Staff writer
Louisiana Tech spring football practice begins today.
Simple yet exciting words for Bulldog football fans.
Unlike last spring when the college sports world came to a screeching halt just days before head coach Skip Holtz and Co. were set to open spring practice, Louisiana Tech fans will see their team in practice gear starting at 4 p.m. today.
As part of today’s opening practice, fans who renewed their season tickets by end of day Wednesday will get to participate in the first ever “Meet the Bulldogs” event as Holtz will address those individuals in a private session, giving some behind-the-scenes insight into the roster and key position battles.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 5-5 season that culminated with a loss to Georgia Southern in the New Orleans Bowl, Tech’s seventh straight bowl appearance. The Bulldogs saw their roller coaster season highlighted by a double overtime win over eventual C-USA champion Alabama-Birmingham in late October.
Tech’s spring roster will include four Division I transfers including running back Marcus Williams Jr. (Rocky Mount, N.C./App State) and defensive backs Baylen Buchanan (Lawrenceville, Ga./Tennessee), Elijah Hamilton (Roswell, Ga./Vanderbilt) and Myles Mason (Trussville, Ala./Arkansas).
“We’re really excited about the four guys who are coming here in the spring that just started classes,” Holtz said. “When you look at the three defensive backs, they bring size, maturity and experience to a secondary that really needs it. This bolsters the back end with three guys who look like they are going to create some great competition this spring and really will be something to watch as these guys continue to compete.
“The other place where we wanted to make an immediate contribution was at the running back position. We had lost both Israel Tucker and Justin Henderson, who both just graduated. With both of those upperclassmen leaving, we felt there were some people in the transfer portal. These guys have played a lot of college football and that’s what makes me excited about adding them to a very talented and also a very young roster.”
Tech will conduct its second practice on Saturday evening before settling into a Monday-Wednesday-Friday routine for the new few weeks. The Louisiana Tech spring game is tentatively set for April 24.
LA Tech’s six home games at Joe Aillet Stadium during the 2021 season includes four Conference USA matchups in North Texas (Sept. 25), Texas-San Antonio (Oct. 23), Charlotte (Nov. 13) and Southern Miss (Nov. 20). Tech’s home slate opens with a pair of non-conference opponents in Southeastern Louisiana (Sept. 11) and SMU (Sept. 18).
In 2021, season ticket prices for Bulldog football will remain the same. Fans are encouraged to renew or purchase their season tickets as early as possible to secure their seats for next season as the university is cautiously optimistic that football game days will return to normal while abiding by state health guidelines.
Photo by DARRELL JAMES