Breaking Down Louisiana Tech's Week 4 Depth Chart vs Southern Miss
Louisiana Tech (2-1) returns home Saturday night to host longtime rival Southern Miss (2-1) in what promises to be a key Week 4 matchup.
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 three 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) or | Clay Thevenin (SO) or | Andrew Burnette (RS SR) |
| Wide Reciever-X | Marques Singleton Jr. (JR) or | Devin Gandy (RS 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) or | Marlion Jackson (RS JR) or | 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:
The depth chart remains largely unchanged from last week, though we’ve added a few “or” designations to better reflect the true nature of the current position battles.
Blake Baker is firmly established as the starting quarterback. If Trey Kukuk is available on Saturday, expect him to rotate in occasionally to provide a change of pace.
Both the running back and wide receiver spots continue to operate under a committee approach. Under Tony Franklin’s current offensive scheme, no definitive lead back or go-to receiver has emerged thus far.
Amani Givens (22) and Fred Robertson (7) also saw action out of the backfield in last week’s game, further highlighting the rotation at running back.
The offensive line showcased its depth in last week’s game, with 10 different players logging double-digit snaps.
Defense
| Starter | Back-up | Back-up | |
| Defensive End | Jayden Madkins (JR) | Jojo Odom (FR) | |
| Nose Tackle | Zion Nason (RS SR) | Christian Davis (RS SO) | Trevell Vivians or Jacob Bradford |
| Defensive End | Emmanuel Oguns (RS JR) | Donavan Rieman (RS JR) | Caleb Sims (RS SR) |
| Linebacker | Kolbe Fields (RS SR) | Benji Johnson (RS JR) | NA |
| 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) or | Kam Franklin (RS SO) |
| Safety | Michael Richard (JR) | Joshua Cobbs (RS SR) | NA |
| Star | Jacob Fields (JR) | Kenyatta McNeese (RS SO) | NA |
| Cornerback | Cedric Woods (RS SR) | Amari Butler (JR) | Jaitlin Hampton (JR) |
Louisiana Tech’s defensive line continues to perform at a high level. In last week’s 49–14 win over New Mexico State, no single lineman played more than 50% of the snaps — a testament to both depth and effective rotation. That should leave the group well-rested heading into Saturday’s matchup against Southern Miss.
Linebacker Benji Johnson missed the game due to injury, but the Bulldogs didn’t fill his spot with a one-for-one replacement. Instead, they leaned on a four-man rotation to carry the load at the position.
At cornerback, Cedric Woods has been extremely limited over the past two weeks due to a hamstring injury. In his absence, Amari Butler has stepped up and performed well. With Woods listed as doubtful for this week, Butler is expected to take on an even larger role in the secondary.
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 | Fred Robertson (SO) | Clay Thevenin (SO) |
| Holder | John Hoyet Chance (RS FR) | NA |
Join the discussion on the Tech Drive for only $11.99 a month. We are your #1 source for all things Louisiana Tech Athletics.
Follow us on Twitter: @BCarlisle37, @BleedTechBlue
