6 of Louisiana’s highly touted 2023 QB class finish in top 100
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The book has officially closed on the high school careers of Louisiana’s highly touted 2023 quarterback class. Six passers remained in the top 100 of Prep Redzone Louisiana’s final rankings for the cycle, including a trio in the top 10…
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Continue ReadingThe book has officially closed on the high school careers of Louisiana’s highly touted 2023 quarterback class.
Six passers remained in the top 100 of Prep Redzone Louisiana’s final rankings for the cycle, including a trio in the top 10 that appeared to set itself further apart from the cohort’s depth.
No. 1 Arch Manning Arch Manning 6'3" | 190 lbs | QB Newman | 2023 State LA | 6-4, 220 QB | Isidore Newman
Has there every been a high school prospects under a bigger microscope, spotlight and finely toothed scrutinization than the heir to the Manning quarterbacking lineage? Arch began high school with an absurd amount of attention and hype due in no small part to his family’s name. And, due probably in no small part to having a famous name, some fans and media seemed quicker and more comfortable to criticize any shortcoming they could find. He didn’t complete the mission of finally bringing the Greenies its first football state championship. But that achievement eluded even Peyton and Eli, and they turned out just fine.
Arch did surpass his uncles’ passing records, though, and finished his career with 8,599 yards and 115 touchdowns to 20 interceptions (a 5.75-to-1 ratio) on 637-for-994 (64.1%) passing with another 1,155 rushing yards and 25 scores on 153 carries (7.5 yards per attempt) for school records of 9,754 total yards and 140 total touchdowns. He made great decisions and impressive plays from the pocket and on the move, showed great poise, character and leadership on and off the field and helped lead his Class 2A team to a 34-9 record overall in four years, including 12-0 against Class 4A and 5A opponents, despite often being overmatched in other areas on the field. Manning arrived to Texas this semester well-equipped with all the physical and mental tools to be a special quarterback for a long time and should be fun to watch continue to develop.
No. 4 Eli Holstein Eli Holstein 6'3" | 215 lbs | QB Zachary | 2023 State LA | 6-4, 220 QB | Zachary
The conversation between Manning and Holstein always tended to feel closer in reality than the national headlines made appear to be the case. The son of former LSU player Scott Holstein and younger brother of former St. Thomas More star and Louisiana Tech signee Caleb Holstein, Eli carries with him his own high-level football IQ and swagger to go with his big body, big arm and multi-sport athleticism that all tested off the charts at combine events during his high school career. And, before heading to Alabama this winter, he also won big at Louisiana’s highest high school levels. Holstein three for 5,720 yards, 54 touchdowns and 11 interceptions (a 4.9-to-1 ratio) and rushed for another 1,037 yards and 23 touchdowns as a three-year starter for Class 5A Zachary, including the perennial power’s first undefeated state championship as a junior.
No. 10 Rickie Collins Rickie Collins 6'3" | 180 lbs | QB Woodlawn (Baton Rouge) | 2023 State LA | 6-3, 185 QB | Woodlawn (Baton Rouge)
Without the “Manning” name or the Zachary track record, Collins did not garner the same attention at least early on as his fellow Power Five-bound peers — until he made himself impossible to ignore with continued development and one monster performance or electric highlight after another. Collins arrived to high school with a swagger and leadership to which people gravitated and a hyper-athletic and -competitive nature that made him a football, basketball and baseball standout for much of his high school career. Even as an underclassman, coaches praised his understanding and dissecting of the game as though he was another coach in game preparation and on the field. He continued to work with coach Marcus Randall, a former LSU quarterback, to become a more technically sound, polished and patient dual-threat playmaker. And, before he graduated early to enroll with the hometown Tigers, he and his talented 2023 classmates helped make the Panthers’ program relevant on a new level with college attention, an upset of Catholic (Baton Rouge) and a playoff win as juniors and a nationally televised matchup with Holstein and the Broncos as seniors.
No. 54 Czavian Teasett Czavian Teasett 6'3" | 195 lbs | QB Scotlandville | 2023 State LA | 6-4, 195 QB | Scotlandville
Two of Louisiana’s top senior quarterbacks ultimately decided to stay in Baton Rouge, as Scotlandville passer and leader “Zae” Teasett announced in February his decision to sign just a short walk up the road at Southern University. His high school career began under the tutelage of former LSU and Tulane quarterback Lester Ricard Jr. as a poised leader of an offense headlined by a standout running back duo. Teasett made good decisions, limited mistakes and made enough big throws and timely plays with his legs to garner recruiting interest from programs such as Ole Miss, Arkansas, Kansas and Louisiana Tech. And the multi-sport standout, who is also among the Hornets’ powerhouse basketball team’s top players, became an even more confident and creative playmaker later in his career with his extension of plays and ability to often turn little-to-nothing into sudden big gains with his strong arm, decision-making and elusiveness.
No. 64 Reese Mooney Reese Mooney 6'2" | 185 lbs | QB Denham Springs | 2023 State LA | 6-1, 205 QB | Denham Springs
Liberty ultimately landed the one-time Houston baseball and one-time Vanderbilt football commitment in this December’s early signing period. The dual-sport standout was arguably the state’s most heavily recruited quarterback early in the 2023 group’s careers — with the Manning family trying to stave off as much of the inevitable attention heading Arch’s way until later. Mooney’s high school career was hampered by injuries, and he took some time to mature through those setbacks and under the tough love of his Denham Springs coaches. But he has an arm to make any throw on the field and good mobility in and out of the pocket and heads to this summer to both a program in the Flames and a coach in Jamey Chadwell, hired from Coastal Carolina, that have developed quarterbacks and offenses at a high level outside of the Power Five.
No. 71 Kamron Evans Kamron Evans 6'3" | 190 lbs | QB Huntington | 2023 State LA | 6-3, 210 QB | Huntington
One of a couple highly decorated northwest Louisiana standouts headed to Texas Southern, the Huntington star finishes his high school career with program records in both passing yards and passing touchdowns after being among the state’s leaders at the position the past two years. As an upperclassman, Evans completed 353 of his 585 passes (60.3%) for 5,916 yards (16.8 yards per completion and 10.1 yards per attempt) and 68 touchdowns to 14 interceptions (a 4.9-to-1 ratio). Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, Houston and Arkansas State were among other programs to show interest in Evans during his recruiting process.