Louisiana Playoffs: 8 underclassmen prime for breakout postseason

The talent developing through the Louisiana high school ranks at the moment is impressive and noteworthy. Even for a state already known for being such a talent-rich recruiting ground. The 2022 class is one of Louisiana’s best in years from top-end stars such as [player_tooltip player_id="136477" first="Jacoby" last="Mathews"], [player_tooltip player_id="136546" first="Will" last="Campbell"], [player_tooltip player_id="127700" first="Walker" last="Howard"] and [player_tooltip player_id="136573" first="Quency" last="Wiggins"] to the depth of well over 100 prospects who could compete somewhere on the Division-I level of college. Their 2023 juniors have been anxiously awaited for years because of the rare potential at quarterback, a position where the state has not produced as well, but have started to show their strengths all over the field. And one youngster after another in the 2024 or 2025 class appears to emerge as the early leaders in those classes. Several underclassmen — such as 2024 Warren Easton cornerback [player_tooltip player_id="139491" first="Wallace" last="Foster"] IV, 2025 University Lab athlete [player_tooltip player_id="144905" first="Keylan" last="Moses"], 2024 De La Salle linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="139490" first="Keidrick" last="Richardson"] and 2024 Many defensive back [player_tooltip player_id="139482" first="Tylen" last="Singleton"] — have already garnered notable college attention and offers. The next waves will continue following suit as this season winds down, more film starts circulating and more players are able to hit the camp and 7-on-7 circuits. The next month offers a high-stakes postseason springboard to help their names gain some momentum and their highlight reels add a few more plays. Here are eight of the top underclassmen — although they won’t be alone — to watch for potential breakout performances and stock rises during these playoffs. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="139480" first="Brennon" last="Thompson"] — 6-0, 175 ATH — East Ascension (2024)</strong> The younger cousin of high-profile 2022 prospect [player_tooltip player_id="128240" first="Shazz" last="Preston"] of St. James has been a fantastic three-phase playmaker for his Spartans this season as a sophomore and should begin garnering notable buzz from some Power Five programs sooner than later. An opening-round road trip to Southside in Lafayette followed by an intriguing matchup with top-seeded Zachary and Texas A&amp;M quarterback commitment [player_tooltip player_id="138485" first="Eli" last="Holstein"] will give ’em at least a pair of bigger stages to showcase his talent and mettle. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="139626" first="Fred" last="Robertson"] — 5-9, 180 RB — Warren Easton (2024)</strong> The big underclassman name for the Eagles, the aforementioned Foster, already holds a slew of big scholarship offers, including in-state LSU. But he also is far from alone in talent coming through 3019 Canal Street for the 2024 and 2025 classes. One of his classmates who could enjoy a big boost from this postseason is Robertson, the shifty and versatile little running back who started to garner some notoriety around New Orleans this regular season, but should see that recognition grow even farther as the stakes and attention ratchet up this postseason. <strong>Harry Beacham — 6-0, 195 LB — University Lab (2024)</strong> Similar to Robertson and Foster, Beacham is overshadowed by an elite teammate in Moses. But the Cubs’ other underclassman linebacker is a good-looking young prospect who has had a strong sophomore season flying around the field, disrupting plays in the backfield and taking advantage of the attention opposing offenses have to pay Moses and their talented older teammates. His role in such a loaded defense and clear favorite in Division II should allot opportunities to make big plays well into the postseason and place himself firmly on more media and coach radars before stepping into increasingly more prominent roles the next two years. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="145331" first="Semaj" last="Pierre"] — 5-6, 160 ATH — Madison Prep (2025)</strong> A pair of two-way juniors in [player_tooltip player_id="138318" first="David" last="Jones"] and [player_tooltip player_id="188945" first="Treylan" last="James"] figured to be the leaders in replacing the many graduated weapons of Louisiana (Lafayette) quarterback commitment [player_tooltip player_id="127757" first="Zeon" last="Chriss"]. But the young freshman has immediately played a role beyond his years in his first high school season with 35 catches for 672 receiving yards and six touchdowns. The Chargers won the Class 3A state championship last season, including a dominant 50-0 title game, as a No. 9 seed, so their No. 8 seed this time around is no cause for doubt. And if Madison Prep can manage another postseason roll, Pierre will continue to figure prominently. <strong>Melvin Hills III — 6-4, 260 — Lafayette Christian (2024)</strong> The big defensive lineman looks like one of the Knights’ next big prospects when the talented 2022 class led by [player_tooltip player_id="136581" first="Fitzgerald" last="West"] Jr., [player_tooltip player_id="136630" first="Jordan" last="Allen"], [player_tooltip player_id="136632" first="Brylan" last="Green"] and [player_tooltip player_id="136610" first="Masey" last="Lewis"] graduate. Hills already looks the part, even as a sophomore, and gained a lot of experience against a challenging schedule, including some top Class 5A opponents. So he should be more than ready for some big plays in big moments for a team widely expected to complete its fifth straight state championship run. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="139481" first="Jeremiah" last="James"] — 5-10, 180 RB — Many (2024)</strong> Senior [player_tooltip player_id="136796" first="London" last="Williams"] is the lead ball-carrier for reigning Class 2A champion and once-again favorite Many. But the Tigers also have a heck of an underclassman complement and up-and-coming star at the position in [player_tooltip player_id="139481" first="Jeremiah" last="James"]. The sophomore provides an explosive option at the position likely to break a couple big runs over the course of what figures to be another deep run by one of Louisiana’s top small-school programs. <strong>Xavier Atkins — 6-1, 190 LB — Jonesboro-Hodge (2024)</strong> Another set of Tigers in Class 2A, though boasting some proud history, haven’t been nearly as prominent in recent years, including a combined 6-10 record the previous two seasons. But Jonesboro-Hodge opened the playoffs with a No. 7 seed, its highest in school history, and favored to win its first playoff game since 2018 and potentially reach its first quarterfinal since 2017. And their star linebacker, already having a breakout sophomore campaign, has played a big role in that success. Atkins already bears really strong size and build for his age and flies around the field with impressive speed, too. He is the state’s known leader in tackles with 167 in nine regular-season games — including 22 for loss and six sacks — and could very well top the 200-tackle mark. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="139492" first="Lavorziesa" last="Houston"] — 6-3, 190 DL — Calvary Baptist (2024)</strong> The Cavaliers could have potentially provided eight players for this list on their own — a dynamic that should be encouraging for the program and its fans when star quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="127701" first="Landry" last="Lyddy"] graduates, if all that young talent can find a way to mature to fill the major leadership shoes he’ll leave behind. Sophomore wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id="139473" first="Aubrey" last="Hermes"] is the lead receiver, but a little more known than some of the others after his touchdown in last year’s state championship game. And Houston and 2025 athlete [player_tooltip player_id="144896" first="Julius" last="Moss"] may be the two highest-profile names by the time they’re all upperclassmen. Houston is a tall, long and quick defensive end already capable of providing matchup problems at the Division IV level. And as he continues to mature physically and perfect his craft, he should see some notable college opportunities come his way.