Where Louisiana’s first handful of 2023 commitments are heading

Louisiana’s talented 2023 class officially moved to the forefront this month as most Division-I college programs wrapped up their high school signings for the 2022 cycle. The coming months — and summer in particular — will see a long list of prospects offers receive long lists of scholarship offers and announce their commitments. A handful of the best have already pledged their talented, including three members of the highly regarded quarterback class. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138485" first="Eli" last="Holstein"] — 6-3, 215 QB — Zachary — Texas A&amp;M</strong> The star quarterback committed to Texas A&amp;M last summer to try to finish with any recruiting distractions before attempting to lead his Broncos to a state championship. He and his teammates completed that mission — in undefeated fashion for the first time — and Aggies fans watched plenty of exciting highlights from the athletic, strong-armed passer unfold in the process. Holstein completed 204 of his 313 pass attempts (65.2 percent) for 3,228 yards, 30 touchdowns and six interceptions and rushed 65 times for another 518 yards and 14 scores to earn Offensive Outstanding Player and Louisiana MaxPreps Player of the Year honors in Class 5A. The fall went far less smoothly just a few short miles down the highway at LSU, which extended an offer the spring of his freshman year before his recruitment exploded. And a new regime under former Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly has changed dynamics for many prospects and their families making college decisions. But a potential change of plans for Holstein to land closer to home would still seem like an uphill battle. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138439" first="Omarion" last="Miller"] — 6-2, 195 WR — North Caddo — LSU</strong> LSU’s lone 2023 commitment is the smooth-striding, high-leaping pass-catcher in the northwest corner of the state. The multisport standout started to realize his sky-high football ceiling during an impressive sophomore year, and colleges weren’t far behind to the same realization. The home-state Tigers joined that list as soon as they were able to see him in person at camp last June, and his pledge followed soon thereafter. Miller has already drawn some comparisons to notable former LSU stars, including Terrace Marshall Jr.; become one of the most high-profile athletes his community has ever produced and helped raise more attention for his talented teammates. He caught 76 passes his junior season for 1,502 yards and 20 touchdowns en route to Class 2A all-state honors. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138486" first="Rickie" last="Collins"] — 6-3, 180 QB — Woodlawn (Baton Rouge) — Purdue</strong> Another talented quarterback prospect currently planning to head out of state for college, Collins announced his commitment to Purdue in October. His recruitment began taking off last February and continued escalating over the summer, including an LSU offer. But the Boilermakers stood out to Collins throughout the process, particularly following visits to West Lafayette, Ind. He completed 119 of his 182 pass attempts this season for 1,930 yards, 16 touchdowns and three interceptions to earn all-district and all-state honors and led the Panthers to the program’s first playoff victory since 2010. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138304" first="Kam" last="Franklin"] — 6-3, 185 DB — Oak Grove (Oklahoma State)</strong> The versatile, multisport athlete in northeast Louisiana caught the early attention of then-LSU cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator Corey Raymond — now at Florida — last March. A slew of other colleges quickly joined the mix, though, including Oklahoma State and defensive graduate assistant Michael Hunter Jr., who grew up in (relatively) nearby Richwood and West Monroe. Franklin recorded 64 tackles, four sacks, four interceptions, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries, while also scoring two return touchdowns and four more scores on offense during his junior campaign, then committed to the Cowboys immediately after the season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138487" first="Reese" last="Mooney"] — 6-2, 185 QB — Denham Springs (Vanderbilt)</strong> As many headlines as [player_tooltip player_id="138484" first="Arch" last="Manning"], Holstein and eventually Collins have dominated in Louisiana’s strong quarterback class, Mooney may have drawn as many early scholarship offers as anyone and has continued to be among the state’s most heavily pursued passers. His continued development and handle of the Yellow Jackets’ offense built up excitement for a junior season on which he would take the reins full-time before an early injury put some of those expectations on hold. His recruiting process carried on, nonetheless, and he announced his pledge to Vanderbilt in the SEC in November — coincidentally on the same day as Franklin’s pledge to Oklahoma State.