What to watch for during Louisiana football's final preseason scrimmage

Louisiana football will take the field for its 14th practice and final team scrimmage of the preseason Saturday.

And much of what transpires during the afternoon will dictate how the Ragin’ Cajuns will line up during the 2022 season, which kicks off at 6 p.m. on Sept. 3 against Southeastern Louisiana at Cajun Field.

Headlined by the quarterbacks, UL is still working its way through a few position battles as the season draws closer. But first-year coach Michael Desormeaux has stuck to the staff’s plan of having starters named across the board following Saturday’s scrimmage.

With plenty riding on performance, here’s what I’m watching during Louisiana’s final preseason scrimmage:

Is Chandler Fields or Ben Wooldridge starting quarterback?

This has been the Cajuns' most anticipated position battle in some time. Junior Ben Wooldrige and sophomore Chandler Fields have not given an inch in the competition.

Desormeaux said this week that he and offensive coordinator Tim Leger will have “enough body of work” to decide who will start following the scrimmage.

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Whoever handles the pressure of the situation the best and executes “within the system” best, as Desormeaux reiterated, will win the starting job.

Offensive line work

What will the offensive line look like has been a prevailing question throughout the preseason. With four starters departed from the 2021 team, there are big holes to fill up front.

Desormeaux has been positive about the line’s work, and guys like redshirt senior David Hudson and sophomore Nathan Thomas have been catching the eye of the coaching staff.

Sophomore A.J. Gillie, a returning starter, continues to lead the group. The return of Carlos Rubio from injury has been important as well. Michigan State transfer sophomore James Ohonba and freshmen Jax Harrington and Kaden Moreau have had great preseasons as well.

Running back depth

Someone will need to step up behind junior starter Chris Smith. At 5-foot-9 and 197 pounds, the shifty back won’t be able to tote the ball 25 times per game. Who can spell him?

How Jacob Kibodi, Terrence Williams, Michael Orphey and Dre’Lyn Washington play during the scrimmage should go a long way in solidifying their standing on the depth chart.

Cornerback competition in place of Trey Amos

Coaches are being cautious with starting sophomore cornerback Trey Amos, who is dealing with a hamstring strain. It’s possible he could miss the season opener, and now the mission is the get someone game ready in his spot.

Amir McDaniel and Keyon Martin seem to be the frontrunners to stand in for Amos, despite having to switch from field to boundary corner. McDaniel has experience in spurts at UL while Martin was a starting corner at Youngstown State in 2021. Freshmen Caleb Anderson and Justin Agu have been Amos’ primary backups during the preseason.

The four should see ample reps during the scrimmage, and how each performs will narrow things.

Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers and Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU/UL athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana football: Is Chandler Fields or Ben Wooldridge quarterback?