Pete Thamel doesn't flag fall-camp injuries for fun. When one of college football's most plugged-in reporters says watch this, it usually means something. On Tuesday, he zeroed in on Tulane, where preseason all-league running back Jamauri McClure is dealing with a injury that has the Green Wave's staff choosing their words carefully ahead of a season-opening showcase against Duke.
Injury to monitor at Tulane, as the Wave have a high-profile opener against Duke. McClure is a preseason all-league running back.
The injury is reportedly a left foot issue, and it's serious enough that McClure was seen getting around fall camp on a mobility scooter rather than practicing. That's not the image any team wants circulating a few weeks before kickoff, especially when the opponent is Duke in a game both programs are treating as a statement.
Head coach Will Hall has been straightforward about the outlook: McClure should be back early in the season, but not necessarily in the opener. That's about as clear a signal as a coach gives without ruling a guy out outright, and it lines up with beat reporting suggesting the foot injury will linger into the year.
The silver lining for Tulane is depth. Beat writers covering the program note running back is arguably the deepest position on the roster, and the staff didn't sit on its hands this offseason. The Green Wave brought in three experienced transfer backs, Jaylin Lucas from Florida State, Maurice Turner from Louisville, and Johnnie Daniels from Mississippi State, giving Hall real options if McClure has to watch the opener from the sideline.
Still, losing your preseason all-league back for a game this big is never nothing. Duke enters as a legitimate early-season test, and Tulane wanted its best offensive weapon on the field to set the tone. Now the Green Wave's backfield plan for Week 1 hinges on transfers gelling fast, while everyone in New Orleans waits to see how quickly McClure's foot cooperates.