Eight less-covered, under-the-radar standouts from Pylon NOLA
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Prep Redzone Louisiana caught visited Pylon 7v7’s annual New Orleans tournament this weekend in Mandeville. The event included a mixture of in-state and out-of-state teams with largely under-the-radar rosters. Here were eight eye-catchers who are either ranked outside the latest…
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Continue ReadingPrep Redzone Louisiana caught visited Pylon 7v7’s annual New Orleans tournament this weekend in Mandeville.
The event included a mixture of in-state and out-of-state teams with largely under-the-radar rosters.
Here were eight eye-catchers who are either ranked outside the latest top 100 of their respective classes or have yet to be ranked.
Justin Chatman Justin Chatman 5'10" | 170 lbs | RB Covington | 2024 State LA | 5-10, 170 RB | Covington
“Speedy” slipped just outside the top 100 in the latest rankings update with limited footage available from a shortened junior season, but was one of the clear standouts for a Bootleggers at the event. The roster for the tournament was pieced together from a mixture of its various regional teams for an opportunity for more under-the-radar local talents to earn reps, competition and highlights, so the group was working on its chemistry on the fly. But regardless of which of a pair of 2025 quarterbacks in Loranger’s Colton Morris Colton Morris 6'0" | 205 lbs | QB Loranger | 2025 State LA or Calvary Baptist’s Abram Wardell Abram Wardell 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB Calvary Baptist | 2025 State LA was piloting the offense, Chatman was a consistent safety valve on short catch-and-runs, while also taking advantage of opportunities to showcase more of his route-running and receiving skills on a few deeper routes and balls in the air.
Jeremiah Clark Jeremiah Clark 5'10" | 170 lbs | DB Helen Cox | 2024 State LA | 5-10, 170 DB | Helen Cox
The Helen Cox cornerback is another New Orleans area rising senior who has teetered around the top-100 of Louisiana’s 2024 class and made some big plays this weekend for the Bootleggers. The vocal Clark, the nephew of former LSU and NFL safety Ryan Clark and cousin of current Arizona State defensive back Jordan Clark, brought much of the energy to the defense and made a few big deflections in the red zone and highlighting a three-and-out in a back-and-forth third game of pool play.
Brodie DuMontier Brodie DuMontier 6'0" | 170 lbs | WR Brother Martin | 2026 State LA | 5-11, 165 WR | Brother Martin
The young pass-catcher hasn’t been ranked yet, but will be once the first 2026 list comes out this week. DuMontier earned his way onto the field this fall for his Brother Martin team, which was making its first run to a state championship game in three decades and he has continued to work on his body and his game this spring. DuMontier has grown another inch and 5-10 pounds in the past few months and looked confident and smooth in his routes and ball skills Saturday in his first appearance with the 18U group.
Adravien Harness | 6-1, 160 WR/ATH | St. Helena
Harness is a two-way standout for his Hawks during the fall and may be more of a defensive back prospect for the next level, but was a particularly standout receiver for Elite Skills during the local squad’s comeback defeat of the Bootleggers in the Louisiana teams’ third game of pool play. Harness was a big, physical athlete running through press coverage or battling and positioning his way to receptions in tight coverage, including a leaping grab of a jump-ball go-ahead touchdown in the final minutes.
Hayward Howard Jr. Hayward Howard Jr. 6'1" | 160 lbs | DB Edna Karr | 2026 State LA | 5-10, 150 DB | Warren Easton
Another New Orleans freshman scheduled to debut in Prep Redzone Louisiana’s 2026 rankings later this week, Howard also made his Bootleggers debut Saturday. The Easton cornerback is a long, rangy athlete whose coaches see bigtime potential — which speaks volumes given the Eagles’ recent track record of production from the secondary which includes a long list of college talents. And he looked the part early on.
Caden Jacob | 6-2, 195 QB | Mandeville
The Skippers’ quarterback led the local Elite Skills squad that topped the Bootleggers in the final game of pool play. Jacob has good size and showed a good combination of patience in taking what the defense gave him and quick, decisive throws to hit his receivers in stride on their routes. And with his team trailing on each of its final two possessions and time running low, he showed poise and accuracy on a pivotal third-down toss to Harness and a final deep bomb to Amite athlete Christian Smith.
Darnell O’Quinn Darnell O’Quinn 5'11" | 150 lbs | WR John Ehret | 2024 State LA | 5-11, 150 WR | Helen Cox
Clark’s high school teammate has been one of the largely under-the-radar 2024 prospects starting to generate some buzz this spring, including now two tournaments in March with the Bootleggers with an offer from nearby Nicholls State and visit to hometown Tulane in between. O’Quinn has high-level explosive and quickness that he uses to run himself open all over the field. The reliable-handed O’Quinn joined Chatman as one of the team’s most consistent pass-catchers.
Marshawn Whitley | 6-0, 165 WR/ATH | Franklin Parish
Javion White Javion White 5'11" | 180 lbs | ATH Franklin Parish | 2024 State LA , a 2024 Franklin Parish standout who debuted in the latest rankings update at No. 77, continued an impressive spring as, once again, one of the top players on his squad in a given tournament. But this weekend marked Prep Redzone Louisiana’s first time watching White’s Patriots teammate, Marshawn Whitley, and fellow rising senior provided one of the highlights of the weekend with — as one of the biggest players on the field — a catch, quick stop, juke of defenders and then burst upfield for additional yardage. Whitley will be a name to keep an eye on for the summer rankings update entering his final high school season.