College football returns to Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, AL, as the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and Louisiana Fightin’ Blue Hens collide in the 68 Ventures Bowl. Michael Desormeaux’s Louisiana team booked a bowl berth with a four-game win streak to end the 2025 campaign, while the Blue Hens’ are rewarded for an impressive opening FBS campaign with a postseason game despite transitional regulations usually preventing it.
Louisiana vs. Delaware returns CUSA to a midweek slot, and there are plenty of reasons to be excited for this 68 Ventures Bowl matchup. Bowl season has drawn criticism among both teams and programs opting not to play in the postseason, yet the list of players not playing in this game showcases that it still matters for a lot of teams and student-athletes.
Top Ragin’ Cajuns Players Not Playing in Louisiana vs. Delaware
- Cooper Fordham, OL (injury)
- Mackey Maillho, OL (injury)
Ahead of the 68 Ventures Bowl, there isn’t a single reported Ragin’ Cajuns player opting out of the Louisiana vs. Delaware matchup. That’s a remarkable feat in the modern era of college football, especially for a team whose 6-6 record falls somewhat short of the expectation of competing for a Sun Belt Conference title.
MORE: College Football Bowl Game Opt-Out Tracker: Every Missing Player for Every Matchup
One player who would have been on this list of players not playing in Louisiana vs. Delaware is safety Tyree Skipper. The pivotal piece of the Ragin’ Cajuns secondary was suspended for his part in the ugly scenes following the Texas State game, but has been reinstated by the Sun Belt. Cooper Fordham and Mackey Maillho are both done for the season.
Top Fightin’ Blue Hens Players Not Playing in Louisiana vs. Delaware
- Jo Silver, RB (injury)
- Patrick Shupp, OL, (injury)
- Ja’Carree Kelly, WR (injury)
- Connor Witthoft, TE (injury)
- Dillon Trainer, LB (injury)
Less than a month ago, Delaware had 15 players listed as out on their availability report. Of those, the ones listed above have at least an element of question about their participation in the 68 Ventures Bowl. At present, there are no opt-outs from the Fightin’ Blue Hens roster ahead of the Louisiana vs. Delaware clash in Mobile.
Jo Silver missed two games this season, but returned to face the UTEP Miners in the finale. He did, however, only log seven carries, which could suggest a reduced workload. As Delaware’s leading rusher (105 carries, 536 carries), his loss would be significant for the Fightin’ Blue Hens. Dillon Trainer hasn’t played since Nov. 8, while Ja’Carree Kelly missed the UTEP game.
