Louisiana Tech Banks on Continuity as It Steps Into a New League
Louisiana Tech went 8-5 in 2025, capping a 13-year run in Conference USA with a winning finish and a 23-14 victory over Coastal Carolina in the Independence Bowl. Sonny Cumbie returns for a fifth season in Ruston, where his record sits at 19-31, as the Bulldogs open a new chapter with a move up to the Sun Belt.
The defining offseason theme is continuity in a time of change. Rather than lean on the transfer portal, Cumbie has built through years of high school recruiting and development, and the Bulldogs bring back a large share of their two-deep even as several primary starters move on. Quarterback Blake Baker, back from the torn ACL that ended his 2025 season, anchors a roster that must rebuild its backfield and receiving corps while facing a step up in competition.
Offense
Baker gives the Bulldogs a settled starting point. He completed 65.8 percent of his throws for 1,251 yards across eight games before the November knee injury, did non-contact work in the spring and said he expected to be at full strength by summer. Just as valuable is the return of Trey Kukuk, the junior-college addition who steadied the offense during a three-game winning streak to close last season. Kukuk is a versatile athlete who adds a dynamic running element, and even if Baker is regarded as the sharper passer, the Bulldogs enjoy rare stability and experience at the position with both back.
Tight end Eli Finley is the offense's most dependable weapon, an all-conference-caliber target who has piled up 63 catches for 758 yards over the past two seasons and works the middle of the field as a reliable underneath option. The picture behind him is far less certain, with the top four wideouts from 2025 all gone. The revamped group leans on returning injury casualty Jay Wilkerson, FCS Eastern Kentucky transfer Marcus Calwise Jr. and Oklahoma State transfer Talyn Shettron, a once-touted recruit looking to deliver on that promise. Snaps and targets are there for the taking.
The backfield is a full rebuild. Louisiana Tech's top three rushers from a year ago are gone, leaving the room without a returner who has taken an NCAA snap. The centerpiece is Jaden Miller, who arrives from NAIA Keiser after a monster year of 1,127 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 193 carries and profiles as a potential home-run threat and lead option. Freshman Kenny Thomas and local product Dylone Brooks are also expected to factor in. Newly promoted coordinator Nathan Young is tasked with re-establishing a ground game that averaged 195.4 yards per contest last fall.
The front is the offense's steadiest unit. Left tackle Hayden Christman has logged 24 consecutive starts and anchors a line that surrendered the fewest sacks in Conference USA last season. Ashanti Cole returns at left guard, with Roy Brackins III and Troy Smith III among the returning bodies. If the group holds its form, it gives a rebuilt skill corps room to grow.
Defense
The front should be a strength. Edge rusher Emmanuel Oguns and nose tackle Justice Williams have the look of two of the best players on the line, and holding up against the run will be pivotal in a conference stocked with productive ground games. Depth pieces such as Donovan Rieman and Judd Rouyea round out the rotation.
There are few concerns here. Sixth-year veteran Kolbe Fields headlines a deep group after a decorated career that included prior stops at South Carolina and LSU. He was on his way to living up to his billing as the preseason Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year before a leg injury cut his season to four complete games and 39 tackles. His time on the sideline handed valuable reps to a young trio, and Zheric Hill in particular could be in for a breakout after an encouraging spring, with Jadon Mayfield and Alonzo Jackson Jr. pushing for time as sophomores.
The secondary is where the Bulldogs must reinvent themselves. Louisiana Tech tied for second nationally with 22 interceptions in 2025, but the safeties who authored most of those takeaways all departed, leaving essentially an entirely new starting five. Last year's backups will battle an influx of transfers for jobs. Kam Franklin brings ability at safety, Ahkhari Johnson arrives from Arkansas as a well-regarded addition, and Sam Fongang is in the mix on the back end. The talent is intriguing, but the wholesale turnover makes a seamless transition anything but a given.
The kicking game needs answers. The Bulldogs struggled to connect on field goals last season, which cracked the door open for true freshman Kaegan Kent to push for the job. The punting role is unsettled as well, with a competition brewing over the offseason. The return picture is similarly in flux, leaving clear openings for players to seize.
Overview and Prediction
The schedule offers no soft landing. Before league play even opens, Louisiana Tech travels to LSU and Baylor and hosts Army, a brutal early stretch for a team breaking in a new backfield and a new secondary. The upside is genuine continuity across the trenches and a settled quarterback room, which should give the Bulldogs a competitive floor most weeks.
The preseason consensus slots Louisiana Tech in the middle-to-lower tier of its new conference, and matching last season's 8-5 mark in the program's Sun Belt debut looks like an uphill climb. The verdict comes down to two rebuilds: if Jaden Miller and the retooled ground game approach last year's production and the overhauled secondary steadies quickly behind a strong front seven, this is a bowl-caliber team again. If either falters, a step back is the likelier outcome.