Versatility, consistency highlight Ladler’s first season for LA Tech

“Pitch it. Pitch it.”

Two words, once repeated, led to one of the most memorable plays of Louisiana Tech’s unconventional 2020 football season.

Trailing 3-0, the visiting UAB Blazers faced a third-and-5 just outside of LA Tech’s red zone. UAB quarterback Bryson Lucero stepped back, looked right and then overshot a pass into the waiting arms of Tech’s BeeJay Williamson.

Instead of going down, Williamson heard Bulldogs’ safety Khalil Ladler calling for the ball. Williamson trusted his teammate, and Ladler took care of the rest, streaking down the sideline for a game-changing 81-yard pick six.

“First, when BeeJay caught it, I was just seeing the way he was getting spun around and I felt like he could stay up and pitch the ball,” Ladler said. “I saw nobody was around, so somehow, we made that connection and I was like ‘pitch it, pitch it.’

“He felt like he could pitch it, so he just pitched it to me and I went and scored from there.”

Despite falling behind 31-17 in the third quarter, Louisiana Tech rallied with 14 points in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime. Under a full moon on Halloween night, the Bulldogs prevailed behind Jacob Barnes’ game-winning field goal in double overtime.

The victory provided the Bulldogs some momentum heading into the month of November. What Tech didn’t foresee, however, was that its home triumph on Oct. 31 would be the last game it has played in the past 27 days. With the uncertainty surrounding college football this season, team leaders had to instill consistency and patience throughout the locker room.

Ladler, a graduate transfer from Virginia Tech, embodies that.

“He’s not a guy who rides the emotional roller coaster up and down,” head coach Skip Holtz said. “He’s consistent and steady, and that’s one way he brings value as an upperclassman.

“Some of our underclassmen can look at Khalil’s consistency and learn so much from him. They might all be there physically, but he’s here mentally every day.”

The pick six, which received much attention on social media, has only added to Ladler’s consistent play on the field this year. The Stone Mountain, Georgia native has logged three games this season with six or more tackles, including two contests with four solo stops each.

Ladler’s play-making ability, however, shined long before he arrived at Louisiana Tech over the summer. After earning 5A All-State honors as a junior at Stephenson High School, the former four-star recruit played his senior year at the star-studded IMG Academy. In the 2020 NFL Draft alone, 11 IMG Academy alumni or trainees were selected in the draft, including four selections in the first round.

“It was a good experience, and there was a lot of talent on that team,” Ladler said. “That’s the most talented team I played with during high school, and it was good knowing guys from different states and just competing with them every day.

“It made you a better player in high school. You usually don’t get that much talent in high school.”

Ladler continued his football career at Virginia Tech, starting 11 games as a redshirt sophomore. He had to redshirt his freshman year due to a knee injury, but he said his first year in Blacksburg, Virginia, helped him recover, get stronger in the weight room and learn from veteran players ahead of him.

His redshirt year paid off in 2017 when he appeared in all 13 games and made two starts at cornerback in a 9-4 season for the Hokies. Ladler built on his 2017 season just one year later, finishing the 2018 season with 66 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He also set a new career high with 12 tackles against Georgia Tech, an opponent from his home state.

Ladler’s versatility at Virginia Tech also expanded onto special teams, which the Virginia Tech football program has taken pride in since its days with Frank Beamer as head coach. Rotating who gets to wear the No. 25 jersey on special teams is a new Virginia Tech tradition to honor Beamer, who donned the number during his playing days.

The former Hokie and current Bulldog earned the honor not once, but twice.

“I had the honor of wearing that number twice,” Ladler said. “The first time I got to wear it was during a prime-time game against Notre Dame, and that was a good experience.

“The last time I got to wear it was back in my home state against Georgia Tech.”

Ladler’s strong play and respect in the locker room at Virginia Tech attracted the attention of Louisiana Tech, which was where he was supposed to take his first official visit this past spring. Ladler, however, was unable to visit LA Tech due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Instead of visiting coaches in person, he spoke with Bulldogs’ coaches remotely. Ladler decided to join the Bulldogs because of his conversations with the LA Tech coaching staff and his own research.

When Ladler arrived at Louisiana Tech in the summer, it was the first time he had ever visited Ruston. In some ways, he said Ruston’s small-town feel reminded him of Blacksburg. To ease his transition to a new town and program, he spent time getting to know other members of Louisiana Tech’s secondary. Upperclassmen such as Zach Hannibal and Jaiden Cole helped welcome Ladler to the LA Tech Family.

Even though he lined up mostly at corner at Virginia Tech, Ladler earned the starting nod at safety in the Bulldogs’ season opener at Southern Miss. He didn’t disappoint in his first game in a Bulldog uniform, tying for third on the team with six total tackles.

“One of the things that we loved about him is that we knew we had the seven seniors walking out the door, and we needed an upperclassman that could contribute,” Holtz said. “He can play corner, he can play safety and he can play nickel.

“He brings a lot of flexibility to your defense. He can play a lot of different places because he’s really smart and he’s really committed to his trade.”

Ladler has adjusted well to his new role in the secondary, starting all seven games at safety and ranking sixth on the team with 29 total tackles. After earning a starting role with his second program, he said he couldn’t pick out a favorite moment. While Ladler’s pick six may seem like the obvious choice, the opportunity to suit up with his teammates in the first place is a blessing in its own right.

“This season has been up and down, and each game has its own moments,” Ladler said. “I just take each game as a blessing to play because some games you might not even have the chance to play.

“Each game is good just to play.”