Following through on his verbal commitment given during the summer, Catholic High senior wingback Peter LeBlanc signed his National Letter of Intent Wednesday to play college football at UL Lafayette.

LeBlanc, who rushed for 660 yards and eight touchdowns and caught 22 passes for 509 yards and eight scores for the Panthers this season, will join the 19 other high school student athletes who signed with UL during the football early signing period.

“I feel excited. I can’t wait for next year if I’m being honest,” LeBlanc said during the signing ceremony held in CHS’ library Wednesday morning. “I don’t think that I knew from the beginning that I wanted to go to UL, but it was definitely one of my top options.”

The CHS senior said his top two college options were UL Lafayette and Louisiana Tech.

“I guess in the end I fell in love with UL,” LeBlanc said. “A lot had to do with the coaching staff. They felt genuine and they felt like people that I wanted to be with for the next four years.”

The change from former head coach Mark Hudspeth to current coach Billy Napier didn’t affect LeBlanc’s decision. Instead, it may have helped him make the decision.

“I think in the end it kind of helped me make the decision, to be honest” he said. “A lot had to do with how (Napier) talks and the confidence he has.

“I think that UL is going to do great things with him as head coach.”

LeBlanc hasn’t decided on a major yet and while the coaching staff hasn’t decided on a position for the CHS senior, it is expected that he will play a receiver for the Cajuns starting with the 2019 football season, although there may be an option for another sport later on.

“I think I’m going to concentrate on football right now,” LeBlanc said. 

CHS head football coach Brent Indest was happy for his star player.

“This one is really special,” Indest said. “My personal relationship with the LeBlanc family, having played football and been best friends with his dad for a number of years, his grandfather was a member of the 1962 state championship team and he has three uncles who started in football and other sports here at Catholic High.

“It’s a real special day and you throw in the fact that he’s signing with the Cajuns, which is my alma mater, just makes it all the more special for me personally.”

Indest said that UL Lafayette is going to be a good fit for LeBlanc.

“Coach Napier is selling culture and I believe in it,” the CHS coach said. 

“Prior to him being there, there were some cultural issues with the Cajuns and I think that in one year he’s turned it into the type of atmosphere that Peter LeBlanc is going to strive in.”