QB
CHoward at QB (78, junior, stamina 91). Top-3 of 73.3.
**Dynasty-start roster (CFB 26)**DC Rating 6.2 / 10
Louisiana
Scheme Guru Desormeaux with Louisiana Tier-4 home plus dual Tier-2 Texas and a B OL grade.
The Dynasty Verdict
If you want a Michael Desormeaux program where Louisiana Tier-4 home meets dual Tier-2 Texas regions and a B OL grade, Louisiana is the Sun Belt team built to recruit a state and run the ball. Harrington anchors the right side at senior RG 85 with impact blocking 93 and pass block power 93. Skipper patrols deep at senior FS 84 with stamina 91. Lawson sets the edge at senior LEDG 83 with finesse moves 88 and pursuit 88. Davis breaks the line at sophomore HB 82 with trucking 92. Perry rotates at junior HB 82 with acceleration 88. Whitfield reads run-pass at senior SAM 80 with pursuit 91. The home pipeline is Louisiana Tier-4, a rare anchor for a 1.5-prestige program, plus East Texas and North Texas at Tier-2.
What makes Louisiana different from the other 1.5-prestige Sun Belt programs is the recruiting board. James Madison asks you to ride a dual-junior offensive engine with Tidewater Tier-2 home. Coastal Carolina asks you to ride the Air Raid offense. Louisiana asks you to ride a Louisiana Tier-4 home plus dual Tier-2 Texas regions, a three-region above-Tier-2 cluster centered on the Gulf Coast that no other 1.5-prestige Sun Belt program matches. Same conference, same prestige tier, different recruiting math: Louisiana's Tier-4 home alone fills two cycles of premium classes.
The 6.2 lands on the Tier-4 home, the B OL grade led by Harrington and Moreau, and the multi-year backfield (Davis sophomore, Perry junior). Desormeaux's Scheme Guru archetype with C+ coach prestige fits the run-heavy roster shape. The catch is the 70 overall, the 5-of-10 senior cliff, and the D+ campus and brand grades that hold the program below the bigger Sun Belt contenders. Don't pick Louisiana for a Year 1 ceiling chase. Pick Louisiana for the Sun Belt build where Desormeaux's Scheme Guru rides Davis-Perry-Howard at the run game while the Louisiana Tier-4 plus dual Texas Tier-2 plan compounds across the Gulf Coast.
Head Coach
Michael Desormeaux
Scheme GuruDesormeaux is a Scheme Guru archetype with C+ coach prestige and D coach stability. The launch hands him Harrington at senior RG, the multi-year backfield (Davis sophomore, Perry junior), Howard at junior QB, and a senior LEDG-SAM-FS defensive spine led by Lawson, Whitfield, and Skipper. The Louisiana Tier-4 home is the structural advantage Desormeaux plays into; the catch is the D coach stability and 1.5-prestige floor that hold the program below true mid-major contention regardless of Tier-4 recruiting volume.
Team at a Glance
| Conference | Sun Belt |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Michael Desormeaux · Scheme Guru |
| Team Prestige | 1.5 stars |
| Team Overall (in-game) | 70 |
| Top Position Group | Running Back · B · top-3 avg 80.3 |
| Weakest Position Group | Special Teams · C- · top-3 avg 65.7 |
| Stadium Atmosphere | D+ |
| Brand Exposure | D+ |
| Coach Prestige | C+ |
| Coach Stability | D |
| Top-10 Senior Departures After Year 1 | 5 of 10 |
Top 10 Players
By overall rating at dynasty start
| # | Player | Pos | Yr | OVR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Jax Harrington | RG | Sr | 85 | Impact Blocking 93 |
| 02 | Tyree Skipper | FS | Sr | 84 | Stamina 91 |
| 03 | Jordan Lawson | LEDG | Sr | 83 | Acceleration 88 |
| 04 | Bill Davis | HB | So | 82 | Injury 93 |
| 05 | Zylan Perry | HB | Jr | 82 | Injury 92 |
| 06 | Cameron Whitfield | SAM | Sr | 80 | Injury 94 |
| 07 | Kaden Moreau | LG | Jr | 79 | Stamina 92 |
| 08 | Walker Howard | QB | Jr | 78 | Stamina 91 |
| 09 | Fitzgerald West Jr. | REDG | Jr | 77 | Toughness 93 |
| 10 | Jaden Dugger | WILL | Sr | 77 | Injury 91 |
Position Group Grades
RB
BDavis at HB (82, sophomore, injury 93) and Perry at HB (82, junior, injury 92). Top-3 of 80.3.
