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For Louisiana Tech, 2016 saw a third-straight 9-win season with a bowl victory and a second division title in three years. It also saw another batch of stars take off.
The key departures include quarterback Ryan Higgins, wide receivers Trent Taylor and Carlos Henderson, and safety Xavier Woods. While these players will of course mostly be replaced by players already in Ruston, there’s always a few recruits that have the potential for immediate playing time.
Louisiana Tech 2017 Signing Class
| Name | Position | Height | Weight | Previous School | 247 Composite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | Height | Weight | Previous School | 247 Composite |
| Amik Robertson | CB | 5'9" | 165 | Thibodaux | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Jaiden Cole | ATH* | 6'1" | 195 | Neville | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| JaCorion Andrews | CB | 6'0" | 191 | Neville | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Elijah Walker | QB | 6'3" | 198 | Amite | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| George Scott III | WR | 6'1" | 190 | Adams County Christian (MS) | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Hanner Shipley (JUCO) | T | 6'5" | 300 | Blinn College (TX) | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Joshua Mote | C | 6'2" | 289 | Oak Grove | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Kollin Hurt | S | 6'1" | 170 | Gilmer (TX) | ⭐⭐ |
| Griffin Hebert | WR | 6'3" | 195 | St. Thomas More | ⭐⭐ |
| Conner Estes | T | 6'5" | 290 | Moss Point (MS) | ⭐⭐ |
| Milton Williams | DE | 6'4" | 230 | Crowley (TX) | ⭐⭐ |
| Tristan Allen | OLB | 6'3" | 215 | Atlanta (TX) | ⭐⭐ |
| Robert Drew Kirkpatrick (JUCO) | C | 6'4" | 310 | Blinn College (TX) | ⭐⭐ |
| Michael Sam (JUCO) | CB | 6'1" | 195 | Trinity Valley CC (TX) | ⭐⭐ |
| Cualan Williams | WR | 6'3" | 200 | Lafayette County (AR) | ⭐⭐ |
| Brady Farlow (JUCO) | K | 5'11" | 185 | Jones County JC (MS) | ⭐⭐ |
| Jordan Baldwin (JUCO) | S | 6'0" | 175 | Iowa Central CC (IA) | ⭐⭐ |
| Randy Hogan Jr (JUCO) | MLB | 6'0" | 220 | Pearl River CC (MS) | ⭐⭐ |
| Kennedy Madison | OL | 6'3" | 275 | Ouachita | ⭐⭐ |
| Davan Dyer | P | 6'4" | 230 | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia | N/A |
A trio of secondary players are getting the most buzz, which could be a good thing considering the defensive struggles this past season. Tech fended off late P5 offers, including LSU, to hold on to Amik Robertson, a playmaker both in the secondary and the return game. With the outgoing receivers Taylor and Henderson as the punt and kick returners last year, Robertson has a chance to step up in one of these roles right away. He’s joined in the secondary by Neville standouts (and close friends) JaCorian Andrews and Jaiden Cole. Cole is currently listed as an athlete as he played quarterback in high school, but will play safety at Tech. Defensive Coordinator Blake Baker said this could be the best defensive back class Tech has ever signed.
Lineman often go unnoticed, but center is a very important role. Tech is losing several centers, and so the Bulldogs are bringing in JUCO transfer Drew Kirkpatrick to fill that need. Hanner Shipley joins him as another JUCO lineman. Four other JUCO transfers will round out the class: CB Michael Sam, S Jordan Baldwin, and LB Randy Hogan on defense, and kicker Brady Farlow. Although Jonathan Barnes has one more year, backup Kyle Fischer is gone. Farlow will likely specialize in kick offs while Barnes handles the field goals.
Speaking of kickers, I mentioned before I thought Tech needed to get a punter, and they got one. Australian Davan Dyer will be joining the Bulldogs as Gerald Shouse and Logan McPherson graduate.
Louisiana Tech’s 2017 recruiting class finishes with seven 3-stars and 12 2-stars. Nine of the 20 recruits come from Louisiana, six from Texas, four from Mississippi, and one each from Arkansas, Iowa, and Australia. Nine players were signed for the offense, nine for defense, and two for special teams. 13 high school recruits will be joined by six JUCO transfers and a foreign player.