2026 American Preseason Previews: Tulsa Golden Hurricane

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2025 record: 4-8 (1-7 American)

2025 postseason: did not qualify

“Tulsa football is back. We’re not gonna be on the third page of the paper anymore.”

These were the celebratory words uttered by Tulsa head coach Tre Lamb in his ESPN postgame interview on the night of Sept. 19, 2025. In his fourth game as the program’s head coach, the 36-year old guided the Golden Hurricane to a signature victory over Oklahoma State in a hostile Stillwater environment. Tulsa fans had been long starved for a moment like that, but much more work needs to be done after stumbling to a 4-8 finish.

Since 2017, the Golden Hurricane only qualified for bowl eligibility twice, and they haven’t won more than seven games in 10 years. It’s Lamb’s mission to reverse that trend at the FBS institution with the nation’s smallest undergraduate enrollment. Tulsa was a consistent winner in the 2000s, and Lamb seeks a return to those glory days.

Staff

Tre Lamb returns for year two of his Tulsa tenure. The seventh-youngest head coach in the FBS took several years to build perennial cellar dweller Gardner-Webb into a winner at the FCS level. Before Lamb arrived in 2020, Gardner-Webb hadn’t seen a winning season since 2013. In 2022 and 2023, he guided them to the FCS Playoffs.

A similar act must be performed at Tulsa, and Lamb is allowing the rebuild to develop naturally. He retained a portion of his staff, but several coaches were hot commodities for other schools. Tulsa lost offensive coordinator Brad Robbins (accepted quarterbacks coach role at TCU), running backs coach Kam Martin (accepted running backs coach role at Florida State), and wide receivers coach Ryan Switzer (accepted offensive analyst role at Oregon).

Replacing Robbins at offensive coordinator is Kevin Barbay. Tulsa represents the well-traveled Barbay’s fifth stop as an OC, after previously holding the position at Central Michigan (2021), Appalachian State (2022), Mississippi State (2023), and Houston (2024). He spent last year as an offensive analyst at Kentucky. The other notable staff newcomers are wide receivers coach BJ Johnson, who held the same gig for three years at Georgia Southern, and cornerbacks coach Cam Haney, fresh off a national championship as Indiana’s defensive quality control coach.

Incumbent coaches who change roles include Dominique Davenport who transitions from special teams analyst to running backs coach, Dominique Franks who transitions from cornerbacks coach to passing game coordinator/nickels coach, and Tyler Dell who transitions from defensive analyst to inside receivers coach.

All other coordinators and position coaches remain in their same roles from 2025, including defensive coordinator Josh Reardon and special teams coordinator Carter Barfield.

Offense

• Key arrivals: QB Dexter Williams II, RB Trequan Jones, RB Damari Alston, RB Seth Davis, RB DJ McKinney, WR David Wells Jr., WR Jimmy Calloway, WR Oran Singleton, C Malachi Preciado, G Alan Pond, OT Ross Johnston, OT Davis Dotson
• Key departures: QB Kirk Francis, RB Dominic Richardson, RB Ajay Allen, RB Braylin Presley, WR Zion Booker, WR Zion Steptoe, TE Brody Foley, C Simon Wilson, G Sean Hill, OT JaQuan Adams
• Key incumbents: QB Baylor Hayes, WR Micah Tease, WR Grayson Tempest, WR Donnell Gee Jr., WR Josh Smith, G Hunter Erb, G Ian Mayes, OT Cam East, OT Brody Duffel

Tulsa found its quarterback in 2025, and teams usually have a greater sense of stability when the starting QB returns. Baylor Hayes initially was thrust into action after an early-season injury to Kirk Francis, but he wound up maintaining the starting role as the season progressed. Hayes — who followed Lamb from the FCS ranks — now prepares for a redshirt sophomore campaign with valuable experience under his belt, firing for 2,158 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 2025.

The Golden Hurricane can also feel confident in their depth at the position after landing Dexter Williams II from the portal. Williams started two games for Indiana in 2022, played regularly as a backup for Georgia Southern in 2024, and started four games for CUSA champion Kennesaw State in 2025. Williams offers dynamic mobility at quarterback and may be utilized from time to time in certain packages, given his experience and talent.

The strength of Tulsa’s 2025 offense was in the run game. All three running backs from last year’s rotation, including 1,000-yard rusher Dominic Richardson, are gone, but the Golden Hurricane refurbished the room with four experienced backs. Trequan Jones posted 793 rushing yards on a 7.5 average at Old Dominion last season with his breakaway speed, Damari Alston accumulated 809 rushing yards over four years at Auburn, Seth Davis averaged 6.0 yards per carry as Mississippi State’s second-leading rusher in 2023, and DJ McKinney exceeded 460 yards in consecutive years at Sam Houston and New Mexico. Tulsa may not roll with one feature back, but the Golden Hurricane operate with possibly the deepest running back room in the entire conference.

