Right after the defense dominated Tulane’s spring game in April, linebacker Sam Howard singled out Santana Hopper and the entire line as a reason for his unbridled optimism.

In the four months since then, teammates and coaches have only doubled down on Howard’s enthusiasm.

When the Green Wave hosts Northwestern on Saturday at Yulman Stadium (11 a.m. ESPNU), they anticipate a coming-out party for a baker’s dozen with bad intentions up front. Coach Jon Sumrall expects Hopper, Elijah Champaigne and Eliyt Nairne to get time at tackle (boundary end in his terminology), with Tre’Von McAlpine, Derrick Shepard, Armondous Cooley and Geordan Guidry logging downs at the nose, Kameron Hamilton, Gerrod Henderson and Jordan Norman divvying up the downs at field end and Mo Westmoreland, Harvey Dyson an

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