Breaking Down Louisiana Tech's Week 5 Depth Chart vs UTEP
Louisiana Tech (3-1) will leave the state of Louisiana for the first time in 2025 for a matchup at UTEP (1-3) on Saturday night.
Curious about how the Bulldogs are shaping up heading into this one? Here’s an early look at the projected depth chart, based on Snap Count Totals from the first four weeks of the season.
Offense
| Starter | Back-up | Back-up | |
| Quarterback | Blake Baker (RS SO) | Trey Kukuk (JR) | Evan Bullock (RS SO) |
| Running Back | Omiri Wiggins (JR) | Clay Thevenin (SO) | Andrew Burnette (RS SR) or Amani Givens (SR) |
| Wide Reciever-X | Marques Singleton Jr. (JR) | Tre Averhart (SR) or | Luke Watkins (FR) |
| Wide Receiver-H | Dedrick Latulas (RS SO) or | Jalen Mickens (FR) or | David Pierro (JR) |
| Wide Receiver-Z | Devin Gandy (RS SR) | Marlion Jackson (RS JR) | Dane Benedix (RS SO) |
| Tight End | Eli Finley (JR) | Brayden Bockler (SO) | NA |
| Left Tackle | Hayden Christman (RS SO) | Brett Canis (RS SR) | NA |
| Left Guard | Ashanti Cole (RS JR) | Austin Ellis (RS FR) | NA |
| Center | Landon Nelson (RS SR) | Andrew Richard (RS FR) | NA |
| Right Guard | Roy Brackins III (RS SO) or | Jonathan Denis (RS SR) | NA |
| Right Tackle | Kenneth Bannister (RS SR) | Troy Smith III (RS SO) | NA |
Notes:
Quarterback Situation
Trey Kukuk is listed as questionable this week for Louisiana Tech. If he’s unable to suit up, expect Blake Baker to handle all of the quarterback snaps, provided he remains healthy throughout the game.
Running Back Rotation
Omiri Wiggins led the backfield in snaps against Southern Miss, with Amani Givens (19 snaps), Clay Thevenin (17), and Andrew Burnette (6) rotating in behind him.
Wide Receiver Outlook
Marques Singleton and Devin Gandy have solidified their roles as the starting outside wide receivers.
Tight End Usage
Louisiana Tech has leaned more heavily on two-tight end sets in recent weeks. Brayden Bockler, in particular, has stood out as a reliable blocker in the run game behind Eli Finley.
Offensive Line Rotation
At right guard, Roy Brackins III and Jonathan Denis continue to split reps.
Defense
| Starter | Back-up | Back-up | |
| Defensive End | Jayden Madkins (JR) | Caleb Sims (RS SR) | Jojo Odom (FR) |
| Nose Tackle | Zion Nason (RS SR) | Christian Davis (RS SO) | Trevell Vivians (RS JR) or Jacob Bradford (RS FR) |
| Defensive End | Emmanuel Oguns (RS JR) | Donovan Rieman (RS JR) | |
| Linebacker | Kolbe Fields (RS SR) | Zheric Hill (FR) | Benji Johnson (RS JR) |
| Linebacker | Mekhi Mason (RS JR) | Alonzo Jackson Jr. (RS FR) | NA |
| Linebacker | Sifa Leota (RS SR) | Jadon Mayfield (RS FR) | NA |
| Cornerback | Jhamal Shelby Jr (RS JR) | Kam Carter (JR) | JayT Jackson (RS JR) |
| Safety | Jakari Foster (RS SR) | Sam Fongang (JR) | Kenyatta McNeese (RS SO) |
| Safety | Michael Richard (JR) | Joshua Cobbs (RS SR) | NA |
| Star | Jacob Fields (JR) | Kam Franklin (RS SO) | NA |
| Cornerback | Cedric Woods (RS SR) | Amari Butler (JR) |
Notes:
Defensive Line Rotation
Caleb Sims (33 snaps) saw more playing time than Jojo Odom (22) in last week’s game against Southern Miss, prompting an upward move in Louisiana Tech’s defensive line rotation. The Bulldogs are consistently rotating nine players up front each week.
At defensive end, Emmanuel Oguns and Donovan Rieman continue to split snaps almost evenly, providing steady production on the edge.
Linebacker Depth and Youth Movement
Redshirt freshmen Jadon Mayfield and Alonzo Jackson Jr., along with true freshman Zheric Hill, have added quality depth to the linebacker corps. Hill made his defensive debut last week, and this young trio signals a promising future for the unit.
Safety Rotation
When Jakari Foster was ejected early against Southern Miss for targeting, Sam Fongang and Joshua Cobbs stepped in to share snaps at safety. Foster is set to return to the starting lineup this Saturday against UTEP.
Cornerback Update
Cedric Woods will miss his second consecutive game due to a hamstring injury. In his absence, Amari Butler and Kam Carter are expected to continue splitting reps at cornerback.
Special Teams
| Starter | Back-up | |
| Kicker | Drew Henderson (RS SO) | John Hoyet Chance (RS FR) |
| Kickoff Specialist | John Hoyet Chance (RS FR) | NA |
| Punter | John Hoyet Chance (RS FR) | NA |
| Long Snapper | Ean Burch (RS SR) | Jake Riggs (RS FR) |
| Punt Return | Dedrick Latulas (RS SO) | Marques Singleton Jr. (JR) |
| Kick Return | Devin Gandy (RS SR) | Amani Givens (SR) |
| Holder | John Hoyet Chance (RS FR) | NA |
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