Bearcats ready for Saturdays
Ruston seniors (from left) Ahmad Breaux, Geordan Guidry, and Jadon Mayfield officially signed to continue their football careers at the next level on Wednesday. Leader photo by Matt Belinson
Three of the most impactful defensive players in Ruston football history officially took the next step in their playing careers by signing with Division I colleges on Wednesday.
Defensive lineman Ahmad Breaux signed with LSU, while Geordan Guidry, his partner in crime in terrorizing quarterbacks, signed with Tulane. Linebacker Jadon Mayfield was the final signee of the day by staying in town and committing to Louisiana Tech.
“I’ll try and hold myself together as I talk about these kids and this football team,” Ruston football coach Jerrod Baugh said, beginning to choke up. “It seems like the older I get, the harder this gets. You become attached to kids coming through your program and the years that they spend doing the things that you ask them to do, which is hard sometimes. And you just become attached to them because they give you everything that they’ve got.”
Breaux, a two-time first team All-District selection, put up 48 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, and 2 pass breakups this fall — totaling 8.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and 4 pass breakups over the last two seasons.
“We’ve been talking about this since we were little — junior high, I.A. Lewis,” Breaux said. “We were talking about this for years. It came true.”
The LSU name speaks for itself, and Breaux wants to make his mark on the Tigers’ SEC and national title hopes in 2024 and beyond — not just be a name in the crowd on signing day that has given the Tigers a top 15 class in the nation.
“When you make it official, it’s time to go to work,” Breaux said. “My plan going to Death Valley is not just be part of the team but be a difference maker and make an impact.”
Mayfield, a two-time District 2-5A Defensive MVP and LSWA All-State selection, led the Bearcats in tackles (116) and tackles for loss (16) this season, while adding 6 sacks and a fumble recovery.
Staying home means more to Mayfield, who said knowing his teammates, family, and coaches will be able to watch him play is added motivation.
“It’s a dream come true. I’m just thankful to be able to sign today,” Mayfield said. “ It’s a blessing and now I know I gotta get to work.”
Guidry is coming off his best season as a Bearcat with 61 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and a career-high 10.5 sacks.
After fielding offers from Missouri, Kansas State, Ole Miss, Tech, and Grambling State, among others, Guidry felt Tulane from an athletic and academic standpoint gave him the best opportunity to succeed.
“After this, my life changes,” Guidry said. “ For the rest of my life, I’m going to have a Tulane degree. It feels good. My goal is to work hard and dominate. Just want to do the best I can to get to the point I want to be at and getting my degree. With a Tulane degree, I can do anything.”
The three seniors were instrumental in the Bearcats’ winning their first state championship since 1990 and leave behind a legacy of winning that future generations will have to carry forward, according to Baugh.
“ These three and this senior class that is moving on obviously has accomplished a lot of things that haven’t been done here in quite some time,” Baugh said. “These last two football teams really have accomplished a lot of different things and they were a part of that also. That’s a lot to be proud of. That’s a lot to be thankful for, but at the end of the day I think that I’m most proud of is the young men that this senior class is, in particular these three guys up here.”
