Ragin’ Cajuns Lose QB Walker Howard to Injury

LAFAYETTE, La. (103.3 The Goat) - The first season on the field as a Ragin' Cajun for quarterback Walker Howard appears to have been a very short one.

Howard’s Injury Likely Season-Ending

Multiple reports say the Louisiana quarterback will have surgery Friday (Sept. 5) to repair a serious oblique injury sustained in Saturday's loss to Rice. It is believed the injury will be season-ending.

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According to LouisianaSports.net, Howard saw a specialist on Thursday in Birmingham, Alabama, at the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center.

Howard was injured after the first play of UL's final drive. Daniel Beale came in to replace Howard but wasn't able to connect on any of his six passes, as the Cajuns fell 14-12 to Rice.

Beale and Winfield to Share QB Duties

It had already been announced by Ragin' Cajuns head coach Michael Desormeaux that Howard would be out this week against McNeese.

Redshirt freshman Daniel Beale has been named the starter in Saturday night's game. Desormeaux did say, though, that fellow redshirt sophomore, Dwayne "Lunch" Winfield, would see action in the game as well.

Walker Howard’s Journey From STM to Cajuns

Ultimately, this is a tough blow for Walker Howard, a native of Lafayette. A highly-touted recruit coming out of St. Thomas More High School, he signed with LSU.

However, he was only in Baton Rouge for the 2022 season before transferring to Ole Miss. He stayed in Oxford for two seasons, seeing minimal playing time.

In his three years in the SEC, Howard was 5-for-10 passing for 63 yards with no touchdowns, all coming in mop-up duty.

Howard’s Brief Impact in Cajuns Debut

In his lone start for the Cajuns, he went 10 for 22 for 88 yards and one interception. (Fans who saw the game know there were several passes dropped, though.)

He also added 47 yards on the ground with one rushing touchdown.