by Malcolm Butler
The start of fall practice is always exciting for college football fans.
Every one is undefeated.
And numerical rosters are a must with plenty of fresh faces.
However, in this day and age of the transfer portal, “plenty of fresh faces” has taken a steroid approach as gone are the days of just 25 new scholarship guys.
Louisiana Tech is the perfect example of this phenomenon as more than 50 percent of Tech’s 85 scholarship student-athletes will be wearing the blue and red for the very first time.
Head coach Sonny Cumbie and the Bulldogs open official fall workouts this morning with all eyes set on the August 26 opener against FIU in what is now referred to across the country as Week Zero.
Cumbie and Co. have 30 days to get 45 new scholarship guys and 40 returners playing as one.
“We have had a huge roster turnover,” said Cumbie during Tuesday’s Conference USA Media Days Event in DFW. “We have brought in a lot of new players. We have 45 new scholarship guys when you add in high school, junior college and (DI) transfers. I told our football team (earlier this week) that the 40 players that were with us in January and February are going to be the rock and the foundation of our team.
“As we add in the new players, you have guys like Smoke (Harris) and DeShon (Hall) that are able to bring those guys into our lockeroom and really into the environment that we tried to create this last year. I think its important when you bring new guys into your program that you quickly get them acclimated and around guys that do it the right way.”
The Bulldogs are one of five CUSA teams that are opening camp this week. Most DI teams won’t begin practice until next week but those playing in Week Zero are provided an earlier start day in order to get all 20 practices in before the season opens.
“Every team needs leaders,” said Harris, who is entering his sixth and final season in a Tech uniform. “We have guys coming in — transfers and guys like that — so they need guys to help them get through tough times. … That plays a big toll on Saturdays. You know you can trust this guy to be where he is supposed to be and to do the right thing.”
Plenty of eyes will be on Boise State transfer quarterback Hank Bachmeier, who is the odds on favorite to start under center for the Bulldogs in 2023.
However, maybe the biggest two questions for Tech are the ability of the Bulldogs O-line to protect Bachmeier and to open up holes for the running game, as well as the state of the defensive unit. Tech was decimated with injuries on the defensive side in 2022 and over the final half of the season struggled to get stops.
