A crowd of media members and Ragin’ Cajun supporters crowd into the Stadium Club at Russo Park to listen to Louisiana first-year head coach Michael Desormeaux speak about National Signing Day.

LAFAYETTE — Even though the departures of skill position players this offseason grabbed most of the headlines, the biggest priority for Louisiana first-year head coach Michael Desormeaux was restocking the offensive line.

Left tackle Ken Marks and center Shane Vallot graduated, right tackle Max Mitchell is preparing for the NFL Draft and left guard O’Cyrus Torrence transferred to Florida to play for former Ragin’ Cajuns coach Billy Napier.

Desormeaux and the Ragin’ Cajuns addressed those needs on National Signing Day Wednesday by signing two offensive linemen from the high school ranks, and officially adding one more through the NCAA Transfer Portal.

The signing of Michigan State offensive lineman James Ohonba had been previously announced, but was made official on Wednesday. Even though neither Desormeaux nor anyone on his staff had a personal relationship with the 6-foot-3, 318-pound graduate transfer who appeared in 20 games for the Spartans, the Ragin’ Cajuns did enough research to feel that Ohonba would be an ideal fit with Louisiana.

“The more research we did, the more he seemed like our type of guy,” Desormeaux said. “We as a staff fell in love with him and he hit it off with the players. It worked out that way. We didn’t have a prior relationship with him, so normally we don’t go that route. But we had friends that we felt really, really good about the reports we were getting back on him. There was a level of comfort in that. Once we got to meet him, it was kind of a no-brainer for us.”

The other two O-lineman signees Wednesday were from the high school ranks with the Ragin’ Cajuns adding Opelousas High’s Trent Murphy and Pineville’s Kaden Moreau.

The 6-foot-2, 271-pound Murphy, a two-time All-District honoree, was a player that the staff signed despite a late push by Louisiana Tech, Nicholls and McNeese.

“Trent’s incredibly athletic,” Desormeaux said. “A lot of these guys, what I would tell you is turn on the tape and go look at their highlights. He’s long, a really, really smart kid. Academically, he’s in great shape. He knows exactly what he wants to be. He’s got an idea of what he wants to do and major in for his future career.”

The 6-foot-3, 285-pound Moreau, a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, meanwhile also had offers from Louisiana Tech, Tulsa, Kent State and several Southland Conference schools.

With the addition of Wednesday’s trio of o-linemen, the Ragin’ Cajuns added a total of four new offensive lineman to the 2022 signing class. Louisiana also added Grand Lake High offensive lineman Bryant Williams during the early signing period in December.

Desormeaux also added a few skill position players with the signing of Franklin High’s Zylan Perry and Zachary High wide receiver Charles Robertson.

The 5-foot-9, 187-pound Perry played both quarterback and defensive back and threw for 2,200 yards with 22 TDs while also rushing for 1,700 yards and 16 TDs. Perry had offers from Nicholls and McNeese.

“I think Zylan is someone who’s really exciting,” Desormeaux said. “I’ve got a soft spot for high school quarterbacks who are good athletes. The guy does everything for them. He throws it, runs it, he returns kicks. He’s got a lot of position flexibility.”

The 6-foot, 186-pound Robertson, a three-star prospect by 247Sports, helped his team claim the Class 5A championship after catching 61 passes for 1,149 yards and 13 touchdowns. Robertson had offers from Tulane, Louisiana Tech and South Alabama.

“Body type and really skill set … you just see so much Ja’Marcus Bradley in him,” Desormeaux said. “The maturity level, just a smooth operator. He really understands the game. He’s physical. He’s big enough to play on the outside and physical enough to play in the slot, and he’s fast enough to take the top off.”

For the 2022 class, the Ragin’ Cajuns also signed Madison Prep quarterback Zeon Chriss, Kilgore College defensive lineman Marcus Wiser, Fort Bend Marshall wide receiver Jaydon Johnson, West St. John linebacker Kailep Edwards, Neville High cornerback Lorenzell Dubose, Harker Heights tight end Terrance Carter, and McKinney High safety Damon Youngblood during the early signing period in December.