The Oklahoma Sooners welcome the Tulane Green Wave to town this weekend and here are three key players to know ahead of their nonconference showdown.
Oklahoma’s performance against Houston rocked the foundation of the fan base. Many expected Oklahoma to flat-out dominate the Cougars.
Instead, they found themselves sweating out a 16-12 win that needed a late safety and a big third down conversion to make it out of the 4th quarter with the win.
This week, the Sooners get the opportunity for course correction, but their most challenging opponent to date looms large as they get set to host a dark horse playoff candidate out of the AAC in the Tulane Green Wave.
Tulane has dominated the AAC over the last few years. Tulane had 23 wins over the last two seasons under Willie Fritz, who is now at Houston, which included back-to-back conference title game appearances.
This year’s team has a new coach and features some players that could cause trouble for the Sooners on Saturday.
Makhi Hughes, RB
Malik Hughes resides at the heart of the Tulane offensive plan. He’s not getting as much love as some other running backs but make no mistake, he’s a really good player.
Hughes made a name for himself last year as a workhorse running back, ranking ninth in the country with 1,378 yards and earning 20+ carries in eight of his 14 outings. Oklahoma would be wise to expect a full dose of Hughes come Saturday.
Mario Williams, WR
If the name looks familiar, it should be. That is indeed Mario Williams, a former Sooner who started his career in Norman before transferring to USC along with Caleb Williams when Lincoln Riley defected to Southern California. Williams may have finally found his groove as a collegiate wide receiver. He entered Oklahoma as a consensus four-star and showcased the ability to be a threat at times in his only season wearing the Crimson and Cream.
For Tulane, he’s already leading them in receiving yards through two games with 252. He’s clearly a favorite target of new Green Wave quarterback Darian Mensah. Expect Williams to be targeted early and often with the quick screen game and other quick hitters.
Patrick Jenkins, DT
Former TCU transfer Patrick Jenkins has found a home anchoring the middle of Jon Sumrall’s Green Wave defense. He is Tulane’s best defensive player and with the instability along OU’s offensive line, he could have a day disrupting an already inept Oklahoma run game. Jenkins is cerebral yet very powerful despite staying under 300 pounds.
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