They’re two-time BCS-busters, and new Sun Belt Conference commissioner Karl Benson sees no reason why coach Mark Hudspeth’s club can’t be just like them.

They’re the Boise State Broncos, that is, a longtime mid-major football program that emerged from the arguably obscure WAC to gain national prominence despite all the hurdles they faced.

"Why not UL Ragin’ Cajuns as the next Boise State?" Benson, ex-commissioner of the WAC before joining the Sun Belt earlier this year, said at UL’s football Media Day on Monday. "There isn’t any reason.

"When Boise State joined the WAC in 2001, the resources they had, the facilities they had, the opportunity they had? Not even near what UL has today.

"Factoring in the location, the Southeastern part of the country, the football-rich tradition," Benson added, "there isn’t any reason that UL, or any other Sun Belt schools, can’t have that same kind of success."

Benson — who went out of his way to say the school’s preferred "UL and "the University of Louisiana," something ex-commissioner Wright Waters would not — offered a picture of his long-term vision for the Sun Belt.

He spoke of the non-Automatic Qualifying conferences, of which the Sun Belt is one, and larger Automatic Qualifying conferences like the SEC.

The WAC, the Mid-American, the Mountain West and Conference USA traditionally have been the others.

Looking ahead, he sees a line of distinction between the bigger and smaller conferences, one which is likely to soon have the Big East lumped with the Sun Belt, the Mid-American, the Mountain West and Conference USA.

"I don’t see any reason why the Sun Belt can’t be the best of those five conferences," Benson said.

Benson also said he could think of "only one other football game" that he’s seen whose finish had "as much excitement and as much drama and as much guts" as UL’s New Orleans Bowl win over San Diego State, which was played last December — before he even had interest in taking over as Sun Belt commissioner.

That would be the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, in which Boise State held on to beat Oklahoma 43-42.

Secondary depth

Depth in the defensive secondary also seems to be a concern for Hudspeth, especially with 2011 starter Jemarlous Moten having moved to NFL draftee Dwight "Bill" Bentley’s old cornerback spot opposite returning starter Melvin White.

Fifth-year senior Rodney Gillis is vying to start for the first time in his career at one vacant safety spot, and Darius "Tig" Barksdale, a former Ole Miss signee who transferred from Jacksonville (Ala.) State, is expected to start at the other safety spot.

But it’s thin behind those two, especially if the NCAA hardship appeal of transfer defensive back T.J. Worthy — another former Ole Miss signee — is denied.

"We’re still trying to develop depth at the defensive back position," Hudspeth said. "We’ve got a lot of bodies back there, too, that have got some tools, but we’ve got to have some guys that are accountable.

"You know, a defensive tackle misses a gap, they (opponents) get about a 4-yard run. A defensive back misses his responsibility, you get a 40-yard touchdown. So it’s very critical we found some more accountable guys, and develop some guys, in the next four weeks."

Depth-chart backups coming out of the spring included redshirt freshman Jevante Watson and sophomores Trevance Patt and Sean Thomas.

True freshman Christian Hill, from Homestead-South Dade High in Florida, is among those getting a long look.

"He’s got a lot of speed and a lot of tools," Hudspeth said, "(but) is just a young guy, so we’re trying to get him as many reps as we can."

Hudspeth said Will Burrowes, a transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, also has been moved back to safety, his original position, after having spent some time at outside linebacker.

"I think he (Burrowes) is gonna give us some nice play back there," Hudspeth said, "and could even maybe contend for some starting time."

Impressive freshmen

Hudspeth on Monday said Hill, Breaux Bridge product Tyren Alexader and former New Iberia High receiver LaMarcus Allen are among a handful of freshmen who "really have stood out in the first five practices" and who could see playing time this season.

Said Hudspeth:

» on linebacker Alexander: "We’re gonna put him on the field somewhere;"

» on Hill: "Also a kid who’s probably gonna play a little bit, whether it’s at special teams, whether it’s at safety;" and

» on Allen: "Right now he is playing at a very high level."

He said it

UL quarterback Blaine Gautier, on Monday being the first day of training camp in full pads for the Cajuns: "It was good to see those pads smacking again, and just to get around that energy level and the feel of the game."