LSU football coach Lane Kiffin says he has been impressed by quarterback Sam Leavitt and the first-team defense throughout fall camp, but one of his biggest concerns is the depth of the offensive line.

Cut 19 (16) “…guys better.”

Kiffin is alluding to the temporary restraining order issued by a Baton Rouge judge that granted 16 college football players a fifth year of eligibility and allowed them to enter the transfer portal. Former Tigers edge rusher Jack Pyburn was one of the plaintiffs included. Ole Miss D-tackle Zxavien Harris and tight end Dae’Quan Wright are both entering the portal already.

Longtime SEC and LSU administrator Herb Vincent announced he will be retiring from his role as SEC Associate Commissioner for Communications after this season. Vincent served over two decades at LSU and was inducted to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame last year.

The Saints and Cowboys were each fined 500-thousand-dollars by the NFL following their fight-ridden joint practice on Tuesday. ESPN’s Adam Schefter says the league sent a memo to teams before the start of training camp emphasizing sportsmanship during joint practices. The Saints did not have any scuffles in practices with the Rams and Jaguars. Head coach Kellen Moore says they made an effort to focus on on-field work today.

Cut 20 (06) “…clean practice.”

Offensive guard Cesar Ruiz and defensive tackle John Ridgeway both left practice early with injuries. The Saints kick off their preseason game versus the rams Saturday at 3 p.m.

UL Lafayette infielder Lee Amadee announced he will be returning for a fifth season with the Cajuns. He is taking advantage of the fifth season of eligibility awarded to class of 2022 signees by a Colorado U.S. district court ruling. Amadee has been a full-time starter for the Cajuns each of the last three years and hit .300 with 7 homers, 12 doubles and 54 RBIs last season.

Sixteen graduated college football players have been granted a fifth season of eligibility by a Baton Rouge judge, including many who have already signed NFL contracts. The temporary restraining order also allows them to enter the transfer portal. Former LSU defensive end Jack Pyburn is one of the plaintiffs in the case who could return after spending training camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Former Ole Miss Stars, tight end Dae’Quan Wright, D-tackle Zxavien Harris and safety Wydett Williams could also return.

The Saints have joint practice with the Rams today ahead of their preseason matchup Saturday. At Tuesday’s practice with the Cowboys, more than 10 fights broke out between the teams. Linebacker Danny Stutsman says they hope to avoid that today, but they do help bring the team together.

Cut 20 (15) “…have everyone’s back.”

UL Lafayette football coach Michael Desormeaux says quarterback Lunch Winfield has done a better job of taking what the defense gives him and has been more accurate through fall camp. He tries to complete 70-percent of his passes every day.

Cut 17 (14) “…are four yards.”

The LDWF is holding its first-ever recreational alligator hunting season, and the tag lottery opened today and runs through August 30^th. LDWF Secretary Tyler Bosworth says there are roughly three-million alligators in the coastal zone alone, and there are thousands of tags to give out.

Cut 4 (11) “…ten-thousand opportunities statewide.”

The season runs the entire month of October. Apply for the lottery on the LDWF website with a non-refundable 50-dollar application fee.

Eight LSU players were named preseason All-SEC by the coaches. LSU’s five first-team selections tie with Texas for the most in the league. The first-teamers are tight end Trey’Dez Green, left tackle Jordan Seaton, linebacker Whit Weeks, defensive end Princewill Umanmielen and punter Grant Chadwick. Cornerback DJ Pickett was named to the second team, and center Braelin Moore and safety Ty Benefield are on the third team.

Saints running back Alvin Kamara will miss the start of the season with an MCL sprain. He will be sidelined for at least a month after leaving the Saints’ joint practice with the Cowboys early yesterday. Locked On Saints podcast host Ross Jackson says Kamara has not played a full season since his rookie year.

Cut 19 (10) “…Travis Etienne Jr.”

Jackson says Kamara’s absence could open up the running back competition for Kendre Miller and Devin Neal, who both returned from injury yesterday.

Former LSU pitcher Paul Skenes’ struggles on the mound continued today against the Tigers. The Pirates got the 4-3 win, but Skenes gave up three earned runs, walked four batters and allowed four hits in just four-and-a-third innings. His season ERA is now 3.95, more than double each of his first two seasons in the majors.

ULM and Louisiana Tech made their renewed Sun Belt Rivalry official with the Radiance Technologies I-20 Showdown Rivalry Series. When the schools face off in the 12 varsity sports they both sponsor, teams will earn points for their programs that will be tracked all season. LA Tech Athletic Director Ryan Ivey says the schools will compete for an annual trophy, and fans should look out for their chance to weigh in on the design.

