Entering year three, Head Coach Bryant Vincent has seen early season successes in previous seasons on the Bayou of ULM. In his first season, he opened the season with a 5-1 record, including a beating of his former school UAB and dropping the Sun Belt Conference front runner JMU, before falling to a 5-7 overall record with six straight losses.
In year two, the Warhawks looked to be flying high again with a 3-1 record that included a win over Arkansas State to snap a 16-year skid to the Red Wolves, and their first non-conference road win since 2018 with a 31-25 win at UTEP.
ULM then closed out the season battling injuries and on an eight-game losing streak.
With this in the past, Vincent looks to have the Warhawks ready to fly in 2026 as they open up on Saturday against Mississippi State in a 6:30 ESPNU televised game.
“It’s going to be a great challenge right out of the game and a great environment to prepare us for what’s coming down the road in the Sun Belt,” Vincent said in a weekly press appearance. “I stand firm on this being our best team going into year three. We have more depth and we’re full speed ahead going into week one. Our offensive line is something that we feel good about our two-deep depth chart, led by AJ Vincent and Kaliem Croswell.”
Aidan Armenta will start his third season for ULM with new offensive coordinator Jesse Montalto now calling the plays. Despite the new offensive scheme, Armenta will have plenty of receiving threats.
“The receiver position is where we really upgraded that room with more speed and playmaking ability, Vincent said. “Nic Trujillo is back after being slowed last season with an injury that really didn’t let him get going until late in the season. Javon Campbell is healthy for the first time since he’s been here, so I expect big things from him there.”
While the new offense is expected to be more pass oriented, ULM will continue to have a strong run game with Derrick Jameson and Bryson Roland slotted , but as many as five could see snaps.
“We’re fortunate to be where we’re at with the depth we have, but despite the depth, six on the defensive line have never played a D1 snap of football,” Vincent said at his media availability.
“The biggest thing, everyone’s earned their role up to this point, and that allows us to play a lot of guys on both sides of the ball. This is an SEC team, and they’ll be the most talented team we’ll face this season. They’re like everyone else, they have a lot coming back, added some other guys, and have a lot of unknowns.”
