2020 Northwestern State Demons football team

The 2020 Northwestern State Demons football team was to represent Northwestern State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Demons were to play their home games at Harry Turpin Stadium in Natchitoches, Louisiana, and were to compete in the Southland Conference. They were to be led by second-year head coach Brad Laird. Shortly before the season, the Southland canceled their fall sports, with the hope that all sports will be playable in Spring 2021. This decision canceled all twelve games in the Demons' season, putting on hold their play indefinitely.[1]

2020 Northwestern State Demons football
Conference	Southland Conference
2020 record	0–0 (0–0 SLC)
Head coach	Brad Laird (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Brad Smiley (3rd season)
Defensive coordinator	Mike Lucas (4th season)
Home stadium	Harry Turpin Stadium (Capacity: 15,971)

2020 Southland Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Incarnate Word			–							–
Lamar			–							–
McNeese State *			–							–
Nicholls			–							–
Northwestern State			–							–
Sam Houston State			–							–
Southeastern Louisiana			–							–
* – Ineligible for FCS postseason play due to NCAA sanctions Abilene Christian, Central Arkansas, Houston Baptist, and Stephen F. Austin opting out of playing spring conference football As of February 8, 2021; Rankings from STATS Poll

Previous season

The Demons finished the 2019 season 3–9, 3–6 in Southland play to finish eighth in Southland play. The Demons were not invited/did not qualify to any postseason play.

Preseason

Recruiting class

Reference(s):[2]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Scooter Adams Running Back	Hallettsville, TX	Hallettsville HS Kilgore College	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A
Marquise Bridges Wide Receiver	Brookhaven, MS	Petal HS Mississippi Gulf Coast CC	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	193 lb (88 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A
Logan Canerdy Offensive Line	Caledonia, MS	Caledonia HS Jones County JC	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	295 lb (134 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A
Malik Carey Cornerback	Shreveport, LA	Captain Shreve HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN: N/A
Natea "Tay" Coleman Safety	Beaumont, TX	West Brook HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A
Kevin Davis, Jr. Safety	Freeport, TX	Brazosport HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A
Cayden Dunn Running Back	Los Angeles, CA	Bishop Alemany HS College of the Canyons	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A
Logan Gabriel Running Back	Opelousas, LA	Lafayette Christian Academy	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A
Eddie Godina Kicker	Whitehouse, TX	Whitehouse HS Trinity Valley CC	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A
Kendal Harmon Defensive Line	Crowley, LA	Crowley HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	273 lb (124 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A
PJ Herrington Defensive Back	Natchez, MS	Natchez HS East Mississippi CC	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A
Jewell Holmes, III Wide Receiver	New Orleans, LA	Warren Easton HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	188 lb (85 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A
Monte Johnson Tight End	Burleson, TX	Burleson Centennial HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A
Princeton Malbrue Outside Linebacker	Carencro, LA	Lafayette Christian Academy	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN: N/A
Jordan McClaine Offensive Line	Ruston, LA	Ruston HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	280 lb (130 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A
Johnny Mitchell, Jr. Defensive Line	Stonewall, LA	North DeSoto HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	310 lb (140 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A
Jalen Momerelle offensive Line	Houston, TX	Manvel HS Navarro College/Texas State	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	305 lb (138 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A
Andy Pierre-Antoine Wide Receiver	North Miami, FL	North Miami Sr. HS Reedley College	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A
Isaiah Robinson Defensive Back	Bossier City, LA	Parkway HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A
Brayden Staggs Offensive Line	Cypress, TX	Langham Creek HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	285 lb (129 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN: N/A
Dante Thomas Defensive Back	Hammond, LA	John Curtis HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A
Jaheim Walters Wide Receiver	New Orleans, LA	St. Augustine HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	184 lb (83 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A
Malik Williams Linebacker	Gilmer, TX	Gilmer HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN: N/A

