Top Performers: Louisiana Bootleggers national team tryouts

Louisiana’s rapidly expanding 7-on-7 landscape wasted little time launching into its 2021 routine following the COVID-delayed high school season’s Dec. 30 conclusion. The state’s premier program, the Bootleggers, followed a tryout session for its Southwest Louisiana team Jan. 2 at St. Martinville with its primary tryout for the national squad the next day at St. James. The event drew a wide range of standouts from across Louisiana, including a couple from across state lines — such as one-time LSU-committed cornerback Khamauri Rogers, who returns to the team for the second straight season. A handful of the top performers — including one bonus player of note — included: <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pCyugPYeiMo" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <strong>Javae Gilmore — 6-4, 190 ATH — Amite</strong> Perhaps the biggest question for the next rising star out of Tangipahoa Parish is to which position does he project at the next level. His long, tall frame, with plenty to potentially add to it, suggests Gilmore could grow into not only a tight end or outside linebacker, but even a defensive end. But, even against top cornerbacks at the tryout, he showed the speed and skills on the perimeter to provide as good a wide receiver performance of anyone on hand. <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QWuRZg2MNRo" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <strong>Jace Larsen — 6-1, 165 WR — Jesuit (New Orleans)</strong> Higher-profile recruits such as Gilmore arrived to the event with high expectations to make this year’s elite roster. But several younger players managed to open eyes, raise profiles and provide more of a challenge for one of those 25-30 spots. One of the clearest examples was Larsen, a smooth sophomore from Jesuit who managed to make plays against some of the state’s top defensive backs. <strong>Landry Lyddy — 6-0, 190 QB — Calvary Baptist</strong> Getting back to the field with a different offense and different set of receivers presents its challenges for quarterbacks after months with their high school teams. But the rising senior, fresh off a record-setting state championship game earlier in the week, was the clear leader of the pack despite respectable days from younger counterparts such as 2023 Rummel quarterback Casey Avrard and 2024 Country Day quarterback Dawson Simmons. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="63555" first="Malik" last="Nabers"] —6-0, 180 WR — Southside</strong> The [player_tooltip player_id="63555" first="Malik" last="Nabers"] Tour de Force made the journey further from home to take advantage of the available reps and, even against ramped-up competition, proved once again dominant. LSU took quite a while to come around to extend the scholarship offer to the Southside athlete and ultimately sway him on the morning of his December signing, but, even after being forced to miss his senior season, Nabers continues showing an impressive combination of athleticism, ball skills and competitive, "dog" mentality that figure to make the Tigers thankful they finally did. <strong>Ryan Robinson Jr. — 6-0, 165 DB — Edna Karr</strong> and <strong>Michael Richard — 5-9, 160 DB — Edna Karr</strong> The Cougars’ dynamic sophomore duo fit in well among top defensive performers such as 2022 cornerbacks Rogers and Laterrance Welch. Robinson and Richard are both mature, confident, even-keel and technically sound beyond their young years, willing to be physical with receivers off the line and capable of making plays downfield with the ball in the air. <strong>Laterrance Welch — 6-1, 180 DB — Acadiana</strong> Welch was among those players with half a foot in the door to the roster after being a part of the Bootleggers’ 15U system the previous year and entering this spring with big expectations to be among the leaders of this year’s defense. And he arrived to St. James with the alpha dog mentality and swagger to play the part and backed the attitude up with his physicality and aggressiveness throughout one-on-one drills, including a series of battles with bigger receiver Kody Finley of Ponchatoula.