WR
C+Top-3 of 75.0.
TE
CTop-3 of 71.7.
OL
BHarrington at RG (85, senior, impact blocking 93) and Moreau at LG (79, junior, stamina 92). Top-3 of 80.0.
DL
C+Lawson at senior LEDG (83, acceleration 88). Fitzgerald West Jr. at junior REDG (77). Top-3 of 76.7.
LB
B-Whitfield at SAM (80, senior, injury 94) and Dugger at WILL (77, senior, injury 91). Top-3 of 77.3.
DB
C+Skipper at FS (84, senior, stamina 91). Top-3 of 76.7.
ST
C-Top-3 of 65.7.
Recommended Playbooks
Offense
Spread (Louisiana Default)
Run Spread because the dual-HB Davis-Perry rotation behind Harrington's interior anchors the design. Davis runs through contact at sophomore HB with trucking 92 and toughness 91. Perry rotates at junior HB with acceleration 88 and stamina 88. Howard runs the show at junior QB with stamina 91 and throw power 91, the dual-threat anchor. Harrington moves bodies at senior RG with impact blocking 93 and pass block power 93. Moreau pulls at junior LG with leadblock 90 and stamina 92.
Why this fits
A B RB grade plus a B OL grade plus Howard's junior eligibility plus the Davis-Perry sophomore-junior backfield gives the Spread a deep multi-year offensive identity. Davis's sophomore eligibility plus Perry's junior eligibility plus Howard's junior eligibility plus Moreau's junior eligibility lock four top-10 starters at offensive skill or interior OL for two-to-three years.
Defense
Base 3-4 (Louisiana Default)
Run the Base 3-4 because the senior LEDG-SAM-FS spine plus a junior REDG anchors the design. Lawson sets the edge at senior LEDG with finesse moves 88, pursuit 88, and acceleration 88. Fitzgerald West Jr. rotates at junior REDG. Whitfield reads run-pass at senior SAM with pursuit 91 and play recognition 87. Dugger reads at senior WILL with injury 91. Skipper patrols deep at senior FS with stamina 91.
Why this fits
A B- LB grade plus the senior LEDG-SAM-WILL trio plus Skipper at senior FS gives the Base 3-4 the front-and-back-end balance the scheme demands. West Jr.'s junior eligibility carries the multi-year edge into Year 2-3.
Recruiting Outlook
Pipeline regions
- LouisianaTier 4
- East TexasTier 2
- North TexasTier 2
- AlabamaTier 1
- MississippiTier 1
- ArizonaTier 1
- NebraskaTier 1
- North FloridaTier 1
- Metro AtlantaTier 1
You'll recruit Louisiana hard. Louisiana at Tier-4 is the home anchor — a rare Tier-4 home for a 1.5-prestige program, comparable to what Houston has at East Texas Tier-4 and Texas Tech has at the Texas Tier-4 pair. East Texas and North Texas at Tier-2 extend the Gulf Coast plan into the Texas Triangle. Below that, six Tier-1 long-distance reaches aren't worth the spend at 1.5-prestige. Desormeaux at C+ coach prestige can land specific Louisiana and East Texas recruits the bigger Sun Belt and SEC programs also want, and the Louisiana Tier-4 volume alone fills two cycles of premium classes.
Position priorities for Year 1 are dictated by the 5-senior cliff at RG, FS, LEDG, SAM, and WILL. Quarterback is not the priority because Howard at junior QB is the multi-year anchor — instead, replacement OL behind Harrington at RG is critical because the B OL grade is the offensive identity. After OL, replacement FS behind Skipper, replacement LEDG behind Lawson, replacement SAM behind Whitfield, replacement WR depth.
