5 things learned about Lamar football at Southland Media Day
4 min read
As the Southland Conference converged on Lake Charles, Louisiana previously this 7 days for its yearly soccer media day, supporters of the new-seem league received their initially chance to discover a bit about every single staff.
Lamar College soccer supporters may not know much about the 2022 Cardinals group. Roster turnover and a return to the Southland has designed a whole lot of query marks for the Cardinals.
The Southland’s media working day supplied a several solutions to individuals issues, this sort of as who may possibly start off below centre this season, how the Cardinals are feeling about their non-conference video game at SMU and what recruiting space might make a resurgence for Lamar in the Southland.
Here are five takeaways from Lamar’s overall look at Southland Football Media Working day:
Another QB competition
Every single of Blane Morgan’s two seasons coaching the Cardinals have started off with a quarterback levels of competition. That will be the circumstance yet again coming into this tumble, with Morgan mentioning a few particular names for the duration of media working day.
Mike Chandler and Daelyn Williams both took sport snaps at quarterback late in the period for Lamar. Chandler ended up receiving damage and Williams completed out the yr.
Connected: Southland prioritizes McNeese-Lamar rivalry for the duration of realignment
Equally sophomores will now get a prospect to receive that starting function after once more, Morgan said. Even so, one more younger option has also emerged for the Cardinals.
Jakolby Longino, a 6-foot-3 transfer from UTEP, has arrived in Beaumont prepared to compete for the Cardinals quarterback occupation. The Missouri Metropolis native selected UTEP out of high college over other offers from Texas Southern, Prairie Perspective A&M and Lamar.
Dummett’s posture swap
Jalen Dummett was a huge aspect of Lamar’s quarterback competitions in former many years, but getting into this tumble, the senior will be making an attempt his luck at a new placement.
With a little bit of a logjam at quarterback, Dummett will switch to receiver total time this time. He designed 6 starts off at quarterback past calendar year, but also performed snaps at running back again and receiver as the season progressed.
Dummett appeared positive about the situation change when asked on Wednesday, citing his play-building means with the ball in his hands.
“I truly feel like it truly is yet another way for me to utilize my ability set,” Dummett claimed of playing receiver. “Being able to make plays in open place, I come to feel like it can be a lot less difficult for me to do that out there.”
No worry for SMU video game
Lamar’s premiere non-meeting recreation this period will come in Week 2 at Southern Methodist University. The Cardinals have fared terribly in these “income” games during many years, shedding 54- at UTSA last season. In 2019 when Lamar traveled to Texas A&M, the Cardinals endured a 63-3 defeat.
But the Cardinals are not squandering time stressing about their Sept. 10 assembly with the Mustangs. Sophomore defensive lineman Jack McCarthy sees the activity as an possibility for Lamar to perform anxiety totally free.
“There is certainly not a good deal of worry on our shoulders because there is certainly not a whole lot of anticipations for us,” McCarthy claimed. “Which is actually to our advantage. We can go have fun, perform a very little unfastened and have a prospect to participate in on a even bigger stage.”
New meeting foes
Lamar has background with several of its new Southland Meeting foes, but the deficiency of current record turned preseason predictions into guess do the job. With the Cardinals enjoying in the WAC last time, Morgan said he isn’t incredibly common with the makeup of most opponents in the Southland.
“Throughout the preseason poll, I was just form of throwing darts blindly,” Morgan reported. “They had been likely doing the same detail with us.”
Similar: Lamar picked in close proximity to base of Southland preseason poll
The last time Lamar noticed a Southland opponent was through the shortened 2020 time, which was played in the spring of 2021. Lamar went 2-4 in the course of that program, with wins about McNeese and Northwestern State.
Recruiting Louisiana
Getting back in the Southland Convention may possibly give Lamar a recruiting resurgence in Louisiana, according to Morgan. The Southland has 4 soccer-actively playing associates in Louisiana, and Morgan thinks that could be a sturdy revenue pitch for recruits in the point out.
“In Louisiana, with there staying so numerous educational institutions in this conference, with any luck , that will attract far more little ones,” Morgan stated. “A child from New Orleans who will now have the opportunity to enjoy in Hammond or Thibodaux, possibly that will sway their selection for us.”
Lamar at present has 14 players from Louisiana on its roster.
Matt Faye is a Sports Reporter and Columnist for the Beaumont Company. Make contact with him at MFaye@BeaumontEnterprise.com or on Twitter by clicking in this article.
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