Injuries can make or break college football seasons. No team wants to catch the injury bug, especially on the offensive line. That’s exactly what happened to Louisiana football in 2025, forcing true freshmen like Jakoby Isom to step up in the trenches.
The three-star prospect out of Houston made the most out of his opportunity, earning his first collegiate start against Southern Mississippi on Oct. 18, 2025, before he too caught the bug. Isom played in 80 snaps and posted three knockdowns before a season-ending foot injury in the fourth quarter.
“It was depressing,” Isom said of his injury. “It hurt bad; like, I was just playing as a freshman and I was excited to play and was feeling good until that happened. I had turf toe. You can’t walk and it’s like losing the ability to push off while you’re walking.
“It really set me back on football a little bit. I thought I was done, but the doctor and my parents kept telling me like ‘You’re gonna be good. It’s a major setback for a major comeback.’ I just kept that going on in my head.”
Though the injury was soul-crushing for Isom, he is back 100% primed for a major comeback in the 2026 season.
Louisiana football’s O-line is hungry this fall
Since his injury last October, the 6-foot-1, 318-pound lineman has been rehabbing with seven other linemen dealing with season-ending injuries in 2025. Among them were key returners like senior George Jackson, junior Cooper Fordham and fellow sophomore Zay Alexander.
“We were all motivating each other like ‘We got to come back, and we got to get ready for the season,’” Isom said. “I got really close with Zay Alexander; we were both injured at the same time. We both had the same time in rehab and all that.”
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Rehabbing through the spring and into the fall, the Cajuns’ O-line has embodied a five equals one mentality, moving more as a unit rather than individuals. Isom will serve as a go-to option at left guard, where he proved he could hang with the big dogs in the trenches. He played in a total of 180 snaps with six knockdowns, earning his highest grade at 92% in 39 snaps against James Madison.
This fall, the goal for UL’s offensive line will be to stay as healthy as possible so it can cash in on so many returning experienced linemen, such as Isom. Conditioning has been key for the big fellas this offseason, adapting to a bit of a new routine with a new director of athletic performance in Mark Hocke.
“These injuries have made us change our conditioning a lot because everybody thought we were gonna be out of shape when we came back, but it really wasn’t like that,” Isom said. “We are ready to work. We’re just hungry. Everybody keeps doubting us, but we’ll be ready.”
Shannon Belt covers high school sports, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and LSU men's basketball for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: After season-ending injury, UL football's Jakoby Isom eyes major comeback