McNeese State Kicks Off 2026 Spring Practice, Reveals 15-Session Schedule

McNeese State kicked off its 2026 spring program with practice No. 1 on March 1, the first of a 15-practice spring slate that runs through April 2 and features three on-field scrimmages March 14, March 21 and a spring game March 28. The athletic department announced the schedule in a Feb. 28 release and the team opened work under head coach Matt Viator as he begins his second season since returning to Lake Charles.

Viator framed the spring as an extended evaluation window for a roster with heavy turnover and incoming talent, saying, "We’ve got to get out there and see what we have, especially with the new guys. We also get to see who is ready to take the next step from last season. We have a lot of things to figure out." The Cowboys enter spring off a 5-7 overall mark in 2025 and a 4-4 Southland Conference record, McNeese’s first .500 league finish since 2019; McNeese won three of its final four games in 2025 and closed the year with a victory over No. 19 Lamar in the Battle of the Border rivalry.

Spring practice doubles as an integration period for an influx of newcomers. The program announced the addition of 21 transfer-portal players for 2026 and also retained seven players who signed during the early December signing period. McNeese’s incoming recruiting class was reported as the No. 1 class in the Southland Conference and 13th nationally, and the staff emphasized local additions from Lake Charles, Jennings, Lafayette, Alexandria and other Louisiana communities.

Named portal additions and roster entries appearing in team materials and local reports include quarterback Brady Barrier, listed at 6'2", 205 pounds from Barbers Hill, Texas; receiver Jaelen Smith, 6'2", 190, from Klein Cain HS and Michigan State; receiver Elisha Edwards, 6'2", 210, a senior from Fort Lauderdale who appears on the McNeese roster; offensive linemen John Long, 6'4", 320, and Sami Abdelhuak, 6'3", 300; and running backs Hutch Swilley, 5'11", 195, and Omiri Wiggins, 5'10", 205, who also appears on the official roster. Among returners explicitly identified as leaders are quarterback Jake Strong and safety Javon Davis; Jake Strong is listed on roster captures as QB No. 4, 6'2", 215 pounds, a sophomore from Justin, Texas.

McNeese’s published spring dates are March 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14 (scrimmage), 17, 19, 21 (scrimmage), 24, 26, 28 (spring game/scrimmage), 31 and April 2. The three scrimmages are intended as checkpoints for position battles at quarterback, along the offensive line and in the secondary, where new transfers and freshmen will compete with returners such as Kesean Hines at linebacker and Elisha Edwards at receiver.

Looking beyond spring, McNeese’s early 2026 regular-season slate opens with three straight home games: Stephen F. Austin on Aug. 29, Texas Wesleyan on Sept. 5 and Tarleton State on Sept. 12. The spring schedule and the March 28 spring game will be the first extended chance this staff has to sort through 21 portal additions, a top Southland signing class and the returning nucleus after a 5-7 season that finished with momentum.