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Football: Cajuns picked No. 3Tim Buckley, Daily Advertiser, July 17, 2012 NEW ORLEANS — One year ago, they were ranked eighth among nine teams in a poll of the Sun Belt Conference’s head football coaches. Only Florida Atlantic, which wound up going 1-11 in 2011, was lower. This year, the league’s annual preseason poll — released Monday — has coach Mark Hudspeth’s Ragin’ Cajuns at No. 3 after a 9-4 season capped by a New Orleans Bowl win over San Diego State. Florida International is No. 1, and defending Sun Belt champion Arkansas State is No. 2. Hudspeth doesn’t love the ranking, but he can live with it. "If you compare it to last year," he said, "I think you can obviously see that we’ve earned a lot more respect. "Is it where we want to be? No. Because I want to eventually be a program that’s picked first at the beginning of the year — as well as being in first place at the end of the year. "But I think it’s a step in the right direction," the Cajun coach added during on Monday’s Sun Belt Media Day here. "And I think the credibility of our program has been noticed." Western Kentucky is No. 4 in this year’s poll, followed in order by Troy, UL Monroe, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Florida Atlantic and South Alabama. All three of this year’s Sun Belt top-three picks played in bowl games last season, with Arkansas State losing to Northern Illinois in the GoDaddy.com Bowl at Mobile and FIU falling to Marshall at the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl in St. Petersburg. Five honoreesThe Cajuns placed five players on the All-Sun Belt Preseason Team, also released Monday: receiver Javone Lawson, offensive lineman Leonardo Bates, running back Alonzo Harris, defensive back Melvin White and kicker Brett Baer. UL had only one pick, NFL-drafted tight end Ladarius Green of the San Diego Chargers, on last year’s preseason conference team; Cajun cornerback Dwight "Bill" Bentley, drafted earlier this year by Detroit, was not named to the 2011 preseason team. "Our players (now)," Hudspeth said, "have earned the respect of a lot of the coaches in the conference." Arkansas State’s Ryan Aplin is the conference’s 2012 preseason team quarterback and Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. FIU’s Kedrick Rhodes is the Sun Belt’s other preseason running back, and Panthers teammate Tourek Williams, a senior lineman, is the league’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. RoommatesGautier just completed a four-day stint as an instructor at the Manning Passing Academy in Thibodaux, where he roomed with — of all people — Arkansas State’s Aplin. "Ryan is a wonderful guy," said Gautier, who hadn’t really met Aplin beforehand. "It’s kind of crazy, because I felt like we’ve been knowing each other for a long time." Said Aplin: "You don’t really get a lot of chances to interact with guys in your conference, and not just talk about football but talk about life — where he’s come from, how he got there. "» I kind of got to know him (Gautier) on a personal level, which was nice." Jones on trackHudspeth on Monday said he expects junior-college transfer Delvin Jones to be academically eligible to play in the coming season. "He’s got a little bit of work," Hudspeth said of Jones, who has been taking classes this summer. "He’s on course right now. "» If he stays on track, he’ll be eligible." Jones is a transfer from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, where he had 50 tackles — including 12 sacks — as a sophomore outside linebacker last season. The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder from Miami played two games as a true freshman at Ole Miss in 2010. If he’s indeed eligible, Jones could start at the Bandit outside linebacker/drop end position left vacant by senior Devon Lewis-Buchanan. Personnel mattersIn other personnel matters, Hudspeth on Monday said: » Harris, the Sun Belt’s Freshman of the Year last season, "will be about 20 pounds heavier than he was as a true freshman"; » Redshirt freshman running back Effrem Reed, who missed spring drills due to an injury sustained during conditioning drills in January, will be among those battling for playing time along with incumbent starter Harris in the Cajun backfield; and » Reserve receiver James Butler, who missed all of last season after tearing an anterior cruciate knee ligament during preseason camp, "will be 100 percent" heading into this season. LagniappeMonday marked the first time since 2008 that the Sun Belt’s Media Day has been held in-person. "» Monday’s event was held at the New Orleans Marriott — the same hotel that served as team headquarters for the Cajuns during their 2011 New Orleans Bowl win over SDSU. "» UL athletic director Scott Farmer was in New Orleans on Monday, to attend a meeting of Sun Belt athletic directors at the conference office.
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