Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns college football preview 2023

2022 Record: 7-7 overall, 4-4 in Sun Belt

Head Coach: Michael Desormeaux, 2nd year: 7-7 

So Billy Napier takes off for Florida and brings with him a few of Louisiana’s best players, and there’s not supposed to be a drop-off in production?

Michael Desormeaux is a favorite son. He was a star quarterback for the program in the mid 2000s, was a part of the coaching staff for a few years, and then took over the top coaching gig in the bowl game after the 2021 season and was the full-time head man in 2022.

No, the team wasn’t quite as good as the versions over the previous few seasons when Napier was cranking out double-digit win campaigns, but it wasn’t terribly far off on the scoreboard. It was on the wrong side of all four games decided by a touchdown or less - there was a reason; more on that in the Key to the Season.

Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Preview: Offense

Is the offensive pop going to be there? The rushing attack that was so devastating under Napier - he also had QB Levi Lewis during his run - was just okay averaging just 172 yards per game. Top rusher Chris Smith left early for the NFL, but the combination of Dre’lyn Washington and Terrence Williams is good enough to crank out yards in chunks but ..

The offensive lines to be stronger. It was a work in progress last year with so many changes, and this year there’s decent experience on the inside with two solid guards in AJ Gille and Jax Harrington. The depth isn’t there, but the starting five should be more consistent.

Chandler Fields and Ben Wooldridge can each run the attack. Neither one if great at taking off and dominating for the ground game, but they both ran the attack just fine. The 6-3, 211-pound Wooldridge had the gig before suffering a leg injury late in the season, and the 5-10, 201-pound Fields stepped in without missing a beat.

Top target Michael Jefferson is gone, but there’s experience. TE Neal Johnson was the second-leading receiver with 25 grabs, and junior Jacob Bernard averaged over 17 yards per grab. Now a volume pass catcher has to emerge - no returning wideout made more than 22 grabs.