Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns
Preview 2008 - Offense
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2008 CFN
Louisiana-Lafayette Preview |
2008 ULL Offense
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2008 ULL Defense |
2008 ULL Depth
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2007 CFN UL Lafayette Preview |
2006 CFN UL
Lafayette
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What you need to know: While the off-season was all about
improving the passing game and tweaking the offense, the running game will once again be
the bread-and-butter after finishing seventh in the nation for
the second time in three years. However, it could all go in the tank
if the line isn't healthy. The front five will be fine if it's
100%, but several key players went down in spring ball and
durability will be a big concern during the year. The backfield
is set with 1,000-yard rushing quarterback Michael Desormeaux
back along with RB Tyrell Fenroy, who could be just the seventh
player in the history of college football with four 1,000-yard
rushing seasons. Derrick Smith and Jason Chery are veteran
receivers, but they don't get used too often in the offense.
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Returning
Leaders
Passing Michael Desormeaux
133-242, 1,405 yds, 10 TD, 10 INT
Rushing: Michael Desormeaux
188 carries, 1,141 yds, 7 TD
Receiving: Jason Chery
36 catches, 442 yds, 2 TD
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Star of the offense: Senior RB Tyrell Fenroy
Player who has to step up and become a star: Junior OT
Kyle Pirtle
Unsung star on the rise: Sophomore OT Jonathan Decoster
Best pro prospect: Fenroy
Top three all-star candidates: 1) Fenroy, 2) QB Michael
Desormeaux, 3) C Chris Fisher
Strength of the offense: Running game, receiver
experience
Weakness of the offense:
Healthy line, efficient passing
game
Quarterbacks
Projected Starter: Senior Michael Desormeux has
done a little of everything over the course of his career from
playing backup quarterback, part-time defensive back, and
serving time on the special teams. Last year he finally got the
starting quarterback job to himself and he came up with a huge
season running the ball, and a mediocre one throwing it. The
6-2, 200 pounder led the Sun Belt in rushing yards per game
averaging 123.2 every time out and finishing with 1,141 yards
and seven touchdowns. However, he didn't do much through the air
completing 55% of his passes for 1,405 yards and ten touchdowns
with ten interceptions. He threw for 234 yards in the loss to
Ohio, but he was hardly consistent throughout the year and
didn't push the ball deep. The goal is to keep him running while
generating a few more big plays through the air.
Projected Top Reserves: It'll be a battle for the
No. 2 job all season long between redshirt freshmen Brad
McGuire and Chris Masson. The 6-1, 165-pound Masson
is a decent runner and a potentially average passer, but he's
not going to bomb away and he won't run like Michael Desormeaux.
The 6-2, 195-pound McGuire gives the team another dimension with
his passing ability. He should be deadly on short to midrange
passes and can run a little bit. A physical player, he's not
going to shy away from contact and will hang in the pocket as
long as needed.
Watch Out For ... the backups to come in when more
passing is needed. Desormaux isn't going to be pulled
too often, but in blowouts it'll be up to the backups to get
their feet wet for next year. Watch to see if the reserves get
to come in and start bombing away. Top recruit Blaine Gautier
might be redshirted this year, but he could be too good to keep
off the field for long.
Strength: Desormeaux's running. He might not be
able to throw consistently, but his mobility and speed make him
a nightmare to deal with. He's a 100-yard rushing day waiting to
happen.
Weakness: Passing efficiency. It's not like the Ragin' Cajuns
are going to throw for 350 yards per game, but they have to take
advantage of the single coverage and start connecting more on
deep balls. Desormeaux is too experienced not to be more
accurate.
Outlook: There will be far more passing, at least
that will be the plan early on, and that'll put more pressure on
Desormeaux, who's one of the Sun Belt's best
all-around quarterbacks and the team's unquestioned No. 1. With
his running style, he's not a lock to last the entire season so
the battle between McGuire and Masson will be worth
watching. They're fighting now for the 2009 starting job along
with the No. 2 spot.
Rating:
5
Running Backs
Projected Starters: Senior Tyrell Fenroy has been
one of the Sun Belt's best players over the last three seasons
and now he's on the verge of making history. With a 1,000-yard
season, he'll be only the seventh player in the history of D-I
college football to have four 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and
along the way he should blow past the ULL career rushing record
needing just 64 yards. He'll be the Sun Belt's all-time leading
rusher with 830 yards. Only 5-9 and 186 pounds, he's not
necessarily a workhorse and isn't going to carry it 30 times a
game, but he's phenomenally quick and is always gaining positive
yards averaging 4.5 yards per carry. While he's not used too
often in the passing game, he has the hands to be a weapon out
of the backfield with 36 career catches for 326 yards and a
touchdown.