Cut 18 (18) “…the next year.”

Saints running back Alvin Kamara could miss at least the next month after suffering an MCL sprain during yesterday’s joint practice with the Cowboys. He missed the final six weeks of last season with a similar injury. That means the Saints will start the season without Kamara, first-round pick Jordyn Tyson and possibly defensive end Cameron Jordan, although no timeline has been given on his return from a hamstring injury.

Cornerback Quincy Riley also left practice early with a groin injury, and wide receiver Ronnie Bell was carted off after getting overheated. The Saints will hold another joint practice with the Rams tomorrow before their preseason bout Saturday.

LSU basketball commit RJ Luis will have a preliminary injunction hearing on Monday as he hopes to join Will Wade’s roster. The 23-year-old guard was named 2024-25 Big East Player of the Year at St. John’s, but declared for the NBA Draft after the season. He signed a two-way contract with the Jazz and another deal with the Celtics’ G League affiliate but never appeared in a game due to injury.

Southern University edge rusher Ckelby Givens is returning to the Jags after graduating last year. Givens is one of the class of 2022 athletes granted a fifth season of eligibility under a Colorado federal judge’s injunction.

ULM and Louisiana Tech announced the new Radiance Technologies I-20 Showdown Rivalry Series between the two schools just 30 minutes apart. As the Bulldogs enter the Sun Belt, Tech Athletic Director Ryan Ivey says the championship spotlights a historic, heated rivalry.

Cut 16 (19) “…critical for us.”

Points will be awarded for head-to-head success and conference standings for each of the 12 sports both universities sponsor. Whichever program reaches 6.5 points first wins annual bragging rights and a trophy.

Three Tigers were named preseason first-team All-Americans by the Associated Press today. Tight End Trey’Dez Green is the only LSU player on the first team, and offensive tackle Jordan Seaton and safety Ty Benefield both landed on the second team.

The NCAA published bylaws officially moving up the start of the college football season by one week. The 14-week FBS season with two bye weeks now kicks off two Thursdays before Labor Day and the FCS season a week before that.

The Saints will start the season without eighth-overall pick Jordyn Tyson. The rookie wide receiver will miss around eight weeks with his fourth hamstring injury in the last year. Saints sideline reporter for WWL radio Jeff Nowak says he could return as soon as week five, but the Saints shouldn’t rush him back.

Cut 19 (16) “…another injury.”

LSU football coach Lane Kiffin says the team ran 170 total plays during its first scrimmage Saturday, and it gave coaches a great chance to evaluate players’ physicality and conditioning. Entering the third week of fall practice with almost three more weeks to go, Kiffin says this is a challenging time in the preseason for players.

Cut 18 (13) “…we can rotate.”

LA Tech and ULM will compete in the Radiance Technologies I-20 Showdown Rivalry Series. Now both in the Sun Belt Conference, the universities will earn points in head-to-head competitions and final conference standings across 12 sports. Tech Athletics Director Ryan Ivey says every sport is weighted equally, and the first school to 6-and-a-half points will clinch the series championship.

Cut 20 (12) “…mean more.”

Saints rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson could miss about two months with a right hamstring strain he suffered during the team’s joint practice with the Jaguars last week. The Arizona State product had injury concerns when the Saints drafted him eighth overall. He suffered a severe knee injury, an ankle sprain and three hamstring injuries while in college, but Saints coach Kellen Moore said this injury is not related to any prior one. Tyson’s two-month timetable would have him back as soon as the Saints’ week six game at the Giants. The black and gold travel to Paris to face the Steelers the following week.

New Orleans has another joint practice against the Cowboys today in Oxnard, California.

LSU is number 11 in the preseason AP Top 25. The Tigers held their first scrimmage of fall practice Saturday, and coach Lane Kiffin says the first-team defense started strong with an effective pass rush, but the offense was able to bounce back with quarterback Sam Leavitt’s mobility.

Cut 16 (12) “…came free Saturday.”

ULM and Louisiana Tech have announced the Radiance Technologies I-20 Showdown Rivalry Series. With the Bulldogs joining the Sun Belt Conference, the two schools separated by just 35 miles are turning their historic rivalry into an official competition across 12 sports. The schools will earn points in the showdown for winning head-to-head matchups and season series and finishing higher in the Sun Belt standings for non-head-to-head sports. The first matchup in the series will come on the LA Tech soccer field October 4.

In football, LA Tech’s offense will feature a versatile playmaker this season. Senior quarterback Trey Kukuk returns after starting five games last season — but this time in a different role. Coordinator Nathan Young says with Blake Baker back as the full-time starter, Kukuk will do it all for the Bulldogs.

Cut 19 (19) “…a football player.”