Defensive Players to Watch as Tulane Takes on Southern Miss

The Tulane Green Wave defense has not played up to its standard so far this year.

Visit michezonews.co.za for more information.

In three games played, nearly everything has been an issue at some point or another: from poor execution when tackling to unnecessary penalties. Those are all things that need to be cleaned up at some point or another if Tulane wants to have any success on the field this season... and that starts with the program's upcoming matchup against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles.

The game is a golden opportunity -- no pun intended -- for the Green Wave to figure a few things out heading into American Conference play. Will the team rise to the occasion? 

Here are three Tulane defensive standouts to watch heading into the contest.

S Jack Tchienchou

Tchienchou has had a slower start to the season than many anticipated, and he even took a step back in the program's Week Three loss to the Kansas State Wildcats. The safety totaled just three tackles on the day — a big drop from his 17 tackles through the first two games of the season combined. He had no other noteworthy defensive stats recorded. 

It’s time for the Tchienchou of 2025 to come back: the star who was making noise all over the field and scaring opposing offenses. If there's ever a time for a "get right" game, it's now. Expect Tchienchou to bounce back from the tough outing and turn heads in the final game before league play.

S Kevin Adams III

Whereas Tchienchou has struggled a bit, fellow safety Adams has seemingly found his groove. 

The redshirt junior had eight tackles and one tackle-for-loss against the Wildcats, and he's now up to 29 tackles on the year. Of those 29 takedowns, 21 have been solo; he's needed very little help in getting to the ball and making the play on his own.

Adams earned some recognition ahead of the season, being a Pro Football Network Third Team Preseason All-Conference selection, but he's outperformed most expectations so far. Could he truly be poised for a breakout season? 

DL Ed Smith IV

Tulane's rushing defense is one of the worst in the entire nation and has given up an average of 216 yards per game. The defensive line has been pushed around pretty easily, and the team has struggled to get in the backfield. 

Smith is a redshirt senior, and though he just joined the program in the offseason from the South Alabama Jaguars, he is a veteran presence. Through three games this year, the defensive lineman has picked up 11 total tackles and one quarterback hurry, with the majority of that production coming in the season opener against the Duke Blue Devils.

Smith has been in a bit of a lull recently, and it's time to pick the pace back up... and he needs to find some sort of way to motivate the rest of his d-line. 

Read full story at source