Sonny Cumbie enters his third year at the helm of the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in what could be a key year in Ruston, La. There’s not a ton of proven experience on the roster, so Cumbie and his staff’s evaluation skills will be put to the test. The roster has potential, but it’s unproven and led by two guys looking to take a huge step as the primary leaders of their position groups.
Here are the top 10 returning players for Louisiana Tech.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Top 10 Returners in 2024
Analyzing the returning players at every school is a difficult task in the transfer portal era. As such, we’ve included transfer-portal athletes that were included on each team’s roster page to open fall camp in addition to the rostered players from last year.
10) Tru Edwards, WR
The wide receiver room is completely transformed from last year after the Bulldogs lost their top two receiving threats and added some new athletes. Tru Edwards is one of the few holdovers, and he was solid as a tertiary option last. The question is whether he can take the next step forward to be a top option for an offense lacking proven playmakers.
9) Jimmy Holiday, WR
One of the aforementioned additions to the wide receiver room, Jimmy Holiday enjoyed a miniature breakout season with Western Kentucky last year after three years at Tennessee. After catching 16 passes last season, can Holiday become a reliable target for the Bulldogs?
8) Jack Turner, QB
Louisiana Tech was a walking MASH unit last season, and Jack Turner was unexpectedly called upon at quarterback when starter Hank Bachmeier went down. However, he was good enough to retain the job even after Bachmeier returned from injury, at least for a bit, throwing for over 1,000 yards and five touchdowns. He’s the likely starter this year and a guy who has flashed in the past.
7) Donerio Davenport, RB
The Bulldogs wanted to get deeper at running back after experiencing a host of injuries at the position last season, so they brought in former Texas State running back Donerio Davenport. He’s probably not going to be a workhorse or even the No. 1 option, but he excels at making people miss and thrived as a change-of-pace option last season.
6) Cedric Woods, S
The veteran of the secondary, Cedric Woods has played significant snaps at Louisiana Tech in each of the last four seasons. He played a lot of snaps at corner last season but may transition to safety due to a lack of depth at that position in 2024.
5) J’Dan Burnett, Edge
J’Dan Burnett’s inclusion is based more on potential than proven production, but he was having a stellar season last year before going down with an injury in Week 3. He had 12 pressures and two sacks in just 65 pass-rushing snaps and made 11 tackles without a miss in his limited playing time. The defensive line is thin, but he’s a guy to watch this year.
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4) Zach Zimos, LB
The linebacker room was gutted by graduation and the portal last year, so the staff brought in six transfers at the position. Zach Zimos is the one returner, and while his raw numbers were only fine last season, he was excellent for the Bulldogs as a run defender and tackler in particular. He’ll need to take another step forward this year since he won’t have any other familiar faces.
3) Bert Hale, OG
The Bulldogs lose both tackles and center from an offensive line that wasn’t exactly a strength last season. Cumbie and staff turned to the transfer portal to add depth and competition to the offensive line, but Bert Hale is entrenched as the starter at left guard after a strong season. The Bulldogs will likely run the ball a lot in 2024, and Hale is a strong run blocker.
2) Michael Richard, CB
There’s very little proven experience in the secondary for the Bulldogs, but Michael Richard was great last year as the third cornerback. It’ll be a question of whether he can carry that momentum into the 2024 season and put together a solid year as the likely top corner for Louisiana Tech.
1) Marquis Crosby, RB
Marquis Crosby was supposed to be one of the best running backs in the conference in 2023. However, he was injured after just nine snaps (and an explosive run on his only carry) and missed the entire year. Health will be a huge key to Louisiana Tech’s chances this season after the team was ravaged by injury last season, and Crosby should have a huge impact if he is on the field.
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