Merry Christmas McNeese.

Matt Viator and the Cowboys got a special present under the tree this holiday. 

On Christmas Eve, star running back Jo’shon Barbie announced he would return to McNeese for another season.

Barbie told the Cowboy staff on Tuesday evening of his decision, three weeks after officially entering the transfer portal. Barbie took trips to Tulane and Lamar before making his decision to stay.

“I met with everybody on the coaching staff and they made me feel very confident in what direction they were heading,” said Barbie. “They made me feel comfortable. Now I want to compete for championships.”

After suffering through a case of the fumbles early, Barbie recovered to lead the Cowboys in rushing with 831 yards and eight touchdowns last season.

He entered the portal soon after Gary Goff was fired and replaced by Matt Viator. After testing the transfer waters and meeting with McNeese coaches, Barbie decided to stay a Cowboy.

McNeese hopes that All-American linebacker Micah Davey will make the same decision. Davey also entered the portal and confirmed on social media that he was taking a trip to Texas-El Paso last week.

A return of Davey would be a home run for McNeese, which improved to 6-6 last season mainly due to a strong run game and improved defense.

Barbie earned a scholarship late in the 2023 season when he became the starting running back for McNeese after injuries to others opened the door for him. He played for over a year as a walk-on.

Barbie finished 2024 strong, rushing for 478 yards (119.5 average) over the final four games. In three of those games, he ran for over 100 yards.

“I love the fans,” said Barbie. “They show up no matter what and are great to play in front of. McNeese always felt like home.

“I wanted to see what else was out there. I was surprised with some of the attention I got. In the end, I just have confidence moving forward with McNeese and this coaching staff.”

Hayes Creel, a 6-foot-7, 316-pound offensive lineman, is also electing to return. Last season, the Cowboys’ redshirt sophomore played in all 12 games. 

McNeese also signed players from the portal on Thursday, signing tight end Trevon Bradford from Northwestern State and cornerback Mason Edwards from Utah State. The Cowboys will play Utah State in Week 4 next season in Logan, Utah.

Bradford is a 6-foot-7, 230-pound freshman from Monroe who played very little with the Demons last fall. 

Edwards played two years of junior college at Hutchinson, Kansas, before moving to Utah State last fall. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

On Monday, McNeese got a commitment from linebacker Emauri Sibley from the transfer portal and signed safety Jermaine Hargraves from the College of San Mateo in California.

Sibley is a 5-foot-11, 212-pounder from Zachery who appeared in four games last year for the Jaguars. He finished with four tackles while playing primarily on special teams.

The previous season, as a freshman, he played in 10 games for Arkansas-Monticello and finished with 16 tackles, 10 of them solo.

McNeese officials said they are just waiting on the paperwork for Silbley. Hargreaves played in 11 games for the junior college Bulldogs, ending the season with 29 tackles. 

Saturday, the Cowboys officially added offensive lineman Joseph Cryer to the squad.

Cryer is a 6-foot-3, 316-pound guard who played at Many High School and has three years of college eligibility remaining. He finished his high school career at Natchitoches High.

Cryer played last year at Southern Mississippi before entering the portal after the season. He originally signed to play at LSU, but the Tigers flipped him from Ole Miss, and after a few months of spring ball, he transferred to Southern Miss.

While in high school, Cryer was rated a 3-star prospect by all recruiting services. According to an On3 composite, he was the 28th-best prospect in Louisiana as a senior and No. 68 among all interior linemen nationally. 

Cryer is considered a big get for head coach Matt Viator and the McNeese staff as they try to rebuild the program after five straight seasons of playing .500 or under football. He is also part of the Cowboys’ continuing attempt to bring back local talent.

“Anytime we can bring the Louisiana talent back home, McNeese football is going to be involved in their discussion,” said Cowboy Chief of Staff and recruiting coordinator Aaron Ingram. “There is too much history and too much excitement here for it not to be.”  

Cryer will add to an offensive line that also got back Hayes Creel, a 6-foot-7, 316-pounder who elected to return after initially entering the portal. Last season, the Cowboys’ redshirt sophomore played in all 12 games.   

McNeese also signed players from the portal last Thursday, signing tight end Trevon Bradford from Northwestern State and cornerback Mason Edwards from Utah State. The Cowboys will play Utah State in Week 4 next season in Logan, Utah. Bradford is a 6-foot-7, 230-pound freshman from Monroe who played very little with the Demons last fall.   

Edwards played two years of junior college at Hutchinson, Kansas, before moving to Utah State last fall. He has two years of eligibility remaining.