No. 20 Football’s Makhi Hughes Named a Semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award
Nov 19, 2024 | Football
DALLAS, TX – No. 20 (AP) / No. 20 (Coaches) / No. 25 (CFP) Tulane football's redshirt sophomore running back Makhi Hughes was named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award.
The Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. Established in 1990, it is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions from 1950 to 1955. The player is selected by the award's National Selection Committee, which consists of notable sportswriters, television commentators, analysts, radio sports personalities and former All-America and NFL All-Pro football players.
The voting for the award to determine the finalists begins today and will be announced on Nov. 26. A second vote to determine the recipient will begin on the 26th and recipient will be announced on Dec. 12.
Hughes leads the AAC and ranks fifth nationally in rushing this season with 1,291 yards. He also ranks third in the conference and 10th nationally with 15 rushing touchdowns. Hughes is placed second in the AAC and 10th in the country with his average of 117.4 rushing yards per game. He is third in the league and placed 15th nationally in points per game at 9.3. He has been named the AAC's Weekly Honor Roll five times this season including a stretch of four straight weeks. Hughes' rushing total this season also ranks him fifth in a single campaign.
His 14 100+ career rushing games places Hughes in fourth place all-time at Tulane. He has now run for 2,669 yards in his career to move into seventh place all-time at the school.
Tulane has started the 2024 season with an 9-2 record and 7-0 mark in the AAC. The Green Wave earned a road conference victory in a 35-0 shutout of Navy on Nov. 16. Quarterback Darian Mensah threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for a career-high 57 yards plus a rushing touchdown. The win was Tulane's eighth straight overall and the 17th consecutive AAC regular victory dating back to the 2022 campaign. Tulane has now tied the AAC record for consecutive regular season conference victories. Both losses for Green Wave this season have come to teams that were ranked in Associated Press Top 25 including a 34-27 home defeat to then No. 17 Kansas State on Sept. 7 and a 34-19 road loss to then No. 15 Oklahoma on Sept. 14.
Tulane leads the AAC and the nation with six defensive touchdowns. The program is placed second in passing efficiency in the conference with a 169.10.
Tulane became ranked in both polls for the first time this season as the program is currently No. 20 nationally in the Coaches and the Associated Press (AP) Poll. It was the second straight week that the program has earned an AP national ranking. The team is also ranked No. 25 in the College Football Playoffs ratings that was released on Nov. 11.
The Green Wave's football team was chosen for third in the AAC Preseason Media Poll with 362 points plus two first-place votes at the annual conference media day.
This season, Tulane brings back three of the team's five starters on the offensive line (Shadre Hurst, Josh Remetich, Rashad Green), the leading rusher in the conference (Makhi Hughes), two of the team's top four receivers (Alex Bauman, Yulkeith Brown), the team's punter (Will Karoll) and long snapper (Ethan Hudak), the team's top three tacklers (Jesus Machado, Tyler Grubbs and Bailey Despanie) and three of the six leading defensive players in tackles for loss (Patrick Jenkins, Grubbs and Kameron Hamilton)
Tulane finished the 2023 season with a mark of 11-3 and a perfect 8-0 record in the American Athletic Conference. The program concluded the campaign with the 16th bowl appearance at the GoBowling Military Bowl contest against Virginia Tech. It was the fifth time in the last six years that Tulane has appeared in a bowl game. The team is 32-7 over the last three seasons.
The school announced the hiring of Jon Sumrall as the 42nd head coach of the team on December 8, 2023. The Huntsville, Alabama native was one of the most successful head coaches in the country the last two seasons. He guided Troy University to a 23-4 record, two Sun Belt Conference championships and a pair of double-digit winning streaks. He was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of Year and was twice named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year honor. Sumrall returns to Tulane after serving as the Green Wave's Co-Defensive Coordinator for three years (2012-14). In 2013, he was a crucial part of Tulane's run to the New Orleans Bowl, the program's first postseason appearance since 2002 and third since 1988. Sumrall also was named a finalist for FootballScoop Defensive Line Coach of the Year.
Next, Tulane's football team returns home to take Memphis on November 28 at 6:30 p.m. in a game that will also be shown on ESPN.
