Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 2026 College Football Preview
Posted June 10, 2026
2025 Recap
Record – 8-5
ATS – 8-5
That was a very acceptable CUSA SWAN SONG for the Bulldogs!
Louisiana Tech started 4–1, finished the regular season at 7–5, and then capped it all off with an Independence Bowl victory over Coastal Carolina to close at 8–5. Head coach Sonny Cumbie finally delivered a winning campaign and a bowl victory in the program’s final year in CUSA. Now comes the EXCITING part — a big move to the Sun Belt Conference and a whole new set of regional rivalries to navigate.
Let’s goooo!
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 2026 Outlook
OFFENSE
2025 By The Numbers (Conference USA):
- Scoring: 27.3 PPG (#5 CUSA)
- Total Offense: 359.2 YPG PPG (#9 CUSA)
- Rushing: 195.4 YPG (#2 CUSA)
- Passing: 163.8 YPG (#11 CUSA)
- Sacks Allowed: 21 (#1 CUSA)
The Bulldogs are led by returning head coach Sonny Cumbie and new offensive coordinator Nathan Young, who was promoted internally after nine years on staff. Young brings a heavy emphasis on the run game and offensive line development.
At quarterback, there’s some real intrigue. Blake Baker is coming off a November 2025 ACL injury but should be ready for Week 1. He’s the better passer of the two (66% completion, 5–3 TD‑to‑INT last year) but still has room to grow. Backup Trey Kukuk is a dangerous runner (609 yards, 6.2 YPC, 5 TDs last year) but lacks polish as a passer. Both gained valuable experience in 2025.
The RB room needed a full rebuild after losing the top three (!) backs. The hope is that transfer Jaden Miller can make an immediate impact in the Sun Belt after dominating with something known as the Keiser Seahawks last year (1,127 yards, 18 TD), while local redshirt freshman Dylone Brooks has been generating positive buzz with our Bulldogs INSIDERS.
At wide receiver, the top four (!) producers from last year are gone, and that’s a YUUUGE chasm to fill. However, there are some interesting additions via the portal, including Talyn Shettron (Oklahoma State) and Marcus Calwise Jr. (Eastern Kentucky). The biggest positive in the THROW GAME is the return of senior TE Eli Finley, who led the team in receptions and receiving yards last season (38‑444). WR Jay Wilkerson is also back after missing 2025 with an injury and averaged over 20 yards per catch in 2024. The Bulldogs could definitely use his ability to stretch the field.
The offensive line looks pretty good. Five players return with starting experience, including stud LT Hayden Christman. Last year the Bulldogs ranked #2 in CUSA in rushing and #1 in sacks allowed — a strong foundation heading into the Sun Belt.
DEFENSE
2025 By The Numbers (Conference USA):
- Scoring Defense: 20.8 PPG (#1 CUSA)
- Total Defense: 374.8 YPG (#1 CUSA)
- Rush Defense: 134.5 YPG (#1 CUSA)
- Pass Defense: 240.3 YPG (#8 CUSA)
- Sacks: 21 (#8 CUSA)
Those are dominant defensive numbers — #1 in CUSA in scoring defense, total defense, and rush defense last year. DC Luke Olson did phenomenal work in 2025, and his return for Year 2 is excellent news.
The defensive line gets a boost with the addition of DT Justice Williams (6‑3, 320 from West Florida), who brings much‑needed interior size. Holdover Emmanuel Oguns (5.5 TFL) and Kansas State transfer Donovan Rieman give the edges some experience. At LB, the unit takes a hit with the departure of Mekhi Mason (#2 tackles), and they’ll certainly miss his ability to PENETRATE (14.5 TFL), but it remains solid with the return of a healthy Kolbe Fields, as well as Jadon Mayfield (#4 tackles, 9 TFL).
The secondary could be a problem area as the Bulldogs must replace their top five (!) defensive backs from last year’s stop unit. And don’t forget that Louisiana Tech picked off an impossibly impossible 22 passes in 2025 (#2 FBS). Some upper‑class experience returns at corner with Amari Butler and Kameron Carter back in the fold, but safety is a position to watch early in the season. Transfer Ty Jones (Norfolk State) is one of the faces expected to provide stability, but we’ll see how things go.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Louisiana Tech had a high‑performing special teams unit over the last few years in CUSA, but they’re gonna miss ALL‑UNIVERSE punter and kickoff specialist John Hoyet Chance, not to mention ace KR Kevin Gandy, who housed TWO in 2025. PK Drew Henderson was a mediocre 6/11 on FG attempts LY, and the Bulldogs may go in another direction this season.
Schedule Analysis
Overall — The non‑conference schedule has two guaranteed PRISON‑STYLE beatings (at LSU, at Baylor), and it’s not gonna be fun to face Army before conference action begins (see below). The draw from the East is tough — Georgia Southern and ODU are both quality opponents — and the back‑to‑back road games vs South Alabama and Troy will be a challenge.
Potential ATS Trouble Spot — vs Army (Oct 3)
Yes, they get Army off a bye, which helps — but the Bulldogs will be coming off back‑to‑back losses at LSU and Baylor, and Sun Belt action is right around the corner. Army’s triple‑option grind is never fun to defend, and we can’t see ourselves getting to the windows with Louisiana Tech in this one.
Season Win Total
Market consensus – June 10
Over 5.5 -160
Under 5.5 +120
MEGALOCKS says:
No leanage.
The roster looks decent, but the schedule and rise in class make us take pause for now.
Note – Our official list of season win total investments will be posted in the blog section of the website.
MEGAmazing Tidbits
HC Sonny Cumbie isn’t just some random coach — he was a straight‑up GUNSLINGER at Texas Tech back in 2004, throwing for 4,742 yards whilst orchestrating Mike Leach’s Air Raid attack. The man put up numbers and helped set the tone for one of the most explosive offenses in college football history.
Ruston, Louisiana — home of the Bulldogs — is sometimes affectionately referred to as RUS VEGAS by locals thanks to its surprisingly lively nightlife scene for a small college town. Frankly, you can never have enough HOTTIES roaming the streets. The city is also home to one of the South’s great peach traditions — the Louisiana Peach Festival, held annually since 1951. Far less controversial than some of the other local events.
MEGALOCKS Forecast:
This is one of the more interesting storylines in the Group of Six heading into 2026. The Bulldogs have steadily improved under Sonny Cumbie (3‑3‑5‑8 over the last four seasons), but they’re now stepping into a much tougher weekly grind in the Sun Belt.
It’ll be a challenging transition year, but we expect them to play better than their record might suggest. With a difficult schedule in front of them, getting to a bowl game would be a meaningful outcome in 2026.
Welcome to the Fun Belt, Bulldogs!