Welcome everyone to the latest edition of the Ragin Cajuns position preview!
We’re wrapping up the offense this week in a nice little bow with a look at one of the most experienced positions on the team. The offensive line for the Cajuns has several starters returning and that has to make Jordan Davis and the backfield extremely happy.
Without further ado, let’s dive right into it!
Departing Players:
The lone departing player on the offensive line is Eddie Gordon. The South Carolina native started all 13 games at center.
He had the ability to play several different positions, but excelled at center earning honorable mention All-Sun Belt honors in 2016.
Returning Players:
The Cajuns have a lot of experience coming back at the position with four of their starters coming back, making this one of the more experienced positions.
Grant Horst, D’Aquin Withrow, Adrian Goodacre, and Robert Hunt all were starters last season and look to solidify an offensive line that got the Cajuns in the top four in rushing yards, averaging 178.92 yards per game.
The biggest question though is who will replace Gordon at center. After two days of camp, head coach Mark Hudspeth mentioned Ken Marks and Cole Prudhomme as the players who could fill the role based off of how they’ve divided things up between the first and second teams. Marks and Prudhomme have less experience due to only appearing in one game each, but they have a chance to really solidify a spot in the offensive line for the rest of their time with the program since they are both sophomores.
The Other Guys:
When you look at the Cajuns at offensive line it seems like they’re ready to go with their starters. However, they have some solid depth to go along with their experienced players.
One of the players that could make waves on the depth chart is Kordell Brewster. The San Bernandino native was an All-National Central selection as a freshman, but it’s his 6’2” 300 pound frame that will undoubtedly grab the attention of the Cajuns during fall camp.
There’s even a player like Kevin Dotson that made the Sun Belt Conference All-Newcomer Team last season that will be seeing a little more playing time as a sophomore. Carlos Rubio should be another player to look at to get some playing time.
Overall Thoughts:
While Jordan Davis doesn’t have a whole lot of experience as a starter, having four returning starters in the trenches should help the junior get his feet underneath him throughout the season. The line will also be helping the run game adapt to life without Elijah McGuire. Combine that with the new offense under Will Hall, it seems like the Cajuns are ready for a perfect storm.
-Clint Domingue