Football: UL lineman Mapieu joins Pope in NCAA transfer portal

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, July 26, 2020

Moved from the defensive line to the offensive line prior to spring practice earlier this year, UL junior Masry Mapieu tweeted that he has entered the NCAA transfer portal.

A one-time Nebraska commit, Mapieu – from York High in York, Nebraska – was “dropped from Nebraska’s 2018 recruiting class over concerns he wouldn’t academically qualify,” according to a Omaha World-Herald Report in 2018.

The 6-foot-4, 285-pounder also held offers from Power 5 programs including Iowa and Iowa State while in high school.

“After much thought, and discussions with my family, I have decided to enter the transfer portal,” Mapieu posted Friday night on Twitter.

“I would like to thank Coach (Billy) Napier and staff for the opportunity to come to the University of Louisiana and be (a part) of a great program,” he added. “I would also like to say thank you and wish my brothers nothing but success.”

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Mapieu appeared in 12 of 11-3 UL’s 14 games last season, finishing with three total tackles including two in a Sept. 14 win over Texas Southern.

He played in 10 games as freshman in 2018, making four tackles in four different games.

Also in the transfer portal as of this month: running back Andray Pope, a member of UL’s 2020 signing class who never played for the program but joined the Cajuns as an early high school graduate and was with the team during practice for its January win over Miami (Ohio) at the LendingTree Bowl in Mobile.

Pope – a highly regarded recruit out of Hillcrest High in Evergreen, Alabama – said in a post on Twitter that he entered the portal “in prayer and with humble mind-set.”

“I want to thank the University of Louisiana-Lafayette for giving me (an) opportunity to play football here,” he posted on Twitter back on July 9, “but I decided to enter the transfer portal.

“Thanks to my teammates for being like big brothers to me. Thanks to the coaches and city.”

Pope originally committed to the Cajuns last year, then briefly reopened his recruiting before finally signing with UL.

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Mapieu was one of two Ragin’ Cajun defensive linemen moved to the offensive line after last season, along with Alabaman Timaje Porter.

Porter also entered the NCAA transfer portal after the season, and since then the redshirt sophomore has joined FCS Southland Conference member Nicholls, where former Cajun defensive backs coach Tim Rebowe is the head coach

Other Cajuns to enter the transfer portal since the 2019 season ended include: backup nickel back Brenndan Johnson, a graduate transfer who has indicated he left for academic-related reasons; reserve defensive lineman Shomari Hayes, who appeared in two games while taking a redshirt last season; reserve linebacker Jordan Cordova, who had eight tackles in 12 games including four against Texas Southern last season; quarterback Brayden Hawkins, who didn’t play last year; reserve defensive back SchDarren Archie, who appeared in five games and finished with three tackles last season;X fellow reserve defensive back Daijuane Dorsey, who exited as a grad transfer; and walk-on punter Grant Paulette, who redshirted as a freshman last year.

Reserve receiver Brandon Legendre also left the team earlier this year and no longer is listed on the Cajun roster, as previously reported.

More:Two Cajuns football players enter NCAA transfer portal

More:Two more UL football players enter NCAA transfer portal

Pope also is no longer listed on UL’s online roster.

New landing spots – if they have one yet – for Dorsey, Archie and Cordova and Pope are not yet known.

Johnson and Hayes both have indicated via Twitter that they are headed to Northern Arizona, but neither is listed yet on the FCS Big Sky Conference member’s online 2020 roster.

Paulette is now at FCS Ohio Valley Conference member Austin Peay, where former UL head coach Mark Hudspeth was the head coach before he abruptly resigned earlier this month amid a reported suspension.

Hawkins, who redshirted at Maryland in 2018 and spent last season on UL’s scout team, transferred to Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College.

UL’s pickups from the transfer portal include Zach Robertson, a grad-transfer scholarship offensive lineman who played previously at Arizona State; Nate Snyder, a grad-transfer scholarship kicker who previously handled kickoffs at Indiana; and walk-on punter/kicker Thomas Leo, a transfer from Conference USA member Florida International.

The Cajuns also have added receiver Golden Eke, a two-sport athlete who previously competed as a triple-jumper for Oklahoma’s track-and-field team, and walk-on receiver Trevor Russell, a junior college transfer who redshirted as a freshman in 2017 at Arizona State.

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