Roster

2020 Northwestern State Demons football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class QB 2 Kaleb Fletcher Jr WR 6 Robbie Williams, III  Fr QB 7 Bryce Rivers Jr WR 8 Levar Gumms Jr WR 11 Tanner Ash Jr QB 13 Zachary Clement  Fr WR 14 Coby McGee Jr WR 15 Jalen Willis So TE 17 David Fitzwater Sr WR 18 Kendrick Price Sr WR 19 Curtis Williams So RB 20 Trevor Morgan Jr RB 27 Erik Hart  Fr OL 56 Kenny Sheldon Jr OL 61 Spencer Cody  Fr OL 62 Jake Gore Jr OL 63 Alyzcha Ulufale-Hentz So OL 64 Reggie Young So OL 67 Jordan Cooper  Fr OL 69 Jakob Sell Jr OL 72 Khalil Corbett-Canada Jr OL 78 Cody Coleman  Fr OL 79 Clay Cotten  Fr TE 82 Aaron Howell So WR 83 Jacob Sylvia  Fr WR 84 Gavin Landry Sr WR 85 Gabriel Ernest So WR 86 Patrick Heard So WR 89 McKane Kinchen Jr RB Scooter Adams Jr WR Marquise Bridges Jr OL Logan Canerdy Jr WR Andy Pierre-Antonie Jr	Defense Pos. # Name Class S 1 Tobias Williams So CB 3 Shemar Bartholomew Jr S 4 Cedric Anderson So ILB 5 Jalen Angelle So CB 6 Kunta Hester  Fr LB 10 Ja'Quay Pough Sr OLB 11 Jomard Valsin Jr CB 15 William Hooper Jr CB 16 Fred Lee So ILB 21 Jared Pedraza  Fr ILB 22 Adrion Robertson Sr S 25 Hayden Bourgeois Sr CB 26 Keldrick Ward Jr S 29 Trey Williams Jr ILB 30 Bishop Breaux So CB 31 Jalen Garrison So OLB 32 Landon King Jr ILB 33 Isaiah Longino Jr OLB 35 Kyle Moore Sr OLB 39 Chandler Moncrief So S 40 T. K. Evans So ILB 43 Blake Stephenson Sr S 45 Tyson Ford  Fr CB 46 Ray Johnson  Fr DL 47 Rashaud Powell Jr DE 48 Johnathan Daigle  Fr S 49 Keenan Leechman So ILB 50 Ricky Chatman Sr DT 51 Nathalohn Nanai Jr OLB 54 Matthew Pajinag  Fr DL 71 Devin Gabriel So DE 90 Darius Whitfield Sr DE 93 Ty Cormier So DT/DE 96 Jabralen Yarber So DE 97 John-Alex Perkins Jr DT 98 Tyrus Butler Sr NT 99 Damien Thomas Sr S P. J. Herrington Jr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K 37 Daniel Justino Sr K/P 43 Scotty Roblow  Fr LS 55 Evan Gibson So K Eddie Godina Jr	Head coach Brad Laird (Northwestern State) Coordinators/assistant coaches Brad Smiley (Baylor) Offensive Coordinator/TE Mike Lucas (Liberty) Defensive Coordinator/ILB De'Von Lockett (Northwestern State) Assistant Head Coach/DB Ledell Love (Texas Tech) Assistant Head Coach/DL Jake Olsen (Valley City State) Recruiting Coordinator/OLB J Pond (Texas A&M) Video Coordinator/OL Anthony Scelfo (Tulane) Assistant Head Coach/QB Alvin Slaughter (Clarion) Assistant Head Coach/WR Austin Ashcraft (West Texas A&M Administrative Graduate Assistant OL Travon Carter (Eastern Kentucky) Administrative Graduate Assistant DL John Mitchell (Louisiana Tech) Administrative Graduate Assistant WR Jack Witte (Millsaps) Administrative Graduate Assistant LB Elizabeth Holloway Administrative Assistant Dan Korn Director of Football Operations Luis Curiel Administrative Graduate Assistant - Football Operations/Player Personnel Nathan Farber Administrative Graduate Assistant - Football Operations/Video Jason Pugh Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations Jason Drury Director of Sports Medicine Ashley Leggett Pugh Associate Director of Sports Medicine Hunter Wright Athletic Trainer Dr. James Knecht Team Physician Quantavious Thompkins Graduate Assistant Strength Coach Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: March 23, 2020

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
February 20		at Lamar	Provost Umphrey Stadium Beaumont, TX
March 6		Nicholls	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA
March 13		at Southeastern Louisiana	Strawberry Stadium Hammond, LA
March 20		McNeese State	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA
April 1		Sam Houston State	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA
April 10		at Incarnate Word	Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium San Antonio, TX
Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

[3]

References

1. "Southland Conference postpones fall sports, no football for NSU". ArkLaTexHomepage. 13 August 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
2. "Championship DNA prevalent in Demons' 23-man signing class". Northwestern State University Athletics. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
3. "Southland Conference Postponed Spring Football Schedule Announced". www.southland.org. Retrieved 22 September 2020.