For the Tulane Green Wave, the 2025 season for running back Makhi Hughes will have to be enjoyed from afar.
After helping the Green Wave reach the American Athletic Conference title game for the third straight year, he decided to move into the transfer portal. Eventually he ended up with the Oregon Ducks, who on the Big Ten title in their first year in the conference and earned the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.
But regardless of where he plays next season, he would likely have been considered one of the top returning running backs in the country.
Pro Football Focus recently ranked him as the No. 5 returning running back in the country. In fact, three of the top five returning running backs are in the Big Ten. Hughes is part of the group of backs that will replace Jordan James, who is on his way to the NFL.
PFF focused on a couple of areas of Hughes’ game in ranking him that high. First, it was his 1,982 rushing yards after contact, which was third in the last two seasons. He has also rushed for 2,776 yards in the last two seasons. That’s the most for any returning running back by nearly 500 yards.
He also rushed for 24 touchdowns in his two seasons on the field for the Green Wave. He redshirted his first season in Uptown.
As a freshman he put together an impressive campaign in 2023, rushing for 1,378 yards and seven touchdowns as the Green Wave reached the AAC championship game for the second straight year. He also caught 11 passes for 67 yards.
He built on that this past season, as he rushed for 1,401 yards and more than doubled his touchdown total, as he found the end zone 15 times. Hughes also became a more adept pass catcher, as he had 19 receptions for 176 yards and two touchdowns.
In replenishing their roster, the Green Wave has stocked up on quarterbacks after losing Darian Mensah to the transfer portal. Tulane has taken in Kadin Semonza, who is reportedly set to transfer after being named the MAC Freshman of the Year. He would join a room that has already taken in two other transfer quarterbacks, with TJ Finley the headliner.
Tulane wrapped up a 9-5 season under first-year head coach Jon Sumrall, which included a third straight trip to the American Athletic Conference championship game. The Green Wave lost to Army West Point in the title game, followed by a loss to Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl.
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