Who will start for Tulane vs Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl?

On By Littum

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On Friday, Tulane will travel down its depth chart to face Florida football in Gasparilla bowl.

Green Wave Starting quarterback Darian Mensah entered the transfer portal and committed to Duke last week, while backups Kai Horton and Ty Thompson have also come in. Horton served as Mensah’s primary backup while Thompson was used to run packages.

So the question is: Who will be Tulane’s starting quarterback in its bowl game against Florida? Here’s what you need to know about the Green Wave quarterback situation:

REQUIRED READING: Florida football coach Billy Napier discusses Gasparilla Bowl invite DE Jack Pyburn

Who is the Tulane starting quarterback vs Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl?

Despite being on the transfer portal, Thompson will earn his first career start against the college Gators in the Green Wave bowl game. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamelwill Thompson use the bowl game to showcase his talent before his final year of eligibility.

Thompson, who transferred to Tulane from Oregon, completed 6-of-11 passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 40 times for 243 yards and six touchdowns this season.

Mensah, a redshirt freshman last season, threw for 2,723 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions for the Green Wave. He led Tulane to a 9-4 record. His backup, Horton, completed his only pass of the season for nine yards.

Tulane football quarterback depth chart

With Thompson set to start for the Green Wave, he is the only QB on the roster with any game experience. Here’s a look at space behind him:

  1. Ty Thompson
  2. Kellen Tasby/Jakson Judge/Dagan Bruno

Ty Thompson is recruiting

Ratings based on 247Sports Composite Rankings for 2021 high school class

  • Star rating: Four stars
  • National ranking: no. 40 in total
  • Position Location: no. 7 QB
  • State Ranking: No. 1 player from Arizona

According to 247Sports Composite RankingsThompson was the 40th-ranked prospect in the 2021 recruiting class. The signal-caller from Mesquite High School (Gilbert, Ariz.) was also the seventh-ranked QB in the class and the top player in Arizona.

Ty Thompson statistics

Here’s a look at Thompson’s stats at Oregon and Tulane:

  • 2021 (Oregon): 7-of-15 passing (46.7%) for 87 yards, two touchdowns and one interception; Three carries for 10 yards
  • 2022 (Oregon): 11-of-20 passing (55%) for 72 yards and two interceptions; Four carries for -2 yards
  • 2023 (Oregon): 24-of-31 passing (77.4%) for 297 yards, four touchdowns and one interception; Eight rushes for 48 yards
  • 2024 (Tulane): 6-of-11 passing (54.5%) for 74 yards and two touchdowns; 40 rushes for 243 yards and six touchdowns
  • Career: 48-of-77 passing (62.3%) for 530 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions; 55 rushes for 299 yards and six touchdowns