Penn Hills grad Jaden Dugger embraces challenge of transfer to Louisiana

By: Josh Rizzo
Sunday, January 28, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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Jaden Dugger didn’t find the decision to leave Georgetown easy. Knowing the benefits of a degree from the prestigious school, Dugger was hesitant to leave the Hoyas’ football program.

But after a strong sophomore season, Dugger felt the pull to push himself athletically as well as in the classroom. Dugger committed to transfer to the University of Louisiana, previously known as Louisiana-Lafayette.

“Getting a degree from Georgetown was the only thing that made me hesitate,” said Dugger, who plays safety. “When they told me they would have me with the academics, that was a big part. I liked how they said they were going to use me on the field.”

Dugger graduated from Penn Hills in 2022 and was a productive receiver in high school in addition to playing defense. Dugger finished with 13 touchdowns his senior year while catching passes from his brother, Julian, who will play at Pitt this upcoming season.

The Ragin’ Cajuns compete in the Sun Belt and produced former Steeler standout cornerback Ike Taylor. Last season, Louisiana finished 6-7 overall and placed fifth in the West Division with a 3-5 conference record.

Dugger said he thought going into last season he had a chance to have a big year. While playing safety for Georgetown, Dugger finished with three sacks and two interceptions and earned second-team All-Patriot League honors.

“It came across my mind that I thought I could have a breakout year,” Dugger said. “But I really thought about it when I sent some of the video from the season to people I know and asked them what they thought. They thought everything looked good.”

Louisiana contacted Dugger early in the process. They spent the most amount of time recruiting and kept in frequent contact with his mom.

“I liked the coaching staff and the players,” Dugger said. “With the coaches, they felt like a family. Even after I left my visit, the coaches were texting me and calling my mom. They set up regular Zoom calls.”

Dugger moved to Louisiana for the spring semester and was quick to enroll in the Ragin’ Cajuns nutritional program. He feels the plan they have in place has already led to major results for him and his weight training.

Dugger said it hasn’t been hard to stay disciplined.

“It’s not hard because you get all the resources you need,” Dugger said. “They give you your meals and the nutritional goals and goal weight to help cut body fat. Nutrition is the most important part of the game people don’t look at.”

Tags: Penn Hills