By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – If there are any lingering questions about LSU’s 2025 football team as it started the first of 21 preseason practices Wednesday morning, the answers will be revealed quickly.

Because by design, Tigers’ head coach Brian Kelly knows what and who will fill in the blanks. The first two weeks of preseason practice are just for confirmation.

“This has been an ongoing process that started in January,” Kelly said after splitting his first 75-minute practice between working indoors and outdoors. “We’ve been doing this for seven months with this group.

“Seven months of observation, seven months of leadership development, seven months of working physically and technically and tactically, and bringing this together. I feel really good about the football team we put out on the field in three and a half to four weeks (in the Aug. 30 season opener at Clemson). I like where’ we’re at.”

In 11-on-11 drills indoors and outdoors and 5-on-7 outdoors, the expected brilliance of LSU senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and a deep and talented receiving corps were on display.

Nussmeier showed long-range accuracy on a 40-yard-plus TD throw to Kentucky transfer Barion Brown. He showed precision, completing his first seven throws in the 5-on-7 work.

And it wasn’t just the expected pass-catchers, such as returnees Aaron Anderson, Chris Hilton, Xavier Thomas, and Trey’Dez Green as well as transfers Brown and former Oklahoma tight end Bauer Sharp.

It was also someone like redshirt sophomore Destyn Hill, a former Florida State signee from New Orleans Edna Karr. Hill played 10 games two years ago for the Seminoles before missing all of last season after tearing an anterior cruciate knee ligament in a 2024 spring practice.

Hill made at least five catches in Wednesday’s first practice, several grabs in crowds of defenders.

“We have eight SEC high-caliber receivers,” Kelly said. “The biggest management right now is putting them position to succeed and being smart about it. We have the depth to lessen the playing load for these guys across the board and keep them fresh. We’re going to be rolling guys in and out.”

The defense received an opening day boost with the return of linebackers Whit Weeks and Harold Perkins Jr., both of whom missed all of spring practice recovering from knee surgeries after torn ACLs they sustained last season.

Weeks is back as a starting inside linebacker, pairing with older brother West Weeks. Perkins is playing the “star” spot, a hybrid linebacker/safety who provides both run support and pass coverage.

“Their presence is impactful,” Kelly said. “The temperature is a little bit different when those two guys are in the room. People talk about missing somebody. It’s hard to replace great players, but it’s even harder to replace great leaders. Those guys lead by example and make a huge difference.”

Transfer portal acquisitions dotted LSU’s opening day depth chart.

Junior Braelin Moore, who started 24 games for Virginia Tech (12 at center, 12 at guard), takes over at center. It affords Kelly the luxury of moving DJ Chester, LSU’s starting center last year, to starting left guard.

Starting at right guard is senior Josh Thompson, who started 21 games the last two seasons at Northwestern.

Kelly feels he has the right pieces in place on the O-line with new starters at every position. It just needs a crash chemistry before the opener at Clemson.

Defensively, edge rushers seniors Jack Pyburn (Florida) and Patrick Payton (Florida State) and graduate student Jimari Butker (Nebraska) are starters or in the playing rotation as is senior cornerback Mansoor Delane (Virginia Tech), senior safety AJ Haulcy (Houston) and sophomore safety Tamarcus Cooley (Virginia Tech).

“We got some tools where (defensive coordinator) Blake Baker can be himself and call the defense the way he wants,” Kelly said.

Kelly said Wednesday’s first practice was shortened by design.

“We’re going to have several days where you acclimatize your football team,” Kelly said. “We felt like the data that we have compiled over the last three years relative to short-term soft tissue injuries, the first seven days are the highest incident for soft tissue injuries.

‘We wanted to be able to increase the player load each and every day. We’ll go for four days, and we’ll have a day off. We’ll go for three days and have a day off.”

Freshman offensive lineman Solomon Thomas is the only injured player sidelined for a significant amount of time. He’s sidelined for a month after sustaining a broken toe.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine

In Shreveport-Bossier, you will see some players get national attention every year, and as always, I will write about those players in the coming weeks.

There are also the sleeper recruits. These are the guys who make my job really fun. These players have something to prove and they play that way, doing things that catch the eye – the eyes of their coaches, the eyes of observers like me, fans like you, and most importantly for these young men, the eyes of college recruiters looking for the diamonds in the rough.

