In a day when the transfer portal is a big deal to college athletics, the University of Tulsa football team has excelled in that department. Tulsa didn’t lose many players to the portal while gaining some players at key positions.

Under second-year head coach Tre Lamb, there are great expectations for an improved offense. The defense shouldn’t be much of an issue, and if the defense can keep their opponents from running up the score, the Golden Hurricane could be in for a lot of close games this season.

Throw in a few upset wins, and Tulsa could rank among the top of the American Conference. Several of the conference teams are beginning rebuilding seasons with new head coaches, so after four consecutive losing seasons, Tulsa could find itself bowl eligible come December. Tulsa finished last season with a 4-8 record.

Tulsa will have to get there quickly by incorporating all the new talent in the program with the carryover veterans, melding together to get the offense working.

Last year, Tulsa’s total offense was comparable to their opponents; Tulsa 4,775 yards, Opponents 4,760 yards. That’s not positive since the key is to outgain your opponents. Also, Tulsa was hampered by many mistakes and turnovers, especially at key points in several games. The glaring stat is on fumbles, where Tulsa fumbled the ball 22 times and lost 10 of them, the defense forced 14 fumbles, and their opponents lost only four fumbles.

Being more efficient with fewer turnovers and more consistent on offense will be a huge key to the Golden Hurricane success. We saw glimpse of this last year, but not on a consistent basis.

Tulsa’s offensive line seemed to play better in run play situations than on pass protection, however, there is plenty of experience across the front line with JaQuan Adams and Cam East at the tackle positions, and center Malachi Preciado who transferred from South Alabama.

Other top transfers on offense include running backs Damari Alston (Auburn), Seth Davis (Mississippi State), and Trequan Jones (Old Dominion) and wide receiver David Wells Jr. (Oregon State).

The news of longtime TU quarterback, Kirk Francis, transferring to Texas Tech in the offseason was met with mixed reaction from Golden Hurricane fans. It’s now Baylor Hayes’ position to lose. Hayes isn’t all that big, but he’s tough and did a fairly good job when thrown into the offense last season.

Tulsa also added Dexter Williams II, a quarterback transfer from Kennesaw State to add more veteran talent and another option at that position. There has been much platooning at the QB position the past few years, so that may be the case again this season.

Speaking of quarterbacks, the passing game needs to be better and more efficient. There has to be more big plays downfield and fewer interceptions. Some of that will improve with a beefed-up offensive line giving the quarterbacks more time.

Another player to watch will be senior running back Damari Alston, a transfer from Auburn. He didn’t get a whole lot of opportunities with the Tigers in a very talented and crowded group of backs, but the 5-10, 215-pound veteran averaged five yards per carry with 809 yards and six scores in his four years at Auburn. He should make an immediate impact in Tulsa’s offensive scheme.

As mentioned earlier, there isn’t much concern with the defense. There might not be many returning starters, but there’s a lot of experience especially with the improvement made with players coming from the transfer portal. Edge rushers Thomas Davis (Appalachian State) and Kyran Duhon (Oklahoma State) will help on the ends, while linebackers Devin Hightower from UAB and veteran Will Alexander will be a solid defensive core.

Defending the passing game was Tulsa’s weak spot last season, so if the defense can improve that facet of the game, they will stay close in a lot of games. Junior cornerback Elijah Green was the bright spot in secondary. He had five interceptions and seven broken up passes, to go along with 59 stops.

Tulsa will likely be 2-2 heading into the conference portion of the schedule. That means the matchup against North Texas is very important. Tulsa hasn’t beaten North Texas since 2011, and following that game, the Golden Hurricane has four tough opponents; Navy, Rice, Army and Tulane. Three of those games are on the road. If Tulsa is going to win six games this season, they’ll need to surprise one of those four opponents and then win their last three games.

Is it possible? Sure. Will it be easy? Not at all.