Louisiana 2024 Rankings Update: 10 top-35 debuts
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Louisiana’s 2024 recruiting class has started to come into much clearer focus entering the group’s junior season. Several standouts burst onto the recruiting radar or swiftly up the rankings with strong spring and summer performances, including 10 new faces in…
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Continue ReadingLouisiana’s 2024 recruiting class has started to come into much clearer focus entering the group’s junior season.
Several standouts burst onto the recruiting radar or swiftly up the rankings with strong spring and summer performances, including 10 new faces in the top 35 alone of Prep Redzone’s updated list.
Here’s more information on that group that features some notable Power Five potential.
Kylan Billiot Kylan Billiot 6'3" | 185 lbs | WR Terrebonne | 2024 State LA — 6-4, 185 WR — Terrebonne
The big, athletic target looked like one of the best prospects on hand this summer during LSU’s Elite Prospects Camps in mid-June and sounds like he’s entering his junior year more focused on football as a priority and plan for his future than ever before. The Bayou Region — and even Terrebonne High in particular — has produced some impressive recent talent, and Billiot has the high-level look of the next big prospect to come out of the area.
Sandy Lewis Sandy Lewis 6'2" | 235 lbs | LB Lafayette Christian | 2024 State LA — 6-2, 225 LB — Lafayette Christian
Opponents were probably eager for the Knights’ 2022 class — a deep group led by defensive backs Brylan Green and Jordan Allen — to graduate. But one on-field or recruiting-trail breakthrough after another during the past year has quickly elevated the profile of the program’s 2024 class. The younger brother of McNeese State signee Masey Lewis, the Outstanding Player in Lafayette Christian’s 2020 state championship victory, has started to look like one of the headliners. Alabama and Texas A&M offers and LSU interested highlighted his summer, and a lot of eyes will be on his this fall to take a step forward in a bigger role on Friday nights.
Makylon Smothers Makylon Smothers 6'3" | 180 lbs | WR Destrehan | 2024 State LA — 6-3, 180 WR — Destrehan
The talented, senior-led Wildcats team enters this fall expected to be among the best in the state and a top contender for the Class 5A state championship, and a deep receiving corps is among the position groups of strength. The long, lean and athletic pass-catcher isn’t as well-known on the recruiting trail yet as his senior teammates or even the sophomore duo of Johnnie Thiel IV Johnnie Thiel IV 6'0" | 170 lbs | WR Destrehan | 2025 State LA and Philip Wright III, but should be poised for a major breakout sooner than later.
Koby Young Koby Young 6'1" | 180 lbs | WR Holy Cross | 2024 State LA — 6-0, 180 WR — Holy Cross
North Carolina (Charlotte), Texas Tech, Tulane, Troy, Louisiana Tech and LSU all extended offers to the dynamic playmaker in a span of about five weeks this summer. Young is fast; makes sharp, explosive cuts in his routes or with the ball in his hands; and makes strong plays on the ball in the air even in tight coverage.
Dominick McKinley Dominick McKinley 6'5" | 275 lbs | DL Acadiana | 2024 State LA — 6-5, 270 DL — Acadiana
The big defensive tackle has the potential to be a disruptive force for the always-stout Wreckin’ Rams defense the next two years and at the next level. McKinley moves notably well for his size, is strong and uses his hands well to shed blockers and stop rushers dead in their tracks. Rushing yards should be difficult to come by this fall for Acadiana’s opponents, and the big man in the middle should also be able to add a couple pass-rush highlights along the way as well.
Masion Vorise — 5-11, 170 DB — Denham Springs
Mississippi State, Florida State and Tulane have been among the first college programs to start recruiting the lockdown cornerback from Livingston Parish. Vorise shadows opposing wide receivers with his quick feet and fluid hips and excels making plays on the ball in the air with good timing, leaping and hands to high-point and haul away interceptions.
Albert Smith III Albert Smith III 6'2" | 205 lbs | LB Ponchatoula | 2024 State LA — 6-2, 205 LB — Ponchatoula
Smith is a great-looking athlete who is explosive and fast enough to consistently beat tackles and running backs off the edge and physical enough to battle through and off the blocks that do manage to get a hand on him. Nebraska and Baylor became the first two programs to extend scholarship offers in April and June, respectively.
Ahmad Breaux Ahmad Breaux 6'3" | 260 lbs | DL Ruston | 2024 State LA — 6-4, 245 DL — Ruston
Local programs Louisiana Tech and Grambling State became the first two programs to offer Breaux in March and June, respectively, and he’s also been on the radars of LSU, Tulane, Louisiana (Lafayette), Mississippi State and Texas Tech among others. The long, explosive athlete with quick feet and hands is among the top players on a Bearcats team that has a change to make major noise in Class 5A.
Krosse Johnson Krosse Johnson 5'9" | 170 lbs | WR Holy Cross | 2024 State LA — 5-9, 170 WR — Holy Cross
The multisport standout earned his first scholarship offer in June from Texas Tech and should soon have plenty other colleges in pursuit of the electric potential he brings to the football field. Johnson boasts a 4.38-second 40-yard dash and state-title 10.54- and 21.07-second 100- and 200-meter dashes, respectively, that make him a constant home-run threat over the top of the defense or with the ball in his hands.
Mitch Hodnett Mitch Hodnett 6'5" | 280 lbs | OL Sterlington | 2024 State LA — 6-5, 280 OL — Sterlington
Sterlington figures to be among Louisiana’s top teams again this fall with high expectations of following up this past winter’s Class 3A state championship run with a big offensive line and dominant rushing attack among the top reasons. The Panthers’ big tackle started making the recruiting rounds this spring and summer with offers from ULM, Memphis and Kansas State and additional stops at LSU, Louisiana (Lafayette), Oklahoma, TCU and McNeese State.