They’re everywhere, from the prestige programs that are in the playoffs every year, from the Gucci powers that make runs toward the Superdome year in and year out, to programs that are themselves trying to raise their status.

Who will do that by December, when the games are done and the game tape will tell the tale?

There are several sleepers at nearly every local school. Take for example, the Class of 2026 at BTW, the proud Booker T. Washington High School Lions in Shreveport.

You may already know about D.K Mitchell, who is not a sleeper in the true sense. At 5-11,175, this wide receiver was honorable mention All-State Class 4A and first-team All-District 1-4A last season as he collected 774 yards receiving with 9 touchdowns.

Mitchell is getting looks already, and he has a pecking order after checking out several schools at camps or campus visits this year.

“My top three colleges are Number 1, ULM — my visit went great and I like the campus; Number 2 Northwestern State University – they have got straight cold people over there. They have leaders and I love to see that in a football program; and No. 3, Southern Arkansas — they have straight dogs over there on offense and defense.”

In a smaller package (5-7, 160) is Devondre Johnson, an All-District 1-4A cornerback in 2024 who made six interceptions. He will play more wide receiver in 2025 — he averaged over 25 yards per catch last season.

“I honestly don’t have a dream school. Wherever my path leads me I will feel blessed. I just say, give me a shot,” said Johnson.

Coach Gary Cooper really likes quarterback Devion Stewart (6-3, 190) a second-year starter with deceptive 4.89 speed in the 40. He is a pocket passer sleeper who makes plays and is a winner.

Mitchell is one of the underrated playmakers in the area with 4.5 top-end speed in the 40. Johnson has great IQ for the game in coverage out on the island as a corner. Stewart could show up on many recruiting lists for colleges if he makes improvement as would be expected in the upcoming season.

I think all three of these kids will have a chance to sign after the season. And I think BTW is a well-coached, dangerous team to face at any point, and especially in a playoff game.

Some more Lions not to “sleep” on in the Class of 2026 are running back  Chris Mosley,  receiver/defensive back Tray Moore (5-10,180), and two offensive linemen — Jacoby Fitzpatrick (6-4, 335, and a tough player) and Seven Smith (6-3, 330), who naturally wears jersey No. 77.

Read about more local kids and those from around the state on my website, LaFootballMagazine.com. Just like here at the Shreveport-Bossier Journal, content costs you nothing. I hope you will subscribe to both publications for free – it will help us grow and keep doing all we can to promote high school football locally and around Louisiana.

Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com

(Lee Brecheen is the longtime owner of Louisiana Football Magazine, covering all of the state’s high school teams each year since 1997.  Free content can also be found at the website lafootballmagazine.com. District previews with scouting reports on each team are posted now. Lee hosts a podcast with guests from around the state — The Sports Scouting Report with Lee Brecheen, available on YouTube)

By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

RUSTON – There’s good reason for Louisiana Tech football fans to be optimistic that 2025 will be the season that turns the Bulldogs’ fortunes in the right direction, as Sonny Cumbie’s fourth Tech team kicks off preseason practice today.

While the 2024 Bulldogs didn’t initially earn a bowl invitation with just five wins, after Marshall backed out of playing in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl last December, Tech got the call. That experience, and the sting of five losses by a touchdown or less, give cause to Cumbie and crew feeling confident that this fall will be a breakthrough snapping a skid of four straight losing seasons, going 11-26 in the last three with Cumbie on the sideline.

A key component is the December addition of offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, whose Bulldog offense led the country in scoring (51 points per game) and total offense (578 yards pg)  in his last year as OC back in 2012. Franklin has sophomore quarterback Evan Bullock back to steer things, and explosive players like running back Omiri Wiggins, tight end Eli Finley and receiver Jay Wilkerson.

Another cornerstone: the Tech defense, the strength of last year’s team, ranking 12^th nationally and leading Conference USA by allowing just 308 yards and 21 points per game. Senior linebacker Kolbe Fields is the Preseason CUSA Defensive Player of the Year and has talented safeties Jacob Fields and Blake Thompson behind him.

The Bulldogs have a new defensive coordinator, Luke Olson, but he knows the territory. Last fall he was the DC at CUSA co-champion Jacksonville State.

Tech kicks off Aug. 30 on Origin Bank Field at Joe Aillet Stadium against Southeastern Louisiana, then visits LSU in Week 2 and kicks off the CUSA slate Sept. 13 at home against New Mexico State.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

JOURNAL SPORTS

Coach Blaine McCorkle, whose first two recruiting classes have included several local high school standouts, will be the featured guest for the annual Northwestern State/Independence Bowl Kickoff Luncheon Thursday, Aug. 21 at Superior’s Steakhouse (855 Pierremont Avenue in Shreveport).

