Beaumont, Tx — BEAUMONT, Texas – Tuesday marked a historic day for the Lamar University program – and it was more than just the start of spring camp. The Cardinals did take to practice field for their first official workout of the spring, but the team did so looking for its third consecutive winning season (something that has not happened for the Red and White since 1965-67 when the Cardinals were in the midst of 11-consecutive above .500 seasons).“It’s hard to tell after the first day because we’re in just helmets but we’ll know more after watching film,” said Rossomando who is entering his third season with the program. “You’re looking for things like if we got lined up correctly, did we play fast – and I thought for the most part we did. Our guys showed great enthusiasm today and that is always a great way to start. We have to keep building on what we did today and learn from our mistakes. If we do that for 14 practices – not counting the spring game – I think we’re going to be way ahead of last year and light years ahead of 2023.”The Cardinals are coming off a 2024 season that saw LU record the most wins since 2018 and jump into the nation’s top 25 following an upset of then No. 20 Weber State, but Lamar has set its sights on a bigger prize and that is climbing to the top of the Southland Conference and earning a spot in the NCAA FCS Playoffs. For the Red and White to take the next step in 2025, the Cardinals will have to do it looking to replace 12 starters. The good news being Lamar returns seven starters on offense, but it is looking to replace a two-year starter at quarterback.“I thought (Jakolby) Longino and Aiden (McCown) were ahead of everybody just because they have taken the most reps and they were comfortable with the system. They knew the plays coming in and could execute it at a fairly high level,” said Rossomando. “I was pleasantly surprised with how Mekhi Hagens came in and executed today. He was really sharp. He’s got some room to grow but I think he will based on what I saw.“Our two freshmen – Lucas Powell and Brady Driver – have improved tremendously since the fall in terms of how they operate and throw the ball. For those two, it is a race to maturity. If they want to be involved in this by the time we get to practice seven and eight it’s a race to get there,” added Rossomando.In addition to the quarterback position, LU will also be looking to replace eight starters on the defensive side of the ball.Another new addition to Lamar in 2025 will be that of Ryan McCarthy who joined the staff as the new quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator right before the start of camp. A former NCAA Division I head coach, McCarthy has created a name for himself by building high octane offenses. McCarthy followed in the footsteps of Rossomando at Central Connecticut State where he would also go on to earn conference coach of the year honors.McCarthy takes over a squad that averaged 24.5 points, better than 180 yards rushing and better than 177 passing yards per game last season. If there is any silver lining for a program looking to replace its starter at quarterback, now is the perfect time to do it with a new coordinator taking the reins.For those who are concerned about the state of the program heading into 2025 with a battle for a new signal caller they should remember a few things. Nothing is given, Robert Coleman had to go out and re-earn his starting role last season; Coleman’s backup from last season – Jakolby Longino returns and no one will forget the job he did coming in against Weber State to replace an injured Coleman and lead the Cardinals to an upset win; LU has recruiting really well at the position with several players waiting for their chance to step up and make a name for themselves; and finally, refer to everything that was just stated about McCarthy.Tuesday’s practice was the first of 15 official workouts over the course of the next six weeks culminating in the newly named Coach Payton Spring Game on Thursday, April 24th at Provost Umphrey Stadium.

Lamar Football begins Spring Drills ready to continue to rise in the fall

“Our two freshmen – Lucas Powell and Brady Driver – have improved tremendously since the fall in terms of how they operate and throw the ball. For those two, it is a race to maturity. If they want to be involved in this by the time we get to practice seven and eight it’s a […]

“Our two freshmen – Lucas Powell and Brady Driver – have improved tremendously since the fall in terms of how they operate and throw the ball. For those two, it is a race to maturity. If they want to be involved in this by the time we get to practice seven and eight it’s a race to get there,” added Rossomando.“It’s hard to tell after the first day because we’re in just helmets but we’ll know more after watching film,” said Rossomando who is entering his third season with the program. “You’re looking for things like if we got lined up correctly, did we play fast – and I thought for the most part we did. Our guys showed great enthusiasm today and that is always a great way to start. We have to keep building on what we did today and learn from our mistakes. If we do that for 14 practices – not counting the spring game – I think we’re going to be way ahead of last year and light years ahead of 2023.”Another new addition to Lamar in 2025 will be that of Ryan McCarthy who joined the staff as the new quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator right before the start of camp. A former NCAA Division I head coach, McCarthy has created a name for himself by building high octane offenses. McCarthy followed in the footsteps of Rossomando at Central Connecticut State where he would also go on to earn conference coach of the year honors.In addition to the quarterback position, LU will also be looking to replace eight starters on the defensive side of the ball.McCarthy takes over a squad that averaged 24.5 points, better than 180 yards rushing and better than 177 passing yards per game last season. If there is any silver lining for a program looking to replace its starter at quarterback, now is the perfect time to do it with a new coordinator taking the reins.Tuesday’s practice was the first of 15 official workouts over the course of the next six weeks culminating in the newly named Coach Payton Spring Game on Thursday, April 24th at Provost Umphrey Stadium.For those who are concerned about the state of the program heading into 2025 with a battle for a new signal caller they should remember a few things. Nothing is given, Robert Coleman had to go out and re-earn his starting role last season; Coleman’s backup from last season – Jakolby Longino returns and no one will forget the job he did coming in against Weber State to replace an injured Coleman and lead the Cardinals to an upset win; LU has recruiting really well at the position with several players waiting for their chance to step up and make a name for themselves; and finally, refer to everything that was just stated about McCarthy.The Cardinals are coming off a 2024 season that saw LU record the most wins since 2018 and jump into the nation’s top 25 following an upset of then No. 20 Weber State, but Lamar has set its sights on a bigger prize and that is climbing to the top of the Southland Conference and earning a spot in the NCAA FCS Playoffs. For the Red and White to take the next step in 2025, the Cardinals will have to do it looking to replace 12 starters. The good news being Lamar returns seven starters on offense, but it is looking to replace a two-year starter at quarterback.“I thought (Jakolby) Longino and Aiden (McCown) were ahead of everybody just because they have taken the most reps and they were comfortable with the system. They knew the plays coming in and could execute it at a fairly high level,” said Rossomando. “I was pleasantly surprised with how Mekhi Hagens came in and executed today. He was really sharp. He’s got some room to grow but I think he will based on what I saw.Beaumont, Tx — BEAUMONT, Texas – Tuesday marked a historic day for the Lamar University program – and it was more than just the start of spring camp. The Cardinals did take to practice field for their first official workout of the spring, but the team did so looking for its third consecutive winning season (something that has not happened for the Red and White since 1965-67 when the Cardinals were in the midst of 11-consecutive above .500 seasons).