown flashes of ability when he’s had an opportunity to touch the ball including a 55 yard run and a 32 yard touchdown reception against Tulsa and a 98 yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Central Florida. Huderson’s experience, reliability and ability to catch the football will earn him significant playing time. Expect Huderson to receive regular playing time in the rotation and to continue to have a role on special teams kick return units.
Ygenio Booker is a versatile redshirt sophomore from Florida, who is a hybrid of Jones and Carroll. Booker has good speed and the ability to catch the ball like a receiver, but at 210 lbs, he is built to withstand the punishment necessary to run between the tackles. This versatility allows Booker to play all over the field. Expect Booker to be on the field for a minimum of 20 to 25 plays on offense every game and to be a significant contributor on special teams.
Last but not least is Tyjae Spears, a redshirt freshman running back from Ponchatoula High School. Tulane coaches have raved about Spears for the past year, and Spears’ four game showcase last year appeared to justify the coaches’ praise. Against Missouri State, Spears rushed 8 times for 89 yards and a touchdown and added an 88-yard receiving touchdown. Injuries forced Spears into action against Navy and SMU where he performed well for a true freshmen against two of the better teams in the AAC.
It remains to be seen whether Spears will be in a starting role at the start 2020, but I’d imagine that at the end of 2020, Spears ends up as Tulane’s leading rusher. His physical profile is very similar to Dontrell Hilliard in size and speed, but Spears may have a touch more potential than Hilliard. If Spears has anywhere near the career that Hilliard had, Tulane fans and coaches will be ecstatic.
Fearless Predictions for Tulane’s Backfield:
Amare Jones will have at least 500 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving.
Tyjae Spears will rush for 800 yards.
Cameron Carroll will have at least 10 rushing TDs.
Tulane will have four running backs with more than 500 yards rushing but none over 1,000 yards.
Tulane running backs will catch at least 75 passes.