Wide receiver takes on new form after the loss of Zion Booker, whose 46 receptions were more than double that of any other Tulsa receiver. Grayson Tempest (22 receptions, 272 yards), Josh Smith (9 receptions, 201 yards), Micah Tease (12 receptions, 195 yards), and Donnell Gee Jr. (5 receptions, 124 yards) are the returning faces to the room, and they’ll compete with portal arrivals in fall camp as the new receiving corps begins to take shape. Transfers include David Wells Jr. (Oregon State), Jimmy Calloway (Tulane), and Oran Singleton (West Virginia). All three were productive at past stops, posting season-bests of 466, 242, and 639 receiving yards, respectively.

Tulsa offers more depth at wide receiver this year than it did in 2025. However, the Golden Hurricane lose a significant piece at tight end. First Team All-American Conference selection Brody Foley led the Golden Hurricane with 528 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, and there is a lack of experience in the 2026 tight end room. Jewlyen Roberts’ three receptions reign supreme among the returning tight ends, while lower division transfers Grant McAtee and Chris Gacayan II are other options that could be in the mix.

The offensive line is equipped with plenty of experience. Offensive tackles Cam East and Brody Duffel logged eight and five starts, respectively, while guards Hunter Erb and Ian Mayes drew five and four. With two ready guards and two ready tackles, all Tulsa needed was a center, and that came in the form of Malachi Preciado — a portal arrival who started all 12 games for South Alabama in 2025. One other notable arrival in the portal is Ross Johnston, a boomerang transfer who logged four starts for Tulsa in 2024 before spending a year at Central Oklahoma.

Tulsa never cracked 40 points in 2025, so there’s certainly room to grow on offense. Baylor Hayes maturing into a second-year starter is a good foundation, and the running back and receiver talent acquired from the portal can make this unit more explosive. However, the Golden Hurricane will need better play in the trenches for that to happen.

Defense

• Key arrivals: DE Kyran Duhon, DE Thomas Davis, DE Jayden Madkins, DT Jaylen George, DT Arias Nash, ILB Devin Hightower, CB Caldra Williford, FS Rylan Leathers, FS Tyson Williams
• Key departures: DE J’Dan Burnett, DE Byron Turner Jr., DE Ty Cooper, DE Hudson Ball, DT Nahki Johnson, DT Joe Hjelle, ILB Ray Coney Jr., OLB Josh Anglin, CB Champ Lewis, FS Lento Smith Jr.
• Key incumbents: DE Hudson Ball, DT Tai Newhouse, ILB Chris Thompson Jr., OLB William Alexander, CB Elijah Green, CB Devin Robinson, CB JD Drew, SS Zach Williams

Tulsa’s defense retains a bulk of last year’s starters for 2026. Most impressively, the Golden Hurricane held onto First Team All-American Conference selection and Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist Elijah Green — one of the best playmaking cornerbacks in the entire country.

Green led the American with five interceptions a season ago, adding 59 tackles, seven pass breakups, and a fumble recovery to a stellar season stat-line. The 6’2”, 195-pound junior presents impressive length at the position, able to go toe-to-toe with the best receivers in the conference. He’s not the only starter back in a loaded secondary. Devin Robinson returns in the ‘star’ position after racking up 51 tackles and seven tackles for loss, operating with linebacker power and defensive back speed. Cornerback JD Drew (24 tackles, 2 pass breakups) and strong safety Zach Williams (73 tackles, 7 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles) are among other key pieces manning the back end for the Golden Hurricane.

Two starters return to the defensive front. Defensive tackle Tai Newhouse registered 39 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, and the team captain prepares for his third full season as a starter on the d-line. Outside linebacker William Alexander is also back in the fold, and among returning players, he ranks second in tackles (67) behind Zach Williams.

There are significant losses on the defense that must be replaced, including three all-conference selections. Inside linebacker Ray Coney Jr. transferred to Texas A&M, defensive end J’Dan Burnett is off to Rutgers, and free safety Lento Smith Jr. declared for the NFL Draft. Tulsa responds with a mix of returning backups and transfers, in effort to find new all-conference talent in this unit.

