LSU junior wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and sophomore cornerback Derek Stingley Junior have been named to the Associated Press All-American first team. Meanwhile, Tigers Coach Ed Orgeron has been impressed with new linebacker Jabril Cox, who was a two-time All-American at North Dakota State. Coach Ed Orgeron likes how Cox goes about his business…
cut 18 (25) “….complete linebacker”
Orgeron says he’s also keeping an eye on the transfer portal as he’s interested in adding a cornerback to the roster. Orgeron says it’s a position that could use more depth.

The Ragin Cajuns are picked to repeat as the Sun Belt Western Division Champs in the league’s preseason coaches poll. U-L Lafayette is picked ahead of Arkansas State and South Alabama. ULM is picked to finish in last place in the West.

ULM has finally finalized its 2020 schedule as the Warhawks will host the UTEP Miners on September 26th and they’ll return the trip to El Paso in a future season.

Four Bulldogs represent Louisiana Tech on the preseason all-Conference USA Team, which is voted on by the league’s 14 head coaches. They are running back Justin Henderson, offensive lineman Kody Russey, defensive lineman Willie Baker and deep snapper Reeves Blankenship.

Nicholls and Southeastern Louisiana are ranked in the F-C-S Top 25. The Colonels are ranked 14th, while the Lions are ranked 21st and McNeese is receiving votes.

And there are a lot of high school football coaches who are not happy with Governor John Bel Edwards, who is expected to officially announce today that the state will remain in Phase 2. Louisiana needs to be in Phase 3 for football games to be played.

LSU coach Ed Orgeron said today that they have one more scholarship left and he would like to sign a defensive back. Kary Vincent’s decision to opt-out has left them a body short in the secondary…
cut 20 (24) “…in camp”
Orgeron says safety Mo Hampton has also looked good as he’s lost a good deal of body fat.

Former LSU Tiger safety Grant Delpit will miss his first season in the NFL. Delpit injured his Achillies Tendon at Cleveland Browns training camp.

Riley Smith who pitched for LSU in 2016 has been called up by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

It may have been a chaotic offseason but Saints Coach Sean Payton says his players are getting back into the groove of normal training camp activities. He says the past few days the emphasis has been less on-field training and more on football IQ.
Cut 16 (18) “…situations”

The Ragin Cajuns are picked to repeat as the Sun Belt Western Division Champs in the league’s preseason coaches poll. U-L Lafayette is picked ahead of Arkansas State and South Alabama. ULM is picked to finish in last place in the West.

ULM has finalized its 2020 schedule as the Warhawks will host the Miners on September 26th and they’ll return the trip to El Paso in a future season.

LSU plans to continue practicing this week, but they are monitoring Hurricane Laura and its impact on the Baton Rouge area. Reserve tight end Aaron Moffitt will miss the rest of the season as he’s torn his ACL. The son of head strength coach Tommy Moffitt played on special teams last season.

The Cleveland Browns confirmed today that former LSU star Grant Delpit will miss the rest of the season with an Achilles injury. Delpit went down during practice yesterday.

The Saints are off today and expected to return to training camp tomorrow. So far the reports on quarterback Jameis Winston have been good as he’ll serve as a back-up to Drew Brees. Second-year offensive lineman Erik McCoy says Winston is adapting to the new playbook and expectations…
cut 18 (10) “…now”

The defending national champion LSU Tigers are ranked sixth in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 rankings. The Tigers received one first-place vote. Clemson is ranked number one, Ohio State is number two, but they will not play in the fall because of the coronavirus pandemic. Once the games start, AP voters will only rank teams that are playing.

What about the college football playoff? The C-F-P says they will begin issuing regular rankings on November 17th and select the four teams that will participate in the playoff on December 20th. The semifinals are still set for New Year’s Day, the Sugar and Rose Bowls will be the semis. The national title game is set for January 11th in Miami.

ULM has made it official, they will play at Army on September 12th. Cajuns Coach Billy Napier says receiver Cassius Allen has suffered what appears to be a significant knee injury.