The luncheon, sponsored by John and Lynne Manno, begins at 11:45 a.m., one week ahead of Northwestern’s Aug. 28 season opener against Alcorn State.

All-inclusive lunch cost is $25 for salad, a plated meal and dessert. Reservations are being accepted by contacting the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl office at 318-221-0721. Attendees are asked to bring cash or check to the event to cover the cost.

“This event, which is now in its third decade, means football season has arrived,” Northwestern athletics director Kevin Bostian said. “Since I arrived in Natchitoches, I have looked forward to opening football season with a visit to Shreveport and the chance to visit with our longtime partners in this event, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl staff. Our relationship with (Independence Bowl Executive Director) Missy Setters and her staff is one we appreciate and cherish as is the opportunity to see many Northwestern alumni and friends who call the Shreveport-Bossier City area home.”

The luncheon features Bostian, McCorkle and members of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl staff. Bostian and McCorkle will preview the 2025 Northwestern season while bowl staffers will provide updates on the 49th annual Independence Bowl, which is scheduled for Dec. 30.

Folks who live in other parts of the good ole U S of A don’t know what they’re missing when it comes to sitting down at the table, especially during summertime.

This time of year, we have food available to us that folks up north don’t appreciate and probably wouldn’t even if they sampled it. Their taste buds are more attuned to stuff that’s been sauteed or poached or whatever. Down here, our food, especially here in summer, is romping with flavor and is just flat out delicious.

Let’s start with fishing. I see posts on social media of northerners cooking fish in ways we wouldn’t think of cooking. Their fish are boiled or simmered in butter after being coated with flour. I have sampled fish cooked this way but I prefer our southern tradition hands down.

Bluegill bream is one of our favorites and we don’t poach ours; we scrape and gut them before coating whole bream with yellow mustard and roll them around in salted meal before dropping them in a pot of hot peanut oil.

When they turn brown and crispy, there is only one way southerners eat a bream. First step is to turn it around so you’re looking at the hind end and take a crispy bite of the tail. It’s like biting down on a potato chip, only much more flavorful. Then we carefully remove the back fin – some call it unzipping the fish – and gently pull the sides apart. Avoiding bones, when these parts are dipped into tartar sauce or ketchup, this is some fine eating when adding fries and hush puppies on the side.

It’s time to mention stuff that is grown here in gardens, and I’m not talking things like kale or spinach. I’m talking purple hull peas, tomatoes, okra, sweet corn et al.

I grew up at the north end of Natchitoches Parish with a custom that is still imprinted in my brain. The whole family would gather on the porch, each with a pan and sitting between us was a big tub of purple hull peas that were still damp with dew from being picked that morning, saving the hulls our milk cow saw as a special treat.

This was a great time to catch up on the day’s neighborhood news like how Aunt Lucy was feeling after her untimely accident when her milk cow kicked her after she pinched too hard while milking old Bossy.

Before electricity came to Goldonna, Mama would wash the shelled peas, save out enough for dinner and then preserve the rest by canning them in glass jars, peas that would feed us until pea picking time next year.

I can still see Mama pouring peas for today’s dinner into a boiler, season them up with salt, pepper and drippings from the bacon we had for breakfast and let them simmer while she put together the ingredients for a pone of her corn bread. She would also take a few pods of okra picked that morning, boil them on the side and when done, drop them in the pot of peas.

The meal that we had several times a week would consist of peas, boiled okra, corn bread and slices of tomato along with ears of cooked-until-tender sweet corn. Sweet pickles would add just the right tang to the meal. The whole shebang was washed down with sweet tea.

For dessert, Mama always had a cake or pie cooling on the side board that we enjoyed after the garden feast, unless you were too full and had to wait and have it with coffee later.

Given today’s political climate, lots of northerners are moving south and we welcome them here. Just don’t even think about bringing your recipes on poaching or boiling fish or how to cook kale with you. Come sit at our table and find out what real fine eating is all about.

Contact Glynn at glynnharris37@gmail.com

 The passing Monday of Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg, the Chicago Cubs hero for a generation, seems so out of place, and not just because he was only 65.

