Last Saturday’s performance from the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns in a 33-20 victory over South Alabama may have come as a surprise to some.
South Alabama was an 11-point favorite according to most sportsbooks and had scored 55 points in each of its last two games.
However, there was a stat line that jumped right out of the box score that didn’t catch anyone off guard.
Sophomore linebacker Cameron Whitfield, who’s been mostly a rotational player for the Cajuns, stepped up in the absence of Tyler Guidry and had a career-high seven tackles, 3.5 sacks, and forced three fumbles-one of which was returned for a touchdown.
Whitfield now sits at seven sacks for the season, which ties him for 10th nationally along with a potential top-five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft in Alabama’s Dallas Turner. However, the young linebacker has been ready for the moment.
“Yeah, I’d like I hope we can keep doing that,” Michael Desormeaux said on Monday when asked about Whitfield’s performance. “It was Cam. Cam has played well for us all year. Going into that game, we knew and he knew he was going to have to play more with Tyler Guidry out right now. So, you try to challenge players and you try to get them to understand the opportunities that they have and in what we need them to do.”
“It’s always fun when they step up to the challenge and play really well and Cam’s a guy that works really hard,” Desormeaux continued. “He’s got a lot of ability and this year, he’s grown up tremendously and played really well for us in spots. He was ready for the moment, and my goodness, he did a great job.”
Whitfield’s journey to the Cajuns began in Houston, Texas, a place where high school football is bigger than a 10-gallon hat. The energy and passion of Friday Night Lights in Texas drive players every day to reach the next level, and Whitfield was one of the lucky few.
“I started out actually got on varsity my sophomore year,” Whitfield said. “I didn’t play as much, so I got to learn a little bit from the older guys. Then my junior year is when I got the starting role. So that was essentially my breakout year in high school, but I think my high school defensive line coach, Coach Garcia, he helped me prepare and gave me the motivation and confidence I needed to become the player I am today.”
The former three-star recruit said the Cajuns were pushing for him to come play in Louisiana.
“As a three-star athlete in high school, I had multiple Group of Five offers and a couple of Power 5s,” Whitfield said. “Some of them were unofficial and never really came through. But when it came down to it, my favorite offers with Louisiana, Arizona, and U of H (University of Houston). But what made Louisiana special Honestly, was the old coaching staff that was here with the Napier era. Those guys showed love for a long time. Every week, I was getting at least 30 to 40 little note cards from every coach. They were showing that they really wanted me and it was also close to home. So I felt like this was the right decision.”
After his second big performance of the season, both of which came in the state of Alabama, Whitfield garnered a lot of respect from his teammates.
“Yeah, we see it regularly during practice,” Zeon Chriss said about Whitfield. “I try in practice to give him the best look I possibly can, good on good, so by the time the game comes they can already be prepared for what’s coming.”
Whitfield has also noticed a different vibe in the locker that has contributed to Louisiana’s success in 2023, his third season with the program.
“Yeah, there’s a big difference,” Whitfield said in an exclusive interview. “I think the guys are more willing to hang with each other and it’s more like a vibe where you’re not just my teammate, but you’re my brother and my friend. We have actually clicked together in the locker room. It’s not in sections or part of different locker rooms like how it used to be. The whole locker room, whether young or old, we all click together.”
The Louisiana Ragin Cajuns may have found a young superstar in the making with Whitfield, who will look to keep building on his role as the 5-3 Cajuns travel to Jonesboro this weekend to take on the 4-4 Red Wolves of Arkansas State.
Matt Miguez is the host of the Miguez Mindset Podcast on ESPN Southwest Louisiana’s YouTube page. He is also a contributor for ESPN 103.7 Lafayette and 104.1 Lake Charles.