The Louisiana Tech football team began summer training on June 4, and coach Sonny Cumby said Tuesday night that some players are starting to show the kind of promise Bulldog fans can be excited about.
“This week we will be finalizing the roster of scholarship players that we acquired through the transfer portal throughout the summer,” Cumby said Tuesday during the Techs in Town celebration at Great Raft Brewing in Shreveport. “They've been working hard.”
Linebacker Colby Fields (6-foot, 222 pounds) will be a key addition to the team looking to fill holes on defense in 2023. The Louisiana State University transfer sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules, so he should be healthy and ready to go on offense.
“Although Colby didn't play last year, he's a great impact player for our football team,” Cumby said.
Iowa State transfer Blake Thompson (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) should also help bolster the safety secondary.
“He'll probably be our starting safety at the three-safety position,” Cumby said.
One of the strongest positions on offense is running back, and the Bulldogs appear to be especially deep in that area.
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Texas State transfer Donelio Davenport and Acadiana native Omari Wiggins are the two newcomers who will complement the return of Marquis Crosby.
“I think you're going to see our running back personnel improve pretty quickly,” Cumby said. “I'm excited about our running back corps and I think they're going to be outstanding against Nicholls State.”
Tech's offensive skill players begin practice each day at 1:00 pm, followed by the defensive skill players at 2:30 pm. The larger players practice each day at 3:45 pm and line up at the back of the line.
“I'm excited to have our team back and I'm very confident in our ability to come back offensively and defensively,” Cumby said. “The improvements we've made since the spring and being able to capitalize on that from a continuity and chemistry standpoint throughout the summer has been good.”
Jimmy Watson covers Louisiana sports for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter at @JimmyWatson6.
