NEW ORLEANS - Nine New Orleans-area natives and 11 prospects hailing from Louisiana highlight the Tulane University football team's incoming talent for the 2012 season as the Green Wave inked 16 prospects on National Signing Day, first-year Green Wave head coach Curtis Johnson announced Wednesday.

Tulane added 10 players on offense - five linemen, two running backs, a pair of quarterbacks and a wide receiver - five on defense - one defensive tackle, one linebacker and three cornerbacks - and an athlete whose position will be determined once they arrive on campus.

"As a staff, we are extremely happy with the overall signing class that we have been able to bring in," Johnson said. "When you recruit, you try to bring in guys to replace the ones who are graduating, but you also want to add an increased level of talent and intensity. With these 16 student-athletes, we feel that we have accomplished both of these goals."

Highlighting the list of Green Wave signees are New Orleanians Kedrick Banks (ATH/ McDonogh #35 HS), Lorenzo Doss (WR/St. Augustine HS), Alex Paul (OT/Isidore Newman HS), Devin Powell (QB/O. Perry Walker HS) and Joshua Rounds (RB/McMain HS) as well as local standouts Jordan Batiste (CB/Gramercy, La./Lutcher HS), Devon Breaux (CB/Donaldsonville, La./Donaldsonville HS), Todd Jacquet (Harvey, La./Jesuit HS), Royce LaFrance (LB/Harvey, La./Helen Cox HS), Darion Monroe (CB/LaPlace, La./East St. John HS) and Lazedrick Thompson (RB/LaPlace, La./St. Charles Catholic HS).

Also joining the Tulane team for the upcoming season are Bob Bradley (OG/Medford, N.J./Shawnee HS), Colton Hanson (OT/New Braunfels, Texas/New Braunfels HS), Nathan Shienle (OT/Tampa, Fla./H.B. Plant HS), Calvin Thompson (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton HS) and Walker "Fudge" Van Hooser (QB/Montgomery, Ala./Trinity Presbyterian School). Johnson's inaugural signing class includes a four-star recruit (Monroe) and seven three-star recruits (Batiste, Breaux, Doss, Jacquet, LaFrance, Paul, Thompson and Van Hooser), according to the various scouting services. Monroe represents the first four-star student-athlete to join the Green Wave program since websites began issue star ratings in 2000. The eight three-star-or-better ties the Tulane record established in 2009 (all three-star) and three Green Wave have now inked a combined 32 recruits with at least a three-star rating over the last four seasons.
"I said in my introductory press conference that we were going to aggressively pursue local student-athletes to make Tulane University a winning football program," Johnson said. "The previous coaching staff did a tremendous job of helping to build relationships and open pipelines with the New Orleans-area high schools, and we are fortunate to reap those benefits with this first signing class. But this is just the beginning. We call this area `The State of Tulane' and we will continue to try and build this program with high-caliber players from right here in the New Orleans area and around the state."

Each of Tulane's Louisiana signees ranks among the Top 100 recruits in the state and Monroe headlines the list as the No. 5 incoming freshman out of Louisiana according to ESPN.com while sitting No. 11 by Rivals.com and No. 20 by 247Sports.com. The Green Wave's others state-ranked recruits are Breaux (23 by ESPN.com, 28 by 247Sports.com), Doss (30 by 247Sports.com), Batiste (39 by Rivals.com, 45 by ESPN.com), Paul (43 by 247Sports.com), LaFrance (50 by 247Sports.com, 70 by ESPN.com), Thompson (59 by ESPN.com, 69 by 247Sports.com), Jacquet (60 by ESPN.com, 72 by 247Sports.com), Powell (67 by 247Sports.com), Rounds (71 by 247Sports.com) and Banks (91 by 247Sports.com).

Van Hooser - whose brother, Wilson, is a rising junior wide receiver on the Tulane team - is the No. 30 recruit in Alabama by 247Sports.com, No. 36 by ESPN.com and No. 39 by Rivals.com; Thomas is the No. 34 recruit in Arizona by ESPN.com and No. 35 in the state by 247Sports.com; while Bradley is the No. 50 recruit in New Jersey by ESPN.com and the No. 63 recruit in the state by 247Sports.com.

In addition, 15 of Tulane's signees rank among the Top 200 players at their position nationally. Once again, Monroe stands as the highest-rated player, sitting as the No. 19 athlete in the country by ESPN.com and the No. 23, 29 and 38 cornerback in the nation by Rivals.com, Scout.com and 247Sports.com, respectively. Other projected corners receiving national recognition are Batiste (49 by 247Sports.com, 84 by Scout.com, 78 safety by ESPN.com) and Breaux (55 athlete by 247Sports.com, 62 athlete by ESPN.com, 149 wide receiver by Scout.com).

At quarterback, Van Hooser (80 by 247Sports.com, 92 by Scout.com, 122 by Rivals.com) and Powell (34 by 247Sports.com) rank among the nation's best, as do Paul (99 tackle by 247Sports.com, 127 tackle by Scout.com), Bradley (129 guard by 247Sports.com, 153 guard by ESPN.com, 181 tackle by Scout.com), Hanson (142 tackle by Scout.com, 157 tackle by 247Sports.com), Jacquet (153 tackle by ESPN.com, 162 tackle by 247Sports.com), Shienly (165 tackle by ESPN.com) among offensive linemen, Doss (65 athlete by 247Sports.com, 164 receiver by Scout.com) at wide receiver, Thompson (107 by 247Sports.com, 114 by ESPN.com, 183 by Scout.com) and Rounds (115 by 247Sports.com) at running back, LaFrance (118 by 247Sports.com, 143 by ESPN.com, 185 by Scout.com) at outside linebacker and Thomas (131 by Scout.com, 139 by 247Sports.com, 143 by ESPN.com) at defensive tackle.

"A lot remains to be seen as far as who will make an impact on our team right away," Johnson added. "When they all get here in the summer, we'll take a good look at them, evaluate their talents, along with the returning players we have back from last season, and the best players will take the field when we open the 2012 season."

The Tulane football team will open the 2012 season on Sept. 1 when the Green Wave plays host to Rutgers in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The game against the Scarlet Knights is one of seven home games as Tulane will also face Ole Miss on Sept. 22 and Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 29 before squaring off against Conference USA foes SMU on Oct. 13, UAB on Oct. 27 and East Carolina on Nov. 17. The Green Wave's road slate features games at Tulsa on Sept. 8, Louisiana-Lafayette on Oct. 6, UTEP on Oct. 20, Memphis on Nov. 10 and Houston on Nov. 24.

Season tickets for the 2012 football season are now on sale through the Tulane Team Shop Ticket Office. All season ticket packages include all seven home games in the following areas: $210 for sideline, $110 for adult end-zone, $60 for youth end-zone and the family four pack (2 adult, 2 youth tickets) for $280.

For additional information or to order season tickets, please call the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office at (504) 861-WAVE (9283), log onto the internet at TulaneGreenWave.com, or show up in person at the ticket office located inside the James W. Wilson Jr. Center on Ben Weiner Drive.