LAFAYETTE — It is not uncommon for folks throughout Acadiana to speak a different language, as one can easily hear on any given day Cajun French, Spanish or Vietnamese throughout the region.

If one walks out to the University of Louisiana’s spring football practice, you could very well hear a different language being spoken. To be more specific, a different type of language being uttered by the handful of Power 5 transfers that joined the Ragin’ Cajuns this spring.

“I would equate it to having a language that they speak,” Ragin’ Cajuns coach Billy Napier said. “It’s not like a child maybe learning their first language. These guys know a language and they’re translating it.

“And just in general from a maturity standpoint,” Napier added. “They’ve been in college and they’ve handled the workload — the academics combined with the training and the meetings and the practice.”

For the 2021 recruiting class, the Ragin’ Cajuns signed five Power 5 transfers. Running back Jacob Kibodi (Texas A&M-Incarnate Word), quarterback Lance Legendre (University of Maryland), wide receiver John Stephens Jr. (TCU), safety Tyrone Lewis Jr. (Kansas State), and offensive lineman Matthew Anderson (Nebraska).

In addition to “speaking” a language that encompasses the mental side of playing football, the transfers are a tad more physically advanced as well.

“They’re a little bit more physically advanced as well, so I think there’s no question those guys are a little bit further ahead than maybe the mid-year high school players,” Napier said.

Earlier this week, Napier stated that it would be premature to proclaim if any of the transfers would be making an impact in the fall.

Napier also spoke on how he and his staff are utilizing not the unusual amount of experience on the roster. With the NCAA granting an additional year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ragin’ Cajuns have players that are entering their fifth, sixth (linebacker Chauncey Manac) and even seventh seasons (offensive lineman Ken Marks) with the program.

“One of the approaches that we’ll take is maybe take one of those young players that we think has ability and we’ll put him in a practice setting where he’s around a bunch of veterans,” Napier said.

Napier further elaborated about how beneficial that could be for one of the Ragin’ Cajuns younger players.

“So let’s just say, we’ve got a young newcomer at left guard, who maybe is a little behind, but you put him with a center and a left tackle that has some experience and really understands our system, I think that allows the guy to play a little bit faster and allows us to evaluate the player.”