At Saints camp, the coaches are trying to figure out who will start at center this season. It could be either last year’s second-round pick Erik McCoy or this year’s first-round draft pick Ceasar Ruiz. Either player could also play right guard. Coach Sean Payton says they don’t have a clear idea yet on who will play what position…
cut 17 (11) “…combination”
The position battle opened up after the Saints released veteran right guard Larry Warford after drafting Ruiz.

Former LSU star and Browns rookie safety Grant Delpit was carted off the field yesterday and the concern is that he injured his Achilles tendon. Shortly after Delpit got hurt, another former Tiger, starting cornerback Greedy Williams went down with a shoulder injury for the Browns.

The defending national champion LSU Tigers are ranked sixth in the AP preseason poll. The team that LSU beat in the national championship game, Clemson, is ranked number one. Ohio State, who is not playing in the fall, is ranked second. Alabama is ranked third with two first-place votes, Georgia is ranked fourth and Oklahoma is ranked fifth.

The college football playoff committee announced today that it will begin providing regular rankings on November 17th and then select the four teams for the college football playoff on December 20th. The semifinals are still set for New Year’s Day, which will be the Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl. The national championship game will take place on January 11th in Miami.

ULM announces it will play at Army on September 12th. It’s the first time the Warhawks will play against one of the United States service academies.

Ragin Cajuns Coach Billy Napier says redshirt sophomore wide receiver Cassieu Allen suffered a significant knee injury on Saturday, but no word if he’s out for the season.

There’s a three-way battle for starting quarterback at Louisiana Tech. Senior Westin Elliot, redshirt sophomore Aaron Allen and graduate transfer Luke Anthony are competing for the job. Anthony was a three-year starter at Abilene Christian and says he had interest from Power Five schools, but knew La Tech was the place for him…
cut 18 (20) “…my fit”

At Saints camp, the team has released veteran linebacker Nigel Bradham, who they just signed prior to the start of training camp. Coach Sean Payton says Bradham’s release will allow some younger linebackers, like third-round pick Zack Baun, to get more reps. Payton says the team is planning to hold a scrimmage in the Superdome on Friday.

LSU is ranked sixth in the AP preaseason poll that was released today. Clemson is ranked number one. Ohio State, who is not even playing this fall is ranked second, followed by Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma. Florida is ranked eight, Auburn is 11th and Texas A-and-M is ranked 13th.

A three-way battle for starting quarterback is ongoing during Louisiana Tech’s preseason camp. It’s between redshirt sophomore Aaron Allen, graduate transfer Luke Anthony and redshirt senior Westin Elliot. Elliot has been on campus since 2017 and says whoever wins the job will lead the Bulldogs to victories…
cut 17 (19) “…to win”

The Saints have made a surprise move. ESPN’s Adam Schefter says the Black and Gold have cut veteran linebacker Nigel Bradham. He signed with New Orleans in the summer after spending the past four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. Bradham was competing for playing time as Alex Anzalone and Kiko Alonso are coming back from injuries.

Quarterback Drew Brees did not practice yesterday as he got the day off. The 41-year-old worked on throwing the deep ball during the offseason with his personal trainer, Todd Durkin. Coach Sean Payton says he’s seen a difference
cut 20 (25) “ throwing motion”

The Saints are less than three weeks away from the season opener against Tampa Bay and so far so good when it comes to keeping COVID-19 out of the building. Coach Sean Payton says he’s even surprised that the team has stayed virus free
cut 19 (17) “…good way”
Only three players in the NFL are on the reserve-COVID-19 list.

Running back Alvin Kamara did not practice yesterday, because of a stomach illness. Right tackle Ryan Ramczyk also missed practice yesterday, but it was a veteran rest day for him. Quarterback Taysom Hill has returned to practice after he and his wife had their first child, Beau Nixon Hill. The Saints will hold another full-pad practice today.

Louisiana Tech football coach Skip Holtz calls the three-way battle for starting quarterback a healthy competition. Holtz is impressed with how much respect Aaron Allen, Luke Anthony and Westin Elliot have for each other as they compete. Redshift sophomore Aaron Allen says they push each other to get better
Cut 16 (18) “…perform better”

Conference USA has decided to move fall team sports, except for football, to the spring of 2021. The La Tech programs affected are women’s soccer and women’s volleyball. The move allows the Lady Techsters and all Conference USA schools to play for a spot in the NCAA Championships. Dates of competition and formats will be announced at a later date.

