Louisiana football mailbag: Any dropoff from Billy Napier to Michael Desormeaux, team leaders, NIL

LAFAYETTE – The first installment of the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns’ football mailbag for the 2022 season is as packed as it is varied.

A lot of the inquisitive variety certainly stems from a new era in Lafayette with the Cajun prodigal son Michael Desormeaux inching closer to his first game as head coach and the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics.

UL opened preseason practice Friday, and with it, all eyes are watching a few position battles, none more important than starting quarterback between Chandler Fields and Ben Wooldridge.

The overlying question is: Can Louisiana stay atop the Sun Belt amid having to fill several key roles as well as the conference itself expanding to 14 teams?

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Let’s take some questions.

Can Desormeaux do what Billy Napier did at UL? – Beaux F.

It’s certainly possible. All the tools are at Desormeaux’s behest. And by coaching under Napier the last four years, Desormeaux certainly knows all the tricks of the trade and what works.

Napier won 41 games in four seasons, the most successful stretch in program history.

Like most coaching regime changes, there will be bumps along the way. UL is Desormeaux’s first collegiate head coaching job, and he’ll grow as his first preseason practice and season in that position progresses.

The larger question might be: Should Desormeaux be expected to win a conference championship in his first season being a college head coach? And what should that expectation actually look like? I don’t think he should be held to that standard just yet.

What was Michael Desormeaux’s thought process on bringing the team together during fall camp to live together in team dorms? – Jim R.

In the few short weeks I’ve been on the beat, I’m had several conversations with players regarding the differences in how the team operates between Napier and Desormeaux. The majority variant I’ve been told is how much more relaxed Desormeaux is and that, in turn, has the team itself more relaxed.

When a new coach takes over a program, they want to make their own mark and do things their own way. Desormeaux knows how Napier did things obviously paid off, but he has said he’s implementing his own spin into the job.

I suspect not having the team bunk together in the dorm during the preseason is his own, relaxed way of handling things.

How is the football team maneuvering the NIL issue? – Seth R.

Just like most other athletic departments, UL has a Name, Image and Likeness program set up to assist student-athletes. Financial and business education and brand strategy are some of things ULtra (University Lucrative Training Resource Advantage) assists student-athletes with. There are opportunities for players on the football team to generate NIL, but as Desormeaux told me, the football program itself won’t specifically facilitate any deals for them.

Desormeaux also told me that NIL, or any prospect of it, won’t be used in the recruitment of any players. This is pretty much par for the course for most Group of Five schools as resources and opportunities are limited versus the majority of Power Five institutions.

Louisiana isn’t falling behind at its level as it pertains to NIL. Fellow Sun Belt members have looked to what UL is doing for guidance in their own efforts.

Who is expected to be the team leader for the Ragin’ Cajuns on both sides of the ball? – Mike H.

Despite some key departures, the Cajuns don’t lack for leadership this season. On offense, sophomore A.J. Gillie will be the leader across the offensive line, while senior David Hudson, though he hasn’t been a full-time starter so far during his career, will be counted on as well.

Chris Smith at running back is natural-born leader. Tight end Johnny Lumpkin as well. Also, both quarterbacks Ben Wooldridge and Chandler Fields are going to be leaders for this year’s team as well.

On defense, Andre Jones, Eric Garror and Zi’Yon Hill-Green are no-brainer leaders. But others to look out for are linebacker Kris Moncrief and safety Bralen Trahan.

Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers and Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU/UL athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana football mailbag: Will Michael Desormeaux succeed, NIL, more