Last year was a breakthrough season for Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs went 8-5, capping the season with a 23-14 win over Coastal Carolina in the Independence Bowl. It was also Louisiana Tech’s first winning season since going 10-3 in 2019.
Now this is another season with special meaning since it will be the first for Louisiana Tech as a member of the Sun Belt after competing in Conference USA during the past 13 seasons.
The big question is whether the Bulldogs can keep their winning ways while participating in a more competitive conference.
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Louisiana Tech Season Preview
The Bulldogs received some immediate respect by being picked to finish fourth in the Sun Belt West in the preseason coaches poll. A key will be surviving a difficult four-game non-conference schedule before facing Louisiana in its first Sun Belt game.
Key Players To Replace
Clay Thevenin, who rushed for 634 yards and eight touchdowns, transferred to Rutgers. Starting center Landon Nelson used up his eligibility.
Safety Jacob Fields, a first-team All-CUSA selection who led the Bulldogs with 92 tackles, transferred to TCU. Linebacker Mekhi Mason, who led CUSA with 14.5 tackles for loss, transferred to Kansas State.
The Quarterback Situation
The Bulldogs have experience at quarterback. Blake Baker played in eight games with seven starts before suffering a season-ending torn ACL in November. He completed 65.8% of his passes for 1,251 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. Baker rushed for 260 yards and three scores.
Trey Kukuk appeared in 11 games with five starts. He completed 62.8% of his passes for 640 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions. Kukuk also rushed for 609 yards and five touchdowns.
Much will depend on how Baker returns from his injury.
Key Returning Players
Tight end Eli Finley was named to the John Mackey Preseason Watch List for the country’s best tight end. A second-team All-CUSA selection last year, he had 38 receptions for 444 yards. Receiver Jay Wilkerson, who missed last season due to injury, had five starts in 2024. Receiver Jalen Mickens appeared in 13 games and made five starts last year as a true freshman. He had 20 receptions for 177 yards and a touchdown. Receiver Dedrick Latulas averaged 11.7 yards on 21 punt returns. He added four receptions for 55 yards.
Hayden Christman started all 13 games at left tackle and Ashanti Cole started all 13 at left guard. Offensive guard Roy Brackins III appeared in 13 games and made six starts. Troy Smith III appeared in 11 games as a reserve on the offensive line.
Emmanuel Oguns started all 13 games at defensive end, recording 31 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss. Linebacker Kolbe Fields had 39 tackles and two interceptions in five games before suffering a season-ending injury. He was a first-team selection on this year’s preseason All-Sun Belt team.
Linebacker Jadon Mayfield was an All-CUSA Freshman Team selection. He appeared in 13 games while starting the final seven. Mayfield had 61 tackles, the fourth-most on the team. Safety Jordan McRae appeared in eight games with his one start in the bowl game. McRae recorded seven tackles, including five tackles for loss, one interception and four pass breakups. Cornerback Amari Butler appeared in 13 games with two starts. He had 25 tackles and three pass breakups.
Key Newcomers
Tye Hylton, who spent his first two seasons at Florida State but didn’t see any action, should be a big addition to the Bulldogs’ offensive line. Jaden Miller rushed for 1,127 yards and 18 touchdowns last season for NAIA Keiser. True freshman Kenny Thomas could be a running back contributor.
Receiver Marcus Calwise Jr. had 32 receptions for 417 yards and five touchdowns for Eastern Kentucky. Fellow receiver Talyn Shettron is a transfer from Oklahoma State, where he missed last year due to injury.
Safety MJ Moultrie II recorded 64 tackles and two interceptions last year at Hampton. Defensive back Janard Lockhardt had 42 tackles and three interceptions last year at Tyler Junior College.
Louisiana Tech’s 2026 Schedule
- 9/5 vs. Northwestern State
- 9/12 at LSU
- 9/19 at Baylor
- 10/3 vs. Army
- 10/10 vs. Louisiana
- 10/17 at Louisiana Monroe
- 10/24 vs. Old Dominion
- 10/31 at South Alabama
- 11/7 at Troy
- 11/14 vs. Southern Mississippi
- 11/21 vs. Arkansas State
- 11/28 at Georgia Southern
Bold indicates Sun Belt contests
Louisiana Tech’s Sun Belt Title Betting Odds
Louisiana Tech’s college football betting odds to win the conference are +1000, via BetMGM.
Louisiana Tech’s Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
- Louisiana Tech’s win total Over/Under is 5.5
- The Under is at +125
- The Over is at -160
Louisiana Tech Season Prediction
I like the Bulldogs to go over 5.5 wins. They might go 1-3 in their non-conference games, although a home game with Army is a possible win, while road contests at LSU and Baylor will be losses in my opinion.
If they go 1-3, then the Bulldogs would have to be 5-3 in Sun Belt games. Louisiana Tech only plays three games against teams with better odds to win the Sun Belt – Louisiana, Old Dominion and Troy. The home game with Louisiana on Oct. 10 will be the key matchup. Louisiana Tech will be coming off a difficult non-league schedule, and the Bulldogs appear to be evenly matched with Louisiana, so that appears to be a tossup. For Louisiana Tech to win six games and be bowl-eligible, it might have to beat Louisiana. If that occurs, then the Bulldogs should have the needed momentum for the Sun Belt schedule.
