Welcome everyone to the latest edition of the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns position previews! When you think of a position that has been neglected in recent years, tight end is the first thing that comes to mind.
With some familar faces and one big name being out for the whole season, it’s going to be a interesting year for the tight end. Without further ado, let’s get into the preview!
Departing Players:
The lone departure for the Cajuns was Raynard Ford who closed out his collegiate career on a high note, starting in five games last season. He wasn’t used much in terms of the passing game, but helped out a lot when it comes to the run game.
Returning Players:
While the wide receivers for the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns are deep in terms of experience, only three saw playing time in 2017. The player that saw the most playing time was Chase Rogers, but he’ll be out for the season and that will hurt. He’s gone through a lot in his young collegiate career and will be taking a medical redshirt this year due to an injury. If he was healthy, Rogers would’ve been a key cog in Billy Napier’s offense.
With Rogers out for the year, that leaves Matt Barnes with an opportunity to excel. His career with the Cajuns has been up and down since suffering an injury back in 2016. He saw time as a reserve tight end, but didn’t record any stats last year. If he can have a good fall camp, he can have a shot at being a consistent starter.
Wrapping things up with Chris Turner who saw playing time last year, but that was only on special teams which will put him at a disadvantage when compared to some of the other players.
The Other Guys:
It’s safe to say that a lot of the eyes headed into fall camp will be on Johnny Lumpkin, the transfer out of Hutchinson Community College. Before transferring to Louisiana, the Georgia native recorded 11 receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns. Yes, community college isn’t exactly the best barometer to see how a certain player is going to do, but it’s all about the size when it comes to him as he stands at 6’6” tall and weighs in at around 260 pounds. That kind of stature is going to intimidate some defenders.
Outside of that, Andre Landry might be a player to have tabs on into fall camp. Much like, Lumpkin he’s got some size to him and that will help him out in terms of getting playing time as a blocker for the run game and maybe racking up some receptions.
You can also throw junior Carlos Robinson and Peyton Aucoin. If I had to give one of these two players an edge, it’d be Aucoin, who at one point was with the University of Texas and was considered one of the top TEs in the country according to 247Sports.
Overall Thoughts:
The tight end position headed into spring practice seemed to be stable because of all the players that are coming back. However, that perspective changed once it was reported that Rogers would be out for the year.
For fans who want to see the tight end position be utilized more in terms of offensive distribution, they may have to wait a year. All that being said, players like Johnny Lumpkin could be an x-factor this year and bring a slight change to the offense.
-Clint Domingue