Positional Preview: Secondary
Aug 23, 2019 | Football
NEW ORLEANS – Twelve passes intercepted, 88 passes defended and one NCAA single-game record set in 2018.
Not only is Tulane's secondary unit coming off a strong season, the 2019 squad – featuring 12 returners and four freshmen – is fully stacked and ready for more this fall.
THE UNIT
- Nine safeties are set to return to the Tulane roster in 2019, including senior starters P.J. Hall and Will Harper.
- Hall finished the 2018 regular season sixth on the team in tackles with 46, adding one interception, one sack, one fumble recovery and nine pass breakups. The senior also earned Preseason All-AAC fourth team honors from Athlon Sports Magazine.
- Harper recorded a single-season career-high 33 tackles as a junior, adding one sack and one interception last season.
- Senior Larry Bryant, redshirt junior Sean Harper, juniors Tirise Barge and Chase Kuerschen, sophomores Larry Brooks and Macon Clark and redshirt freshman Grant Hamel round out the safety position for the 2019 season.
- Four newcomers join the unit this year – Ton'Quez Ball, Tyler Judson, Jonathan Mestayer II and Kanyon Walker.
- Senior Thakarius Keyes returns for his final season in Olive and Blue as team's starting cornerback. Having earned Preseason All-AAC fourth team honors from Athlon Sports Magazine, Keyes set a single-season career high with 38 tackles in 2018 and finished second on the team with 11 pass breakups.
- Junior Jaylon Monroe and redshirt sophomore Willie Langham are also returning to the roster at the cornerback position.
- The Green Wave lost safety Roderic Teamer Jr. to the Los Angeles Chargers and cornerback Donnie Lewis Jr. to the Cleveland Browns after the 2018 season.
- Secondary coach Chris Hampton and cornerbacks coach J.J. McCleskey head into their second seasons working with the team's secondary.
-In December of 2018, Hampton was selected to the AFCA's 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute.
POSITION HIGHLIGHTS
- In 2018, Tulane's secondary intercepted 12 passes, ranking fourth in The American and 40th nationally.
- The Green Wave led the league and ranked second nationally in passes defended, finishing with 88.
- In the team's win over ECU, Tulane notched an NCAA-record 20 pass breakups.
Tulane opens the 2019 season on Thursday, Aug. 29 at home against FIU with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. The Green Wave are coming off a memorable 2018 campaign that was highlighted by a win in the AutoNation Cure Bowl and an American Athletic Conference West Division Co-Championship.
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Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.
