Transfers Walker Howard (left) and Shelton Sampson Jr. (right) look to add an immediate jolt to the Cajuns' offense
The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns are rolling into the 2025 season with a squad packed with seasoned veterans and a fire to keep their winning ways alive.
Coming off a stellar 10-4 (7-1 Sun Belt Conference) 2024 campaign that landed them in the Sun Belt Championship game, this team is loaded with experience and ready to make some noise. Louisiana has been a force in the Sun Belt, and with a chip on their shoulder after back-to-back losses to Marshall in the conference title game and TCU in the New Mexico Bowl, the Ragin’ Cajuns are hungry for redemption.
To keep the offense rolling, Louisiana must fill some big shoes with the departure of starting quarterback Chandler Fields and top receiver Jacob Bernard, who were absolute studs in 2024. But don’t worry, Cajun fans—say hello to quarterback Walker Howard and wide receiver Shelton Sampson Jr., two electrifying transfers ready to light up Cajun Field.
New Quarterback Walker Howard
Walker Howard, a redshirt sophomore and Lafayette’s own, is back home after a journey through LSU and Ole Miss. Howard was a high school superstar at St. Thomas More High School in Lafayette, where he earned consensus four-star status and was ranked the No. 40 overall player and No. 5 quarterback in the 247Sports composite rankings for the class of 2022.
At LSU, Howard got stuck behind Heisman-winner Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier, managing just two completions for seven yards and six carries for 33 yards in 2022. Looking for a better shot, he hit the transfer portal and landed at Ole Miss.
In Oxford, Howard turned heads in the 2023 spring game, torching the defense with 11 of 13 passes for 183 yards and four touchdowns—yes, four! But with first-round NFL draft pick Jaxson Dart locked in as the starter and redshirt freshman Austin Simmons snagging the backup role in 2024, Howard’s game time was limited. He went 3-for-6 for 56 yards, with no touchdowns or picks. Now, he’s back in Lafayette, ready to take the reins as the Ragin’ Cajuns’ QB1.
Howard brings a ton to the table. He’s a rock-solid pocket passer with laser-like accuracy and the knack for extending plays when the pocket breaks down. Having learned from two first-round draft picks—including a Heisman winner—this hometown hero has all the tools to lead Louisiana to a Sun Belt Championship and maybe even snag Sun Belt Player of the Year honors in 2025.
New Wide Receiver Shelton Sampson Jr.
Joining Howard in the offensive spotlight is Shelton Sampson Jr., a 6-foot-4, 195-pound redshirt sophomore wide receiver who’s also making the move from LSU.
At LSU, Sampson appeared in 11 games, including one start, but didn’t record any stats, buried on a depth chart loaded with NFL-bound talent like Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., Kyren Lacy, Aaron Anderson, Zavion Thomas, and CJ Daniels. With more of the same coming in 2025, thanks to incoming transfers, Sampson decided it was time to make a move.
Now, he’s got a golden opportunity to be Howard’s go-to guy in Louisiana’s high-flying offense.
Sampson is a matchup nightmare. This rangy receiver’s speed is unreal—clocking an 11.29-second 100-meter dash as a high school junior—and his 5-foot-9-inch vertical jump shows he’s a beast in 50-50 ball situations. In high school at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, he was a four-star recruit, ranked as high as No. 23 overall by On3.
His stats? A jaw-dropping 140 catches for 2,495 yards and 31 touchdowns. With added strength and a chance to shine, Sampson’s ceiling is sky-high, and he’s got the potential to have a monster breakout season in 2025.
The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns as they kick things off against the Rice Owls on Saturday, August 30, at 7 p.m. CT at Cajun Field.
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