Makhi Hughes

After receiving only eight carries in the opener during the 2023 campaign, Hughes averaged 19.2 carries per contest the rest of the way. The loss of head coach Willie Fritz figures to result in a scheme change of sorts. New head coach Jon Sumrall's offense at Troy threw the ball 48.5 percent of the time last season compared to Fritz's 41.1 percent at Tulane, but that adjustment should be offset by the fact that the Trojans ran 3.5 more plays per game, and Sumrall leaned more on his lead back at a heifer rate, resulting in a whopping 297 carries for Kimani Vidal last season. Hughes is undoubtedly capable of handling a similar workload, compiling 258 of his own carries last season, so the opportunity should remain for him to post similar numbers during 2024. Read Past Outlooks