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Max Olson, ESPN Staff Writer
Tulane running back Makhi Hughes has entered the NCAA transfer portal on Friday, sources told ESPN.
Hughes has been one of the most productive running backs in college football during his two seasons as a starter with the Green Wave, earning first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors in back-to-back seasons.
He has two more seasons of eligibility and will be one of the most coveted players in the portal now that he has put his name in ahead of the Dec. 28 deadline for the winter transfer window.
The 5-foot-11, 210-pound redshirt sophomore has 3,022 yards from scrimmage since 2023. He currently ranks ninth among FBS running backs with 1,401 rushing yards this season, and he scored 17 total touchdowns for a Tulane team that went 9-5 and played for an AAC conference title.
All eight running backs currently ahead of Hughes on the FBS rushing leaderboard are entering the NFL Draft after this season, making him arguably the top returning back in the country for 2025.
Hughes enjoyed a breakout season as a redshirt freshman in 2023, rushing for 1,378 yards and seven touchdowns while earning Freshman All-America recognition. The Birmingham, Alabama, native has produced 100 or more yards from scrimmage in 14 games over the past two seasons.
Hughes’ younger brother, cornerback Na’eem Offord, was the No. 4 overall recruit in the ESPN 300 for 2025 and signed with Oregon earlier this month.
Under first-year coach Jon Sumrall, the Green Wave played in the AAC championship game for the third consecutive season. They’ve now lost 12 scholarship players to the transfer portal this month.
Former Tulane starting quarterback Darian Mensah, the No. 2 player in ESPN’s transfer rankings, signed with Duke earlier this month.