ULL has a decent blocking back in 6-0, 252-pound senior
Chancellor Roberson to pave the way. He got a few
short-yardage carries with nine runs for 22 yards and two
touchdowns, but he'll hardly ever touch the ball.
Projected Top Reserves: While Tyrell Fenroy and QB
Michael Desormaux are the main rushing options, there's still a
place for junior Deon Wallace. The tremendously fast
veteran was third on the team with 433 yards and a touchdown,
but he didn't hit the home runs he was supposed to with his
longest gain just 18 yards. Only 5-9 and 194 pounds, he's not
going to pound it between the tackles on a regular basis. He's a
solid ten-carry back who can help share the workload, but first
he has to get back in the mix after sitting out spring ball to
get his academics straight.
Junior Matt Dupre is another
smallish, quick back at a wispy 5-10 and 159 pounds, and now
he'll likely get more of a role after seeing time this spring
with Deon Wallace out. Dupre had a fight on his hands with
Julian Shankle for the No. 3 job, but Shankle broke his
ankle and will likely be out for the year.
Pushing for playing time at fullback will be juniors Geoffrey
McCullough and Phillip Walker after moving over from
the linebacking corps. The 5-11, 205-pound McCullough isn't
nearly as big as Chancellor Roberson, but he's tough and
physical. The 6-0 211-pound Walker will likely be the third
option in the rotation.
Watch Out For ... Fenroy to make history. The
coaching staff isn't going to overuse the star back, but it'll
make absolutely sure he gets 1,000 yards.
Strength: Quickness. There's no size, but the trio
of Fenroy, Wallace and Dupre can move. They can get in
and out of almost any situation and can flash though any hole.
Weakness: Size. The top three tailbacks combine to average 5-9
and 180 pounds. There's no consistent power back to count on for
hard yards, so the ULL backfield has to always rely on quickness
to keep things moving.
Outlook: The Ragin' Cajuns ran for 3,019 yards
last year helped by the running of QB Michael Desormeaux, and as
long as Fenroy stays healthy, they'll hit the mark again.
Fenroy will set all kinds of records as he looks to hit the
1,000-yard mark for the fourth straight year, while Wallace
is good enough to carry the workload for stretches if needed.
Rating: 6
Receivers
Projected Starters: The ULL receivers don't get a lot of
work, but there's a nice 1-2 punch in place to do more with the
passing game. Senior Derrick Smith has been a good deep
threat over the last few years averaging over 14 yards per catch
on 98 career grabs and making 35 catches for 583 yards and three
touchdowns last season. While he's not much of a scorer and he
doesn't hit too many home runs, he has good size at 6-1 and 184
pounds and can crank out big catches from time to time. Now he
has to get back into the mix after missing the final four games
of last year and missing all of this spring with academic
issues.
Senior Jason Chery has been a good second option on the
other side of Derrick Smith, and he turned out to be a decent
No. 1 when he had to be late last year with 21 catches in the
final four games with Smith out. The former running back made 36
catches for 442 yards and two touchdowns on the season while
serving as a decent kick returner. He has the speed and
quickness, but the 5-11, 180-pounder hasn't had to produce big
numbers on a consistent basis.
Senior Erik Jones will step into the tight end void, and
while he likely won't be used too much as a receiver, except
around the goal line, he'll be a blocker. He's been a spot
starter with two catches over the past two seasons, and while
he's only 6-4 and 228 pounds, he's physical.
Projected Top Reserves: With Derrick Smith out
this spring, sophomore Marlin Miller showed he could step
in and become a starter. 5-10 and 174 pounds, he's a thin, quick
playmaker with the ability to push for more time even when Smith
is back. He didn't make the impact he was supposed to last
season getting mostly garbage time opportunities until late in
the year, and finishing with seven catches for 36 yards, but
he'll likely be the third receiver in the mix.
Also looking for more time will by sophomore Richie Falgout
after making 13 catches for 88 yards. A smart player who
finds ways to get open, he could emerge as a third down target
in the rotation behind Marlin Miller and Derrick Smith.
Adding more speed to the mix is redshirt freshman Lance
Kelley, a 4.5 sprinter who could be a flash playing behind
Jason Chery. At 6-2 and 185 pounds, he has the size to go along
with his wheels, but he has to learn how to be more of a
receiver after spending most of his high school career as a
quarterback and running back.
