What do you do when you want your team to bring a little extra fire to fall camp? Some college football squads try blasting hype music. Others might bring in the school mascot for a pep talk or an alumni message over video. But at one school this fall, practice took an electrifying turn thanks to a surprise guest whose voice alone could make you want to run through a brick wall. (No, seriously, even the beads at Mardi Gras would be shaking.)

The Tulane Green Wave’s fall camp day one promised all the usual intensity, but then, BAM! Who shows up at practice, ready to dish out football wisdom and a sprinkle of Cajun charisma? None other than LSU legend and national championship-winning head coach, Ed Orgeron. The man with the gravel-voiced growl and enough energy to fuel the Superdome blessed Tulane’s squad with his presence and powerful advice. And if there’s anyone who can light a campfire under a team, it’s Coach O.

Ed Orgeron did what he does best: inspire and motivate. Captured in a tweet by Jeremy Taylor Woodall, Coach O delivered a message that could serve any college athlete, or honestly, anyone who’s ever had a Monday: “Work hard, earn a scholarship, do great things.” It’s classic Coach O, simple, direct, and delivered with the kind of conviction that makes you want to lace up your cleats and, maybe, go tackle the day (or at least the nearest tackling dummy). As the practice buzzed with energy, Coach O’s words seemed to echo off every helmet and into every play.

And the vibes didn’t stop there. Michael Arata, from the FearTheWave collective ( the group helping Tulane student-athletes rake in those new NIL opportunities), hyped up the day’s energy in his recap, “Day 1 in the books! [@GreenWaveFB] [@FTWCollective] terrific day – intensity and great effort. Always fun to have @CoachOrgeron and Coach Bobby April at practice.” When someone from the NIL powerhouse says practice was “terrific,” you know the team’s on the right track. Coach O, with football in his veins and encouragement in his voice, had clearly passed the torch, or maybe the boom mic, of swagger to the Green Wave.

Fall camp is more about setting the tone for the season. Tulane’s got a secret weapon in their corner now: inspiration from one of the SEC’s legendary figures. With Coach O’s words still fresh and the support from collectives like FearTheWave, you can bet there’s a new surge rolling through Green Wave territory. Who needs the luck of the Irish when you’ve got the heart and the legacy of Louisiana on your sideline?

Jake Retzlaff heats the QB competition

Tulane’s preseason camp officially kicked off on Wednesday, with Jon Sumrall and his squad braving that classic New Orleans August heat as they took their first steps toward the 2025 season opener. After the initial practice, Sumrall met with the media, joined by three players, marking the start of a month-long countdown before the Green Wave faces Northwestern at Yulman Stadium. 

Of course, the biggest storyline is still unresolved. Who will start at quarterback? With 60 newcomers on the roster, most notably former BYU signal-caller Jake Retzlaff joining just last week, the quarterback battle now features four contenders. “(Retzlaff) showed up a week ago yesterday, just to start the formal admission process,” Sumrall explained, acknowledging the steep learning curve ahead for the latest addition. “There’s a lot to learn. There will be a steep learning curve, but it will slow down for him in probably a week or so, but it’s a lot. He’s handled it really well.” Meanwhile, Ball State transfer Kadin Semonza, former Illinois QB Donovan Leary, and Iowa’s Brendan Sullivan got most of the first-team practice reps, largely a product of time served on campus. “I wouldn’t read too much into that; (Retzlaff’s) been here a week,” Sumrall clarified.

While none of these quarterbacks has been named the starter, Sumrall and his staff are “doing it similar to how we did it last year, where each guy’s going to get a few reps with the 1s, a few reps with the 2s, a few reps with the 3s.” As for Retzlaff’s chances of claiming the job by August 30? “It’s not going to be easy,” Sumrall conceded. “He’s got a lot to take on. Is it possible? Yes. Is it challenging? Yes.” But for now, Sumrall is focused on the long haul, reminding everyone by saying, “The journey of 1,000 miles starts with a step,” said Sumrall, “and today was step one.”