In less than two weeks, Louisiana football will be gearing up for its 2026 season opener vs Lamar on Sept. 5, and the anticipation only continues to grow.
The Ragin’ Cajuns wrapped up fall camp on Aug. 22, using the majority of their final scrimmage to work on situational plays, goal-line sets and redzone drives. Now fifth-year head coach Michael Desoremeaux and his staff will try to continue to put the pieces together as they hope to outdo 2025’s 6-7 overall finish.
The biggest positive heading into this final offseason stretch for UL is the impending return of wide receiver Shelton Sampson Jr., who missed the entire preseason camp due to a knee injury. Sampson’s return, however, doesn’t put an end to the injury bug that lingers on the Cajuns roster.
“Injury-wise, we got some good and bad news, Brock Chappell and Broderick Stewart didn’t finish the scrimmage,” Desormeaux said. “They’re going to go see the doctors today and we’re hoping that it’s not a long-term deal. They feel like Brock’s is probably not. Broderick, we’re gonna wait and see the image and what it looks like.
“Maxie [Baudoin IV] did miss the scrimmage last week, it’s nothing major just some stuff that he’s kind of having. Just a little bit of aggravation in his arm so I’ll feel good about getting him back.”
Seeing which Louisiana football’s wide receivers will step upOutside of battling some injuries on both sides of the ball, the biggest question remains in the passing game for UL. Sampson will be quarterback Lunch Winfield’s go-to target heading into the fall, but the duo hasn’t connected in about a month. That leaves nothing but space and opportunity for the rest of the Cajuns’ wideout room as they look to be another option in the air.
“I do feel really good about some of the other guys who’ve made plays and I know Shelton doesn’t need to be the primary on every pass concept that we’ve got,” Desormeaux said. “Trenton [Chaney] and Russ [Russel Babineaux] made some huge plays down the field that were big for us during the scrimmage.
“KeDarius Wade has had a great camp and is putting things together. Kristion Brooks had a great day in the last scrimmage, catching a touchdown off a really well-thrown ball from Daniel and he’s made some plays in the early part of the scrimmage.”
Desormeaux and his staff will also look to get more from its tight ends this fall, a position that used to heavily impact the passing attack back in 2024. With Chappell injured, the Cajuns will rely on tight ends Caden Jensen, Teddy Gawlik and Emiliano Soldevilla to fill out the group. Moving the ball in the passing game and deep shots will be key for UL’s offense, not just against the Cardinals but throughout the season with a less-experienced running back room this fall.
Shannon Belt covers high school sports and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on X, formerly known as Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana football injury updates, takeaways from end of fall camp
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