Football: How Lance LeGendre is faring with the Ragin’ Cajuns as two others battle for No. 2 QB job

Tim Buckley, The Advertsier, August 28, 2021

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While returnee Chandler Fields and Fresno State transfer Ben Wooldridge battle for UL’s No. 2 quarterback job behind Levi Lewis, another transfer – Lance LeGendre – quietly progresses.

Ranked as the No. 1 quarterback in Louisiana and No. 8  QB nationally out of New Orleans’ Warren Easton High, LeGendre played six games for Maryland in two seasons.

He transferred after last season, joining Fields, Wooldridge and freshmen Hunter Herring and Zy McDonald in UL’s support cast of quarterbacks.

Despite playing sparingly, LeGendre and Herring both led scoring drives in Saturday’s closed scrimmage.

“Those two continue to take a step forward,” coach Billy Napier said.

LeGendre ‘a known guy’

Herring is an early enrollee from Monroe’s Ouachita Christian.

Highly hyped LeGendre had his lone start for Maryland against Rutgers in December, then reported to UL in January with four years of eligibility remaining.

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“He’s really a young player with minimal experience,” Napier said.

“He’s trying to learn a new system. He’s trying to learn our culture and how we operate here. I think the big thing for Lance that I’ve been impressed with is he is getting better. He’s really getting better."

When LeGendre arrived, some immediately viewed him as Lewis’ potential successor. But Wooldridge emerged as the top newcomer.

“When (LeGendre) first came … of course of he struggled a little bit, as did everybody,” center Shane Vallot said.

“But I can see a huge improvement, development, in Lance just through this fall camp. You can tell he’s been in the playbook. You can tell he’s been working harder. Everything he does in practice … he does at full speed. He does it with intensity, and you can tell he wants it.”

Fields, Wooldridge vie

Fields and Wooldridge, though, opened preseason practice in a two-man battle for the backup job.

Fields, from Archbishop Rummel near New Orleans, shared backup duties last season with Jaiave Magalei, who left. Wooldridge arrived in January from Fresno State, where he played five games over two seasons.

Neither has separated himself.

“Both did a lot of good things (Saturday),” Napier said.

“Each turned the ball over in the scrimmage one time apiece, and there were a handful of plays I think we’d like to have back with both, but they also did of really good things.”