Sandberg, whose play defined a true love of the game, dies in the middle of baseball season? The pictures shared this week were of him smiling with thumbs up, despite the IV at his side, wearing his “Baseball is better at Wrigley Field” Cubs-blue T-shirt.

Looked like he could still pinch hit.

For those of us his age and for everyone with a TV set and cable, he was part of our young adulthood. He was part of mine. One of us even won the National League MVP in 1984 at age 25. (It wasn’t me.)

I have a bestie in Webster Parish who used the Cubs and WGN to help rear her children, even if she had to VHS the home games (it was all daytime ball at Wrigley back then) to watch at night. Sandberg (I shouldn’t even have to write this) was her favorite: those kids of hers gave her a Cubs jersey with Sandberg’s No. 23 on it for her birthday one year.

There was a time when that’s what Sandberg meant and that’s what the Cubs meant to a lot of us.

It was a summer weekend back then when airfare was cheap and I caught it just right and went to Chicago and watched Sandberg and the Cubs and the Cubs’ fans play a bunch of ex-Shreveport Captains and then-San Francisco Giants in the Friendly Confines, where everything and everyone was happy and humming.

A smiling grandmother wore a Cubs cap and checked tickets in our section. Evelyn was her name. She called people “Honey,” and Harry Caray blew her kisses from the press box during the seventh inning stretch.

All in all, it was a fine way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

In a way, it was like watching the game in your den with friends. With the Giants slugger Barry Bonds at the plate big moment, the hometown Cubs fan behind me leaned forward. He’d heard me talking about how good both Bonds and my cheeseburger were. He said: “You guys aren’t from Chicago, are you?”

“Sure,” I told him. “From the South side.”

And he laughed and his buddy laughed. “From the SOUTH SIDE!” he said. “You mean waaaaay South.” Then he spilled beer on his Bermuda shorts and a good time was had by all.

The guy laughed at everything. He wanted me to say more things. “Please,” he asked me, “say ‘reckon’ again. Just one more time. Please.”

It was only a few minutes later when the woman in front of me turned around with a bag of Gummy Bears. “Here,” she said. “Welcome to Chicago.”

Her name was Rivian. She was sitting by Ira. Ira comes to every game and he wants the Cubs to start bunting more, even when they play defense. When Mark Grace got the game-winning hit, Ira hugged Rivian. She’d had her fingers crossed.

That night we watched the White Sox in Comiskey Park. I should have felt more at home there — 3-year-old Comiskey really is on the South side — but I prefer Wrigley. At Cubs’ games, they play the organ between innings. Between innings at Sox games, they play metal and everybody tosses dimes at cracks in the concourse.

Sunday. It was back to Wrigley. And unanticipated peril.

First, a rain delay. Then in the bottom of the first inning, two women and two boys were hit by foul balls and had to get first aid. What are the odds?

Then Cubs third baseman Steve Buechel fouled a ball off his leg.

Then, another guy was reaching for a foul and almost fell clean out of the upper deck. For a while, it looked like there might not be enough fans and players left to play and watch a whole nine innings.

But there we, of course, and I knew they’d be back the next day, a few to play the Expos and a lot to watch them and to try and catch foul balls and to throw opponents’ homers back onto the field and to pound down the ol’ Mountain Dew. Which is why, as I left Wrigley Field slowly that Sunday during an eighth-inning rain delay to catch the late-evening flight back home, I wondered by everyone didn’t come here at least once a summer, if only to watch Sandberg play second, if only to share hugs with Rivian, if only to blow kisses to Evelyn.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

JOURNAL SPORTS

LSUS recently trumpeted its revamped baseball outfield, but hasn’t said anything yet about a adding a vastly expanded trophy case.

After a 59-0 season culminated by the NAIA national championship, there seems to be a crying need for a much larger display.

The latest gem arrived Tuesday with one of the biggest postseason awards, the Rawlings-NAIA Coach of the Year honor issued to Pilots mentor Brad Neffendorf.

It’s the fifth national coach of the year award he’s won this summer, including the College Baseball Foundation Skip Bertman National Coach of the Year which encompasses all levels of the college game.

The NAIA National Coach of the Year is voted on by the NAIA-Baseball Coaches Association (BCA) Executive Committee and NAIA-BCA past presidents. To be eligible, a head coach must be selected as his conference or unaffiliated group coach of the year or lead his team to the Avista-NAIA Baseball World Series.