Avoid the long-distance Tier-1 cluster (Alabama, Mississippi, Arizona, Nebraska, North Florida, Metro Atlanta) entirely beyond a single targeted player. Lock the Louisiana Tier-4 plus dual Texas Tier-2 plan and let the recruiting volume close position-replacement classes.
Your Year-by-Year Path with Louisiana
Year 1
The Senior-Sophomore Year
You're inheriting a 1.5-prestige roster with a 70 overall and a B RB plus B OL grade. Don't experiment. Run Spread, ride Davis and Perry behind Harrington's interior, let Howard take real reps at junior QB. The defense rides Lawson, Whitfield, and Skipper. Year 1 is Sun Belt bowl eligibility at 6-7 wins on the senior anchors and the multi-year backfield. While you're winning, sign the Louisiana Tier-4 Year 1 class that Desormeaux's C+ coach prestige closes.
Goal
Sun Belt bowl eligibility, 6-7 wins, top-100 recruiting class with OL and DL at the top.
Years 2-3
The Howard-Davis Window
Five senior anchors graduate. Howard becomes the senior QB; Davis becomes the junior HB; Perry becomes the senior HB; Moreau becomes the senior LG; West Jr. becomes the senior REDG. The Year 1 recruiting class becomes Year 2 starters. Desormeaux's Scheme Guru archetype turns the multi-year cluster into a Sun Belt contention window.
Goal
7-8 wins, Howard at 84+ as a senior, Louisiana Tier-4 class held.
Year 4+
The Tier-4 Compound
By Year 4, the dynasty depends on whether the Louisiana Tier-4 plus dual Texas Tier-2 plan closed enough multi-year talent to backfill the senior cliff and compound past Sun Belt bowl eligibility. The Tier-4 home is the structural advantage that gives Louisiana a higher Sun Belt ceiling than most 1.5-prestige peers. Realistically, sustained 7-8 wins in the Sun Belt with a possible prestige climb toward 2.
Goal
Stable 7-8 win Sun Belt program with the Louisiana Tier-4 pipeline intact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Louisiana good for dynasty mode in CFB 26?
Yes for a Scheme Guru Desormeaux Sun Belt build with Louisiana Tier-4 home recruiting and a B OL grade, with caveats. Louisiana enters CFB 26 with a 70-overall roster, C+ coach prestige and D coach stability under Scheme Guru Michael Desormeaux, and a B RB grade led by Davis at sophomore HB 82 and Perry at junior HB 82. The 1.5-prestige floor and D coach stability are the structural caps.
What's Louisiana's prestige in CFB 26?
Louisiana enters CFB 26 with a 1.5-star prestige rating, paired with C+ coach prestige and D coach stability. The Louisiana Tier-4 home plus dual Texas Tier-2 reaches (East Texas, North Texas) form a three-region above-Tier-2 cluster centered on the Gulf Coast — rare recruiting infrastructure for a 1.5-prestige program.
What playbook does Louisiana use in CFB 26?
Michael Desormeaux's Louisiana runs the Spread offense and the Base 3-4 defense. The Spread fits the dual-HB Davis-Perry rotation plus Howard at junior QB. The Base 3-4 deploys Lawson at LEDG (83, senior, acceleration 88), Whitfield at SAM (80, senior, injury 94), and Skipper at FS (84, senior, stamina 91).
Who is Louisiana's best player in College Football 26?
Jax Harrington at 85 OVR, senior right guard, with impact blocking 93, pass block power 93, and toughness 93. Harrington is the highest-rated player on the roster and the offensive line anchor of Desormeaux's Spread. Tyree Skipper at FS (84, senior, stamina 91) and Jordan Lawson at LEDG (83, senior, acceleration 88) round out a senior top three.
Should I rebuild Louisiana or take an easier team?
Louisiana is a Sun Belt build around Howard, Davis, and Perry, not a Year 1 contender chase. The Year 1 ceiling is bowl eligibility behind the senior anchors and B OL grade; the Year 2-3 floor depends on Howard developing into the senior QB as the Louisiana Tier-4 class fills the senior cliff. Take Louisiana if you want the rare Tier-4 home at 1.5-prestige in the Sun Belt. If you want a similar Sun Belt profile with a multi-year QB-HB pair, look at James Madison.