HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University football team recently completed its third week of spring practice.
 
Just past the midpoint of spring workouts, ninth-year Lion head coach and two-time Southland Conference Coach of the Year Frank Scelfo has been pleased with his team's progress.
 
"We're seeing the growth and development come along," Scelfo commented. "Our execution becomes sharper every day. We've got a new offensive system being installed and even though it parallels philosophically what we were doing before, our guys have done a great job learning the new terminology. We're further along at certain positions than others, but we're seeing an upward trend on both sides of the ball, which is what you're looking for during spring ball."
 
SLU is in its first spring under new offensive coordinator Matt Bergeron. Scelfo singled out two position groups for praise on the offensive side of the ball.
 
"We lost three starters from last year's team on the offensive line, but it's been fun to watch how quickly those guys have gelled up front," Scelfo said. "We're as good at running back as we've been since I've been here. We're deep there with a good blend of speed and power. We'll have some guys in the backfield who are game changers and we're really excited about the speed and athleticism at that position."
 
Kyle Lowe is the veteran returner at the quarterback position, having split reps under center in 2025. Newcomers Cole Welliver and Isaac Mooring III, along with returnees Connor Nelson and Casey Avrard, have all impressed during the spring.
 
"All five of those guys have had good springs," Scelfo said. "Kyle's got the most experience, so he has a leg up right now, but Cole has been very impressive and is an imposing figure back there. Cole and Isaac have done a really nice job picking things up quickly. Add in Connor and Casey and we have five guys with good mechanics and great work ethic, who are getting the reps this spring to show who they are."
 
On the defensive side of the ball, Scelfo has been impressed with a group that will be replacing a wealth of veteran leadership and production from a 2025 unit that was among the best in the FCS.
 
"We're going to be a little smaller up front, but we feel like we can make that up with our team speed," Scelfo said. "We can really run at all three levels. Our cornerbacks and defensive ends have both had great springs as a group. At linebacker, we're excited to see who is going to separate themselves from the pack as this thing plays out. We're deep at defensive tackle and we think we should be able to rotate those guys out to keep them fresh."
 
Scelfo also offered praise for both veterans returning in the kicking game.
 
"Jack Hunter is back at punter and he's got a big leg," Scelfo stated. "From a consistency standpoint, Jack is better than ever. Drew Talley was very much in the mix to be our starting kicker coming out of fall camp last year, but suffered an injury early in the season. He's back healthy and had a really good spring for us."
 
Over the final two weeks of spring practice, which wraps up with Super Lion Saturday March 28, Scelfo is looking for the positive momentum to continue.
 
"We want to create competition at every position, so there's a sense of urgency," Scelfo commented. "We just want to continue to grow and be more consistent in everything we're doing."
 
Southeastern will open the 2026 season Aug. 27, hosting HCU in Strawberry Stadium.
 
2026 Southeastern Football Spring Schedule
Tuesday, 3/17 – 3:40 p.m.
Thursday, 3/19 – 3:40 p.m.
Saturday, 3/21 – 10 a.m.
Tuesday, 3/24 – 3:40 p.m.
Thursday, 3/26 – 3:40 p.m.
Saturday, 3/28 – 10 a.m. – Super Lion Saturday
 
TICKETS
For ticket information, contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net. Southeastern will continue offering mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets. All tickets will be available via e-mail or text message in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Football, follow @LionUpFootball and @Coach_Scelfo on X, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and follow @lionupfootball on Instagram.
 
TOUCHDOWN CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the football program are encouraged to join the Touchdown Club. Lion football alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Touchdown Club and S Club (football) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern football program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics observes a clear bag policy for all ticketed events. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.