Louisiana (Lafayette) expects to receive a big boost this week in its continued sorting of its wide receiver rotation with less than two weeks remaining until its season opener.
Redshirt junior Shelton Sampson Jr. is returning to team practice reps this week, coach Michael Desormeaux shared Monday, after the former Catholic (Baton Rouge) star had been sidelined much of camp with a hyperextended knee.
The 6-foot-4, 206-pound pass-catcher is a former highly touted prospect who signed with LSU out of high school in 2023 and led the Ragin’ Cajuns with 32 receptions, 537 yards and six touchdowns in his first season in Lafayette last fall.
Sampson and his proven ability to produce are a key puzzle piece for an offense replacing most of its other production among the skill positions.
So, missed reps and opportunities to get into a rhythm with starting quarterback D’Wanye’ “Lunch” Winfield (Lutcher) is “certainly always a concern,” Desormeaux said, but the Cajuns still have time before hosting Lamar on Sept. 5.
“They got a lot of time this summer, which was really good,” the coach said. “But, yeah, it’s been a month without that timing and all that stuff, so we’ve got a couple weeks to try to speed it up and try to get them on the same page. But at the same time, you can’t overdo it with a guy who’s been hurt. I think you’ve got to manage his return to play.
“The good thing is I do feel really good about some of the other guys who have made plays. I do feel really good about some of the other guys that I don’t think — I know — Shelton doesn’t need to be the primary on every pass concept that we’ve got. We have got other guys who have made really good plays. We have other guys who have shown that they’re dependable, who can make plays, who can make things happen, so I think that allows you to kind of ease him back into it a little bit. But, yeah, I mean, I’d be lying if I said there was no concern.”
Louisiana is also without former St. Thomas More star Landon Strother for an extended period of time after a collarbone injury early in camp that required surgery, as first reported by KATC’s JaMarcus Fitzpatrick.
But, as Desormeaux mentioned, other receivers have taken advantage of their opportunities to make their case as the staff continues fine-tuning its opening depth chart and rotation.
“That’s what we’ve talked about the whole time,” the coach said. “We’ve had 15 practices. And after 15 practices, there are a number of ’em that have done it really well that you’re really excited about. There are some of ’em that still haven’t done it the way you want it to, and I’m not gonna get into specifics and do all that. But it’s a long season.
“I think this is kind of one of those deals where, yeah, this is where people get hit in the face, right, when you actually have to start coming out with a depth chart and you have to kind of start putting things into place. And it’s how you respond to those things. Because some of ’em that I think are really good players and gonna be really good players have not performed the way I want ’em to. Well, now you’ve got two choices. You respond, and you go, and you get better and make the improvement we need you to make. Or you tank it, and you don’t help us, and you don’t get yourself any better, and then whenever we need you down the road, you won’t be ready then either.”
Desormeaux said that players who have stood out most consistently thus far have included redshirt sophomore KeDarius Wade, another big outside target who “has had a great camp putting things together”; quick-footed redshirt freshman slot receivers Trenton Chaney (Lutcher) and Russell Babineaux (Acadiana), both of whom the coach said made “huge plays down the field” in the two-minute drill in Saturday’s most recent scrimmage; and true freshman Kristion Brooks (Zachary), another long target who had a “great day” in the latest scrimmage and caught a touchdown in that setting for the second straight week.
The Cajuns would like to get to a six-receiver rotation — two-deep at each of the X, Z and H spots — but will start the season with a tighter group if necessary if the staff feels fewer are prepared to be reliable in game reps.
“We’re gonna play the guys that are ready,” Desormeaux said. “If it’s four, it’s four. And if it’s five, it’s five. And if it’s six, that’s great. But we’re not gonna put people out there that I don’t feel comfortable going out there. So it’s kind of up to these guys and how they kind of figure it out a little bit. But the good thing is that I do think we’ve done a really good job — coach (Tim) Leger and coach (Trevor) Begue — of kind of cross-training some of those guys at H and Z, and KeDarius can do Z and X. So you’ve created a little bit of flexibility to do that.
“But ideal scenario is six. And whoever’s playing the best, they start the drives, and they go out there and they get most of ’em, but when they have to tap and come out, you’re not worried about having someone in there that you’re worried about not producing or performing. I feel really good about six when we’re all healthy, right? We’re not all healthy… So while we’re getting (Sampson and Strother) back to 100%, it’s gonna be important to see.”