Combining at tight end behind Eric
Jones will be junior Matt Ulm and Luke Aubrey, two
similarly-sized players checking in at around 6-3 and 225
pounds. Aubrey made one catch for 22 yards in the blowout loss
to Tennessee while Ulm is looking to do more than just be a
blocker.
Watch Out For ... the youngsters. and
Smith are the top two receivers, but there are several
relatively untested players ready to do more. Falgout,
Miller and Kelley are interesting options, while
sophomore Verlin Moore and redshirt freshman Matt Campbell have
promise.
Strength: Chery and Smith. While they'll never
blow up in this offense, the two veterans are proven producers
who should combine for around 80 catches if they can stay on the
field. Smith has to clean up his academics first.
Weakness: Falling into a rut. The key to the ULL receiving corps
is being able to make the most of the opportunities. There just
aren't enough of them. It's hard to get into a groove when the
offense runs it was well as the Ragin' Cajuns do, so all the
receivers have to make more big plays to take advantage of
single coverage.
Outlook: Chery and Smith are two strong veterans
who'll each do a good job of making the passing game more than
just an afterthought, but they're not going to do too much
damage. The key will be the emergence of several young targets
going into next season, and getting a big year out of new
starting tight end Eric Jones would be nice.
Rating: 4.5
Offensive Linemen
Projected Starters: This was a tough off-season for the
ULL line suffering a slew of big injuries, and it doesn't help when some
top players have to be replaced. The biggest hole is at left tackle
where Jessie Newman is gone. 6-6, 294-pound Kyle Pirtle is
supposed to be the main option after starting over the first half of
last year on the right side before suffering a knee injury. He has the
size and he has the athleticism, but he has to heal up in time to be the
centerpiece of the line.
Left guard is also a concern with junior Brad Bustle suffering a
knee injury in spring ball. The former defensive lineman has been more
than physical enough to handle the inside workload, and he's just now
coming into his own as a run blocker. At 6-2 and 284 pounds, he's a big
blocker with good mobility.
Also getting hurt was 6-2, 280-pound junior center Chris Fisher,
the team's rising star on the line. He hurt his hand this spring but
should be back as the anchor up front after starting the last 17 games
he's been healthy for. He's been a fantastic quarterback up front so far
and a key run blocker.
Taking over for the full-time right tackle job will be sophomore
Jonathan Decoster, who was thrown to the wolves over the second half
of last year after Pirtle got hurt. The 6-4, 297-pounder was one of the
few top linemen to escape this spring unscathed, and with his size,
smarts, and potential, he should be a key starter up front for the next
three years.
Needing to step in at right guard is sophomore Ian Burks, an
undersized 6-2, 266-pounder who started nine times last year. While he's not a big mauler on
the inside, he's extremely quick and is good on the move.
Projected Top Reserves: With all the injury issues
up front, several players will see time in a rotation. One of the key
new players will be star recruit Jaron Odom, a 6-5, 340-pound
monster who was originally considered a tackle but will play guard. Over
80 pounds bigger than Ian Burks, Odom adds a lot more beef at right
guard.
6-5, 256-pound sophomore Colin Windsor worked with sophomore
Nasser Jamal at left tackle in spring ball with Kyle Pirtle out, but
he'll end up playing behind Chris Fisher at center. He could move to
tackle if needed, but the 6-5, 277-pound Jamal will be the main backup
behind Pirtle.
Able to step in at tackle or center is 6-5, 280-pound junior Brad
Bryant, a spot starter who started off his career as a backup center
and now will play behind Jonathan Decoster at right tackle. Staying
healthy has been an issue, struggling through a knee injury, but he
could be a key backup and a possible starter once he's healthy.
Watch Out For ... a lot of playing around with the
combinations. There were so many injuries this off-season, and there are
so many question marks, that several players will see time in several
spots.
Strength: Run blocking. ULL is able to get big
blockers who can move. This is a beefy group that's just quick enough to
open up consistent holes for one of the nation's best running game.
There aren't many 300-pound maulers, but this isn't an undersized line
compared to some in the Sun Belt.
Weakness: Healthy bodies. Pirtle, Bustle and Bryant are all trying to get over knee injuries, Fisher has
a hand problem, and backup Josh Robinson has a shoulder injury. The line
just isn't deep enough to overcome a major injury problem during the
season.
Outlook: This will be one of the Sun Belt's better
lines if everyone is healthy, but not everyone will be 100% to start the
season and it's doubtful the line will have the same starting five for
more than a few games in a row. Run blocking is hardly a problem, and
there's not a lot of pass protection to worry about, so for what it
needs to do the front five should be good. However, Fisher and Bustle
can't be hurt for long and Pirtle has to be back.
Rating: 5