Catching up with Louisiana’s top 2023 QBs

Many of Louisiana’s top 2023 quarterbacks have been on the recruiting radar since freshman year or, in a couple cases, even middle school. But with less than six months remaining until the early signing period, only three of the state’s top passing prospects are committed at the moment — one nearly nine months ago and the other for less than a month after having previously backed off another pledge. Here’s the latest on the nine rising senior quarterbacks ranked in the state’s top 100 prospects overall during the last update. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138484" first="Arch" last="Manning"] — 6-3, 190 QB — Newman</strong> Fans and media — and other quarterbacks — around the country anxiously awaited the eventual college decision from the heir to the Manning quarterback throne, in many ways, his entire high school career. And likely the most old-school and close-to-the-vest process we’ve seen in modern recruiting wound down late last week with the first-ever post to a Twitter account created just months ago. Manning has chosen to join coach Steve Sarkisian at Texas rather than reigning national champion Georgia, perennial power Alabama, home-state LSU or the generational legacies at Ole Miss. He will instead compete against those traditional SEC members later in his career when the Longhorns join the league. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138485" first="Eli" last="Holstein"] — 6-3, 215 QB — Zachary</strong> The big, athletic Class 5A state champion and offensive MVP committed to Alabama in late May — amid the public spat between Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher — a couple months after backing off a prior pledge to Texas A&amp;M. While players can’t officially sign their letters of intent until December, Holstein appears destined for Tuscaloosa. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138486" first="Rickie" last="Collins"] — 6-3, 180 QB — Woodlawn (Baton Rouge)</strong> The other of Louisiana’s clear top three quarterbacks has now been committed to Purdue for nearly nine months despite some skeptics around the state questioning whether he would indeed stick with a play to head that far north for college. The relationship and rapport between Collins and the Boilermakers coaches remains strong, but schools in the southeast will continue to push for a potential late flip in his recruitment. Collins was among the headline guests on a long list of Louisiana prospects to visit Florida State this month, and LSU appears to be slowly turning the heat back up with Holstein committed to Alabama, Manning to Texas, California five-star Jaden Reshada to Miami and Michigan five-star Dante Moore seeming likely headed elsewhere. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138487" first="Reese" last="Mooney"] — 6-2, 185 QB — Denham Springs</strong> The two-sport standout was a one-time Houston baseball commitment for a year as an underclassman before seeing his football recruitment explode as a sophomore. His junior year proved an emotional rollercoaster as he took the reins of the offense as the clear starter, suffered a season-ending injury, announced a commitment to Vanderbilt in December, but reopened his recruitment in May. Mooney was healthy again throughout spring practice to prepare for the final season together for him and the Yellow Jackets’ talented 2023 class, and he dived back into the recruiting process this summer, including a notable visit to Liberty. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="142562" first="Kamron" last="Evans"] — 6-3, 190 QB — Huntington</strong> The first half of June was less football-heavy for Evans, as he and his family have coped with multiple recent losses. But the talented passer with the big arm and prolific numbers has started to ramp back up, organizing his own youth football camp last week and heading to college camps this week at Sam Houston and Arkansas State. Several programs began monitoring Evans last year, including such notables as Ole Miss, Oklahoma State and Houston. And a big senior season could still open a lot of additional doors. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138489" first="Czavian" last="Teasett"] — 6-3, 195 QB — Scotlandville</strong> The Hornets’ longtime starter has camped at LSU, Tulane and Jackson State thus far this month, has Troy next on the schedule this weekend and continues to hear steadily from Nicholls State and Southeastern Louisiana. Teasett is still determining what other visits he may take this summer or on Saturdays this fall. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138490" first="Mason" last="Welch"] — 6-3, 220 QB — Northwood (Shreveport)</strong> Welch picked up his first two offers in April from Louisiana Christian and Northwestern State and has remained active this summer with camps at Northwestern State, Louisiana (Lafayette), LSU, Southern Miss and Stephen F. Austin and visits to Louisiana (Lafayette), ULM and Southern Miss. Others schools remaining in contact include Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State, Lamar and Houston. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138491" first="Gray" last="Walters"] — 6-3, 175 QB — Benton</strong> Another underrated passer from the northwest corner of the state, Walters may be Louisiana’s most underrated rising senior quarterback. He completed 163 of his 282 attempts (57.8%) this past fall for 2,247 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushed 47 rimes for another 235 yards and four scores, and has traveled to camps and campuses around the Gulf South, including west to SMU and north to Southern Arkansas where he earned a Division-II offer. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138488" first="AJ" last="Samuel"] — 6-0, 170 QB — Edna Karr</strong> Even this offseason, the Cougars’ veteran has been primarily focused on helped his team navigate its rise to Class 5A and the ultra-competitive Catholic League district. Samuel has only taken time away to attend camps where he has felt the most interest shown by the college programs, including Southern Miss, South Alabama, UNC Charlotte and LSU, where all in-state schools send coaches. He hopes to get back to Northwestern State and Arkansas State at some point as well as he prepares to make an informed decision.