Tulsa happily returns inside linebacker Chris Thompson Jr., who missed the entirety of 2025 with an ankle injury. Thompson produced 49 tackles in 2024 and was expected to play a significant role last year, but the seventh-year senior is slated to return to the lineup as a Coney replacement. Other familiar faces expected to handle larger roles include defensive end Hudson Ball, defensive tackle Tyler Rich, inside linebacker C.J. Turner, and cornerback NuNu Campbell.

The Golden Hurricane also reloaded with a slew of starter-ready transfers from the portal. One name that stands out is Devin Hightower, a seventh-year senior who contributed a team-best 81 tackles at UAB last year. Tulsa also restocked its defensive line with former All-CUSA talent Kyran Duhon, who logged 59 tackles, 7.0 sacks, and seven starts at UTEP and Oklahoma State, former Appalachian State edge rusher Thomas Davis, who arrives with 92 career tackles, 7.5 sacks, and 14 starts, and Louisiana Tech transfer Jayden Madkins.

Incoming transfers seeking expanded roles after limited playing time at their previous stops include defensive tackles Jaylen George (Nebraska) and Arias Nash (Virginia Tech) and cornerback Caldra Williford (Baylor), while small school transfers making the jump to FBS are safeties Rylan Leathers (Idaho State) and Tyson Williams (Abilene Christian).

It’s a healthy mix of established veterans like Elijah Green and Chris Thompson Jr., reserves looking for opportunity, and developed transfers like Devin Hightower and Kyran Duhon eager to make an impact. To qualify for bowl eligibility, progress must be made on this side of the ball in 2026, and pieces are in place for that to materialize.

Special Teams

• Key arrivals: K Marlon Hauck, P Max Tulen, KR Javon Ross, PR Tyson Williams
• Key departures: K Seth Morgan, P Angus Davies, KR Braylin Presley, PR Zion Booker
• Key incumbents: LS Aidan Fedigan, KR Kelvin Washington, PR Grayson Tempest

Tulsa will see a special teams overhaul in 2026 after losing kicker Seth Morgan to graduation and punter Angus Davies to California. The roster doesn’t feature anyone with a collegiate field goal attempt, but Mississippi State transfer Marlon Hauck offers two made extra points, and he is the projected starter. At punter, Max Tulen arrives with substantial experience at the FCS level, averaging 44.1 yards per punt at Bethune-Cookman in 2025.

Tulsa’s kick return game was co-led by running backs Braylin Presley and Kelvin Washington last fall. Presley is gone, but Washington returns after ranking atop the team with 170 kick return yards on a 24.3 average. The punt return game was led by Zion Booker and Grayson Tempest. Similarly, Booker is gone but Tempest returns, providing the Golden Hurricane an incumbent specialist.

In addition to Washington and Tempest, the return game adds two FCS transfers that could have immediate impact. Javon Ross was an FCS All-American at Bethune-Cookman, averaging 32.3 yards per kick return with two touchdowns in 2025. Tyson Williams also garnered valuable returning experience at Abilene Christian, fielding 16 punts for 154 yards.

Schedule and outlook

* denotes non-conference game

Tulsa has a chance to make a statement in September. The Golden Hurricane’s three FBS opponents in the non-conference slate — Oklahoma State, Sam Houston, and Arkansas — produced 1-11, 2-10, and 2-10 records in 2025. Add FCS opponent East Texas A&M into the equation, and it’s one of the more manageable non-conference slates in the American.

However, winning a second-straight contest over Oklahoma State won’t be easy, even if the game shifts to Chapman Stadium in Tulsa. The Cowboys reloaded with a significant portion of North Texas’ 2025 roster, giving the Golden Hurricane a much more difficult test than the one they faced last September.

After taking a trip to Arkansas to face former Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield, the Golden Hurricane open their conference slate at home against a new-look North Texas team in a nationally televised Thursday showcase — which is great exposure for Tulsa to prove its merit in 2026. Having a long week of recovery after North Texas will come in handy, as the Golden Hurricane must then prepare for three-straight weeks against option-based offenses: Navy, Rice, and Army.

Week 9 features a much-needed bye after three-straight weeks of defending the option. Waiting on the other side is reigning American champion Tulane. Then November concludes with home matchups vs. Florida Atlantic and Charlotte before a regular season finale at the Alamodome against UTSA.

What’s the expectation for Tulsa in 2026? Improvement. The Golden Hurricane have been spinning their wheels in sub-.500 territory since 2022, looking to escape the cellar of the American. In a year where the American is defined by instability at the top, Tulsa retained a strong portion of its contributors. If that experience translates to wins, the Golden Hurricane have a legitimate chance to secure their first bowl bid in half a decade.

2026 American Conference preseason previews:

Army, Charlotte, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Memphis, Navy, North Texas, Rice, South Florida, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa

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