Northwestern State University of Louisiana Demon football previewed their upcoming season at the 2025 Southland Football Opening Drive on Monday, July 21 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.
With 10 Southland Conference (SLC) football programs in attendance, head coach Blaine McCorkle, redshirt senior center Caleb Billiot and redshirt senior defensive end Cam George represented NSU at the event.
McCorkle, who is entering his second-year with the Demons, addressed the roster of 50 freshmen and 22 sophomores 一 all incoming, rising or redshirt student-athletes 一 for the 2025 season.
“I think we’ve had a great summer going into year two with our staff at Northwestern State,” McCorkle said. “We’re excited about where we are. We’ve come a long way, we’ve had a lot of great growth culturally. Our talent has gotten better. We’re still extremely young, but we’re excited to get going and see what 2025 holds.”
McCorkle addressed if he looks forward to seeing any stand-out student-athletes on the field. “I never liked to really mention incoming freshmen because you just don’t know until they get there and go,” he said. “From the transfer world, I think we’ve done a really good job bringing in the right guys. I think that that’s one thing I’m really proud of with our staff. We’ve identified the right guys that are running to something and not from something.”
McCorkle explained how even though bringing in new recruits can have an unknown factor, they can also generate excitement for the program.
“They don’t really know anything different from the culture that we’ve brought, so that’s allowed us to change things pretty quick and build a program that we want to build,” he said. “So being youthful like that, sometimes you’re going to take your lumps and it’s tough, but I think we’ve got a bunch of guys that are excited to be at Northwestern State and are there to build something for the long haul.”
With new players added to the team, George emphasized the importance of leadership from the team’s veterans. “It’s about showing the right way to do things like how to carry yourself, how to be a good teammate and how to be a good person,” he said.
Billiot added that returning players need to lead by example, making sure to hold the younger teammates accountable.
“You want to be that guy that they can count on at any moment at time, not just on the field, but off the field as well. Show him how to do things in the classroom, show him how to represent himself off-campus and in the community,” he said.
Both players also spoke highly of the support the team has received from the town of Natchitoches. “It’s a small town, but it has a big heart,” George said. “Everyone knows each other, and they care about what we do.”
Billiot, who’s only been with the team for a year after transferring from Louisiana Tech University, explained that the community has already made a lasting impact on him and makes the team hold themselves to a higher standard.
“Natchitoches has a great history of winning, so that’s what we want to do as players is bring the history back. And everyone in the community, obviously, after the season last year, they are still supporters. They’re still there for us, and they’re ready for us to bring their history back,” he said.
McCorkle addressed the team’s overall record within the last few years. “We don’t hide from the fact that we’re going into this season with the longest losing streak in the country. We’re not scared to say that, we know where we have to go. These guys’ work ethic every day is really inspiring for me,” he said.
McCorkle, who previously coached at Belhaven University, discussed the transition from coaching from Division III to Division I.
“People think the differences are bigger than they are,” he said. “College football is college football. Once you’re on the field, it’s still about coaching and competing.”
McCorkle explained that the Demon culture, academics and talent level is similar to his time spent with the Belhaven University Blazers.
“That gives us a lot of encouragement as a staff to know that we’ve kind of been down that road before and we’re on the right track,” he said. “People get wrapped up in levels 一 that’s overrated 一 the field’s the same size. You’re still playing with 11 players. You’re still playing with guys that are going to make mistakes, but they’re going to give you everything they’ve got.”
As someone relatively new to the SLC, McCorkle explained that he has studied the conference for a long time. After playing at Louisiana State University to coaching college football all over the country, he believes that the level of play in the conference is constantly evolving.
“With 10 football teams that are all committed to being in the Southland and the things that Chris Grant has done as commissioner, I mean, this event right here is proof that this is a strong conference that does things right,” McCorkle said.
Both student-athletes addressed rivalries within the SLC. Billiot pointed to East Texas Baptist as a personal matchup to watch, while George highlighted the return of the rivalry with Stephen F. Austin (SFA).
“All the guys brought a higher level of competition towards that game, so it was a great experience to have a lot of respect for SFA and their coaches and their players. It brought a different energy last year,” George said.
The team will open the 2025 season against the Alcorn State University Braves on Thursday, Aug. 28 at 2 p.m. at Turpin Stadium.