Check, and check. In fact, there wasn’t a box left unchecked on the spotless 2025 worksheet for Neffendorf and his historic ballclub.

LSUS boasted a 47-0 mark ending the regular season, including 30-0 in Red River Athletic Conference play. The unblemished 59-0 season shattered the record for the longest winning streak in college baseball history across all divisions. In NAIA history, the previous record for consecutive wins in a single season was set by Point Park (Pa.), with 41 straight victories during its 49-5 run in 1990.

The Pilots were dominant from start to finish. Defensively, they limited opponents to a .192 batting average and notched a .982 fielding percentage, both national records. On the offensive side, LSUS compiled a .493 on-base percentage (second in the nation) and a .601 slugging percentage (fifth in the nation), both program records. The team broke additional school records with 665 runs scored, 614 RBI and 388 walks.

LSUS entered the preseason rankings at No. 4 and claimed the No. 1 spot by the first regular-season poll, holding it for the remainder of the season. Throughout the NAIA National Tournament, from the opening rounds to the World Series, the Pilots won every contest by at least three runs, including back-to-back double-digit victories in both the quarterfinals and semifinals.

Neffendorf’s personal awards collection has nine different honors for this past season.

“It reflects the level of investment that our players, coaching staff, and support system put together throughout this year, which directly impacted the success we had,” he said. “My level of appreciation for everyone involved with what we’ve accomplished can’t even be explained. This is a program award. The players, the support staff, and our coaching staff deserve equal or above recognition for this. I am extremely grateful to everyone.” 

“What Coach Neffendorf and our team accomplished this season is nothing short of historic,” said Pilots’ athletic director Lucas Morgan. “Going 59-0 and leading our program to a national championship is a feat that may never be matched, and it’s only fitting that he’s recognized as the National Coach of the Year Award. His relentless commitment to excellence, leadership, and the belief he instills in his players have elevated LSUS baseball to legendary status. I am so proud to have him leading our program.”

Neffendorf has compiled a 270-49 overall record during his six-year tenure at LSUS. He has guided the Pilots to four RRAC regular-season championships, two RRAC Tournament titles, and three NAIA World Series appearances

By JASON PUGH, Northwestern State Sports Information Director

NATCHITOCHES – The term he used may sound oxymoronic, but second-year Northwestern State football coach Blaine McCorkle was happy to see what his team looked like during Tuesday night’s opening practice of fall camp.

“I think this football team, right now, is what we call ‘joyfully angry,’” McCorkle said after a two-hour workout on the Turpin Stadium turf. “That’s a good thing. We can be both at the same time. You can have a good attitude and work hard, but there is a healthy anger about this team right now that I’m kind of enjoying.”

Northwestern started fall camp with a night practice, which mirrors the start of the season when the Demons host Alcorn State on Aug. 28.

The late start did make for a long day, but it did not quell the Demons’ joyful side when it came to opening camp.

“We had our first meeting at 10 a.m., which makes you feel like you’ve been here three weeks before your first practice,” senior tight end Ryan Tyler said. “It was a long day today, but everyone’s got juice on Day One.”

In many ways, it was a typical Day One practice.

There were standout moments on both sides of the ball in team periods while the basics were honed throughout. There also were mistakes, but even in those times, McCorkle saw something positive.

“Overall, I’m pleased with it,” he said. “There was your typical day-one sloppiness – guys making sure they went to the right spot when the whistle blows. Freshmen getting lost. Those things happen.

“A couple of guys jumped offsides when we changed the snap count, but the beauty of that is we’re far enough along to where we can change the snap count. We went the whole year last year on the same snap count. We weren’t good enough or mature enough to change the snap count, and that was really frustrating. Now, we’re beyond that and we can advance our game with something as simple as changing the snap count. Those are part of the learning curve.”

McCorkle said he hopes his team does not have a “worse practice than (Tuesday)” as it moves toward the Aug. 28 season opener.

Even while working off some rust, the Demons did so as a bigger, stronger, faster unit with McCorkle crediting Director of Strength and Conditioning Jason Smelser and his staff for his team’s more physical look.

While those differences were visible to the casual observer, McCorkle was equally as pleased with what may have gone unnoticed.

“The attitude of this team is so different,” he said. “If anyone came out here 12 months ago and came back today, they’d see a completely different chemistry, culture, mind-set, flow and level of energy. It’s positive, and it’s upbeat.”

Contact Jason at pughj@nsula.edu