Louisiana's leading rusher Elijah Mitchell will not play in no. 25 Louisiana's home opener against Georgia Southern.
The Cajuns didn't list Mitchell on the depth chart or injury report. One report says Mitchell is out due to coronavirus protocols; the school has said it will not identify players out due to the virus.
While Mitchell, Trey Ragas, and Chris Smith have split the carries pretty evenly (24-22-17), Mitchell's 210 yards is more than the rest of the team combined. He's averaging 8.8 yards-per-carry.
While Ragas and Smith may eat up the extra work without flinching, the Cajuns did add junior T.J. Wisham and freshman Emani Bailey to the depth chart. Bailey is listed ahead of Wisham. Coach Billy Napier said Wednesday the freshman from Texas is an underrated player.
"Emani Bailey is one of the more impressive freshmen. Obviously, we hope that translates to the game," said Napier. "He's been playing on special teams a little bit, and certainly, I've been pleased with his attention to detail. He's a good practice player. He practices fast. He's intense."
The team played without ten players at Georgia State due to the virus, most notably linebacker Joe Dillon and corner back A.J. Washington. Neither player returned to the depth chart this week and several more starters were taken off it, including starting right tackle Max Mitchell, defensive linemen Tayland Humphrey, and safety Cameron Solomon.
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