With the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns spring game coming up this weekend, there are a lot of things to watch for. Here’s a few of the things that I’ll be keeping an eye on that you should as well.
Will There Be Any Changes Offensively?
One of the biggest stories coming out of the offseason was the hiring of former West Georgia head coach Will Hall. The offensive schemes the last couple of season has left a lot to be desired and based off of what Mark Hudspeth said, at the start of the season is that it took some time for the coaches to learn this system.
“It took us about six to seven weeks to teach the coaches the new system. This is totally different concepts, totally different teaching, the way we’re teach different routes, progressions, fundamentals. It’s exciting because you’re always learning and evolving. A fresh start is really good sometimes.”
The changes based off of what Hall did at West Georgia could really open up the offense a lot more.
Linebackers Big Question For Hud
While the offense is the biggest thing many fans are looking at, the front seven will be a big situation to monitor. With the departures of Otha Peters and Tremaine Lightfoot, the development of the linebacker position will be a key for Mike Lucas as he begins his first full year as the defensive coordinator.
“Our inside linebacker position would probably the biggest question position wise” Hudspeth said, “We’ve got to create some depth there. We’ve got one veteran in TJ Posey who has been doing a great job, but besides that it’s sort of a free for all with who’s going to take those other spots.”
The front seven for the Cajuns was a bright spot last season, as they finished third in the Sun Belt allowing only 129 yards per game on the ground. If the linebacker position outside of Posey isn’t taking shape, the Cajuns will be spending extra time getting them ready to rumble.
Moving on From Eli
It’s nearly impossible to replace Elijah McGuire, that’s just a fact at this point. However, the Cajuns are blessed with some strong depth with Trey Ragas at the front of the pack as it pertain to Hudspeth. The head coach said that he has been one of the best running backs throughout camp and that “he’s got very soft hands out of the backfield and he does a good job of catching the ball and getting vertical after he catches it.”
While Ragas seems to be the apple of his eye, he is very pleased with the rest of the backs being unselfish. ”They’re all unselfish. You’ve got Darrius Hoggins a senior and he’s in the back coaching up the guys. They all know their role and they’re all going to have a big role not only in the backfield but all those guys are a big factor on special teams.”
What’s Up with the QBs?
The quarterbacks are undoubtedly the biggest storyline in spring practice, the spring game, and will probably be put under a major microscope as we get towards fall camp.
The starting quarterback for the Cajuns might not even be on campus yet as there are some spots open on the roster for a grad transfer to come aboard much like what happened last year when Anthony Jennings came over from across the basin. While it didn’t work out, the spring game last year was a big reason why they pulled the trigger. Jordan Davis looked underwhelming with a fumble on the opening drive and really didn’t show what many expected to see from him after his performances at the end of the 2015 season.
This isn’t the Davis of old as he has matured and according to Hudspeth, he can lead this team. He has had an up and down spring practice, but the team has been gaining confidence in their junior quarterback and that’s a big step in the right direction for him.
There is another quarterback getting into the conversation in Andre Nunez. Based off of spring practice it’s clear that he has an arm on him, but it seemed like the wideouts weren’t able to get underneath in some of the scrimmages.
One person that isn’t going to be a starter is Dion Ray, but according to Hudspeth he will have a role on this team. He kept quiet on what that role might be, but based off of how he was used last season, he will show up on 4th and short.
-Clint Domingue