LAKE CHARLES – McNeese State will kick-off its 2015 spring football practices on Friday afternoon at 2:30 in Cowboy Stadium, the first of 15 practices that will cover the next five weeks and leading up to the April 25 spring game.
 
The spring session will include three scrimmages – April 1 (3 p.m.), April 18 (9:45 a.m.), and April 25 (1 p.m.). Practice on Saturday will begin at 2:50, also in Cowboy Stadium. The Cowboys will not practice during spring break (April 6-10) but will return the following week.
 
McNeese, 6-5 a year ago, returns 64 lettermen and 17 starters (9 offense, 7 defense, 1 special teams) off of last year's squad.
 
"There's going to be a lot of install," said head coach Matt Viator who will be entering his 10^th year and has never had a losing season. "These first two days we'll be getting guys back into a rhythm and a practice routine and tempo."
 
Much like last year, most eyes will be on the quarterback position where four players who took snaps all return, including Daniel Sams and Tyler Bolfing who split most of the time behind center.
 
"We're going to play Daniel by ear this spring," said Viator. "He was just released to throw after his offseason surgery but he's progressing nicely."
 
Sams injured his thumb on his throwing hand during the Stephen F. Austin game and played just a couple of snaps at Southeastern Louisiana before being sidelined for the final game against Lamar.
 
"I really like for him (Sams) to run the offense," said Viator. "I like the way how Tyler battled last year. But I've really been impressed with Grant Ashcraft during the offeseason."
 
Sams led the team in rushing with 711 yards on 104 carries and scored two touchdowns while also completing 46 of 97 passes for 624 yards and 7 tds. Bolfing completed 79 of 146 passes for 990 yards and six scores.
 
The running back group all returns and will be one of the strongest in the Southland Conference, if not the nation. Sophomore Ryan Ross ranked second on the team with 599 yards rushing and 7 tds last season as a true freshman. Senior Derrick Milton (Mississippi State transfer) netted 387 yards and scored 6 touchdowns while senior Kelvin Bennett ran for 354 yards and two scores. Senior Dylan Long led the team with 10 rushing tds and ran for 346 yards.
 
Add in Sams, McNeese returns a group of running backs that combined to rush for 2,397 yards and 27 touchdowns.

The offensive line returns four starters but will lose All-American Antoine Everett, who is projected to go late in the NFL Draft. Of those starters, Quentin Marsh, earned second team all-conference honors last season

McNeese lost wide receivers Jereon McGilvery (31 catches for 433 yards and 2 tds) and Ernest Celestie (22-248-2) but will return junior Khalil Thomas (18 catches for 271 yards and 5 tds), senior David Bush (18-195-3), and junior tight end Zach Hetrick (12-175-1). McNeese will also get the services back from sophomore Kent Shelby (4-108-0) who was lost for the season in the third week against Arkansas Tech.
 
The wide receiving corps will gain two new speedsters – Nate Holmes and Tavarious Battiste.
 
"Nate could give us a deep threat," said Viator. "He'll also be able to help us with sweeps and short passing situations with his speed."
 
On defense, the Cowboys were hit the hardest up front with the graduation of first team all-conference Kevin Dorn, Sean Brown and Everett Ellefsen. Those three combined for 8 sacks and 19 tackles for a loss during the season while holding opponents to just 112.5 yards rushing per game. Senior defensive end Brian Hine returns as the lone starter from the unit. Hine tied as the team leader last season with 9.5 tackles for a loss and second with four sacks to go along with 39 total tackles. The addition of Texas A&M sophomore transfer Isaiah Golden will add some muscle and strength to the line and add in returners senior Cameron Smith (2.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks), sophomore Anthony Yruegas (1.5 TFL), and junior Jammerio Gross (1 TFL), and the Cowboys should recover nicely from last years' losses.

The backers' unit returns starter Bo Brown (2nd team all-SLC; 43 tackles, 5 TFL, 0.5 sacks) and Wallace Scott (2nd team all-SLC; 42 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks). Scott started the last couple games when regular starter Deonte Thompson was sidelined due to a concussion. True freshmen Ashari Goins (25 tackles, 2 sacks, 4.5 TFL) and Christian Jacobs (20 tackles, 1.5 TFL) saw a significant amount of playing time and will help add depth to the position.

The defensive backfield took a hit with the loss of first team all-conference free safety Aaron Sam but the Cowboys return everyone else including a group of young, talented players that saw quite a few snaps.

One returner that turned many heads last season was Brent Spikes who will be back for his senior season following a stellar year that saw him earn second team all-conference honors. Spikes led the Cowboys with 83 tackles and four pass interceptions last season while his 156 pass interception return yards set a new school single-season record. He set a school, conference and state single-game record with 148 interception return yards off three INTs at Incarnate Word last Oct. 25.

Sophomore DB Dominique Hill had an impressive true freshman campaign as he ended the year with 34 tackles, 7.5 TFL, two interceptions and a sack. Sophomore Jermaine Antoine had a productive season (28 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack) as did senior Gabe Hamner (29 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 2 INT).
 
 On special teams, punter and place kicker Jean Breaux returns for his senior season and is on the verge of rewritting the McNeese record book. The Cowboys will debut a new full-time field goal kicker and PAT guy with the loss of Alex Kjellsten who transferred to another school. Breaux was 2-for-3 in FGs last season. Redshirt freshman Trent Manuel will be in the running as the field goal kicker.