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Starting Quarterback Uncertain as Tulane Heads into American Conference Opener
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- Starting Quarterback Uncertain as Tulane Heads into American Conference Opener
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
As the Tulane Green Wave prepares to head into its American Conference opener against the Army Black Knights, it's uncertain which quarterback will get the nod as the starter.
During Tuesday's media availability, head coach Will Hall did not announce who would take the reins ahead of Saturday's matchup. Though this could've simply been part of a strategy to keep Army from being able to plan, it's still concerning.
At this point, Tulane has rolled through two different starting quarterbacks through the first four games of the season. Houston Cougars transfer Zeon Chriss-Gremillion earned the initial start against the Duke Blue Devils, but after he failed to provide any sort of spark to the offense, he was benched in the second half.
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Kadin Semonza has been the primary QB1 for the program, and while he's looked like the best option up top this point, he still hasn't been overly impressive. The redshirt junior took over for Chriss-Gremillion in the Duke matchup and played full contests against the South Alabama Jaguars and Kansas State Wildcats, but he was benched in the fourth quarter in the team's come-from-behind win over the Southern Miss Golden Eagles.
During that stretch, Semonza has amassed 646 passing yards for three touchdowns and one interception. His completion percentage has dropped to a mere 53.8 percent -- much lower than the numbers he was putting up during his time with the Ball State Cardinals. Semonza also hasn't shown much of an ability to pick up chunks of yardage on scrambles, but given how poorly his offensive line has protected him, that's not too surprising.
After Semonza was benched against USM, true freshman Trace Johnson took the field for the first time this year, going 2-for-5 passing for 35 yards. Out of all the signal-callers on the team, he looks to have the most raw talent, but his lack of experience at this level could hinder him. However, if the Green Wave is going to struggle at the level that it has so far, then it might be worth it to give the potential future of the program some action.
Based on Hall's statements and the final quarter of the Southern Miss game, it's not too far-fetched to say that Tulane could be turning to Johnson against Army. Chriss-Gremillion has seemingly been bumped pretty far down the depth chart, so he seems to be all but out of the question at this point. Semonza is arguably the safest choice, but he's shown the limit of his capabilities, and it might not be enough to help the Green Wave through its tough conference slate.
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If Tulane goes for its third starting quarterback in five games, then that decision desperately needs to pan out. Jumping back and forth and switching intermittently between signal-callers would not bode well for the future of the program, and it could be a troubling sign of things to come.