TICKETS
Tickets for the football and the men's and women's basketball seasons can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow Tulane football on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
WE ARE NOLA BUILT
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.
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                                        - TulaneGreenWave -
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The Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. Established in 1990, it is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions from 1950 to 1955. The player is selected by the award's National Selection Committee, which consists of notable sportswriters, television commentators, analysts, radio sports personalities and former All-America and NFL All-Pro football players.
The voting for the award to determine the finalists begins today and will be announced on Nov. 26. A second vote to determine the recipient will begin on the 26th and recipient will be announced on Dec. 12.
Hughes leads the AAC and ranks fifth nationally in rushing this season with 1,291 yards. He also ranks third in the conference and 10th nationally with 15 rushing touchdowns. Hughes is placed second in the AAC and 10th in the country with his average of 117.4 rushing yards per game. He is third in the league and placed 15th nationally in points per game at 9.3. He has been named the AAC's Weekly Honor Roll five times this season including a stretch of four straight weeks. Hughes' rushing total this season also ranks him fifth in a single campaign.
His 14 100+ career rushing games places Hughes in fourth place all-time at Tulane. He has now run for 2,669 yards in his career to move into seventh place all-time at the school.
Tulane has started the 2024 season with an 9-2 record and 7-0 mark in the AAC. The Green Wave earned a road conference victory in a 35-0 shutout of Navy on Nov. 16. Quarterback Darian Mensah threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for a career-high 57 yards plus a rushing touchdown. The win was Tulane's eighth straight overall and the 17th consecutive AAC regular victory dating back to the 2022 campaign. Tulane has now tied the AAC record for consecutive regular season conference victories. Both losses for Green Wave this season have come to teams that were ranked in Associated Press Top 25 including a 34-27 home defeat to then No. 17 Kansas State on Sept. 7 and a 34-19 road loss to then No. 15 Oklahoma on Sept. 14.
Tulane leads the AAC and the nation with six defensive touchdowns. The program is placed second in passing efficiency in the conference with a 169.10.
Tulane became ranked in both polls for the first time this season as the program is currently No. 20 nationally in the Coaches and the Associated Press (AP) Poll. It was the second straight week that the program has earned an AP national ranking. The team is also ranked No. 25 in the College Football Playoffs ratings that was released on Nov. 11.
The Green Wave's football team was chosen for third in the AAC Preseason Media Poll with 362 points plus two first-place votes at the annual conference media day.
This season, Tulane brings back three of the team's five starters on the offensive line (Shadre Hurst, Josh Remetich, Rashad Green), the leading rusher in the conference (Makhi Hughes), two of the team's top four receivers (Alex Bauman, Yulkeith Brown), the team's punter (Will Karoll) and long snapper (Ethan Hudak), the team's top three tacklers (Jesus Machado, Tyler Grubbs and Bailey Despanie) and three of the six leading defensive players in tackles for loss (Patrick Jenkins, Grubbs and Kameron Hamilton)
Tulane finished the 2023 season with a mark of 11-3 and a perfect 8-0 record in the American Athletic Conference. The program concluded the campaign with the 16th bowl appearance at the GoBowling Military Bowl contest against Virginia Tech. It was the fifth time in the last six years that Tulane has appeared in a bowl game. The team is 32-7 over the last three seasons.
The school announced the hiring of Jon Sumrall as the 42nd head coach of the team on December 8, 2023. The Huntsville, Alabama native was one of the most successful head coaches in the country the last two seasons. He guided Troy University to a 23-4 record, two Sun Belt Conference championships and a pair of double-digit winning streaks. He was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of Year and was twice named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year honor. Sumrall returns to Tulane after serving as the Green Wave's Co-Defensive Coordinator for three years (2012-14). In 2013, he was a crucial part of Tulane's run to the New Orleans Bowl, the program's first postseason appearance since 2002 and third since 1988. Sumrall also was named a finalist for FootballScoop Defensive Line Coach of the Year.
Next, Tulane's football team returns home to take Memphis on November 28 at 6:30 p.m. in a game that will also be shown on ESPN.
TICKETS
Tickets for the football and the men's and women's basketball seasons can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow Tulane football on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
WE ARE NOLA BUILT
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.
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                                        - TulaneGreenWave -
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