The NCAA has reportedly approved a rule that gives all fall sport student-athletes a free year of eligiblity, no matter how many games they compete in over the next ten months. It remains to be seen how schools react to this news. Scholarships cost money and athletic budgets have seen their revenues shrink because of COVID-19.

At LSU’s football camp, one of the biggest players on the field is freshman tight end Arik Gilbert, who stands at six-foot-five, 250 pounds. Tigers Safety Jacoby Stevens he’s been impressed with the Georgia product…
cut 20 (20) “….at you”
Gilbert is the reigning Gatorade National Player of the Year, the first tight end to win the award since its inception in 1985.

The Saints are getting ready for the season and they are also keeping an eye on the tropics as there’s the potential for two named storms in the Gulf of Mexico for the first time in 87 years. Coach Sean Payton says he’ll talk with General Manager Mickey Loomis to discuss options in case one of the storms hits New Orleans…
cut 30 (30) “…everyone”

ULM football is pausing its preseason camp, because COVID testing produced nine positive cases. The school is hoping they can resume early next week. Their first game is September fifth at Troy.

LSU Coach Ed Orgeron disputes a quote attributed to him in a USA Today report about two women who claim former LSU running back Derius Guice raped them in 2016. In the USA Today story, a former player said that Orgeron told him that everybody’s girlfriend sleeps with other people. Orgeron released a statement on Twitter last night and said that the quote is not accurate. Coach O also says the sexual assault allegations against Guice should be taken seriously.

ULM is pausing its preseason football practice, because COVID testing administered earlier this week produced nine positive cases. The school is conducting contact tracing to mititgate the spread of the virus. In a statement, Coach Matt Viator says he’s disappointed, but realized the suspension of practice was a real possibility this preseason and the team remains optimistic they will be able to safely compete this fall. The Warhawks first game is September fifth at Troy.

Saints Safety Malcom Jenkins is trying to win his third Super Bowl ring as he begins his second stint with the Black and Gold. New Orleans drafted Jenkins in 2009 and he won a Super Bowl to cap off his rookie season. He also won a Super Bowl in Philadelphia in 2017. Jenkins says there’s enough talent on this Saints team to win the Lombardi Trophy
cut 17 (21) “…and grow”

The Pelicans will pick 13th in the NBA draft which is scheduled for October 16th. The NBA draft lottery did not produce a higher pick for the Pels. The Minnesota Timberwolves won the lottery and they will have the number one pick.

LSU Coach Ed Orgeron disputes a quote attributed to him in a USA Today report about two women who claim former LSU running back Derius Guice raped them in 2016. In the USA Today story, a former player said that Orgeron told him that everybody’s girlfriend sleeps with other people. Orgeron released a statement on Twitter last night and said that the quote is not accurate. Coach O also says the sexual assault allegations against Guice should be taken seriously.

After watching the Big 10 and PAC 12 move football to the spring, LSU safety Jacoby Stevens is cherishing the opportunity to play. Stevens credits Shelly Mullenix, LSU’s Health and Wellness Coordinator for putting a plan in place so the Tigers can take the field next month…
cut 19 (15) “…their system”

The chemistry of the Saints was challenged in the offseason when Quarterback Drew Brees said he could never agree with anyone who did not stand for the national anthem. Brees later apologized for those comments and Safety Malcolm Jenkins, who originally said he was hurt by Brees’ comments, says his discussions with Brees brought the team closer
Cut 18 (15) “…no exception”
Jenkins is trying to win his third super bowl ring and second with the Saints.

In college football scheduling news, the Cajuns have added UAB and Central Arkansas to their schedule. They’ll visit the Blazers on Friday, October 23rd, and host the Bears on November 21st. ULM will kick off the season on September fifth at Troy, moving that game up from October 17th.

And the Pelicans will have the 13th pick in the NBA Draft, Minnesota won the lottery and has the top pick.