Louisiana’s top 2024 prospects countdown: Nos. 20 to 11
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Prep Redzone Louisiana will release its updated 2024 rankings this week, including a new top prospect at No. 1. Leading up to the complete, 200-player list on Thursday, we will count down the top 30 in greater detail. And make…
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Continue ReadingPrep Redzone Louisiana will release its updated 2024 rankings this week, including a new top prospect at No. 1.
Leading up to the complete, 200-player list on Thursday, we will count down the top 30 in greater detail.
And make sure to check back throughout the week following the release for additional features and positional breakdowns.
Read more about Nos. 20-11 below.
No. 20 KJ Daniels KJ Daniels 5'10" | 155 lbs | WR Bowling Green | 2024 State LA | 5-10, 155 WR | Franklinton
Franklinton’s mascot is fitting for its rising senior standout, because Daniels is an absolute speed Demon and home-run threat on any given snap from anywhere on the field. Texas Tech extended his first offer early in his junior year, and Tulane, Houston, Oklahoma, Louisiana Tech and Arkansas State have all done so during the past few weeks. Daniels looks on film like he’s playing a video game with a cheat code with his burst, 4.3-second 40-yard speed and quick cuts. Whether on deep vertical routes, quick screen plays or other shorter catches and runs, he consistently destroys defenders’ angles and hits an elite gear for long scores.
No. 19 Marcus Dawson | 6-3, 190 DB | University Lab
Even before making his way to the varsity team, the Cubs’ ballhawk became a Prep Redzone Louisiana favorite as a freshman with the ground he covered on the back end and his knack for making plays on the ball in the air. “Deuce” has since developed into one of the tallest and longest defensive backs in Louisiana’s 2024 class with listed 4.5-second 40-yard dash and 33-inch vertical to go with that standout nose for snatching takeaways with varsity experience now as both a cornerback and much of this season at free safety. Dawson finished his junior campaign with four interceptions, including a 100-yard pick-six against Isidore Newman in the quarterfinals, and 86 tackles.
No. 18 Sandy Lewis Sandy Lewis 6'2" | 235 lbs | LB Lafayette Christian | 2024 State LA | 6-2, 235 LB | Lafayette Christian
One of the headline members of Lafayette Christian’s impressive 2024 class, Lewis already holds offers from Alabama, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Tulane and McNeese State, where his older brother, Masey Lewis, is a redshirt freshman. Like his brother, Sandy is a thickly build athlete with a long frame who helps bring versatility to the Knights’ defense. He worked and made plays his junior season anywhere and everywhere from his primary roles as a six- or five-tech, where his burst often had him in the backfield disrupting plays before they could develop, all the way into a zero in some packages, in which his quickness and athleticism created a mismatch against interior blockers.
No. 17 Kavion Broussard Kavion Broussard 6'6" | 270 lbs | OL Zachary | 2024 State LA | 6-6, 270 OL | Zachary
The Broncos’ long, lean and athletic young tackle exploded on the recruiting radar at the beginning of his junior season with a run of offers from Texas Tech, Mississippi State, TCU and Tulane during the season, then Florida State, Miami, Missouri during the holidays. And he hasn’t slowed down his continued work and development, bulking up from about 250 to about 270 during the past few months. Broussard has a quick step and strong, violent punch at the snap and moves impressively well both laterally and upfield to the second level as a run-blocker.
No. 16 Wallace Foster IV Wallace Foster IV 5'11" | 160 lbs | DB Warren Easton | 2024 State LA | 5-11, 160 DB | Warren Easton
The fiery, high-energy pit bull of a young defensive back was one of the first few prospects on the recruiting radar in Louisiana’s 2024 class. Foster, now an LSU commit, has seemed to mature some with age and experience that unfortunately has him among the long list of notable prospects in this year’s cohort working his way back from injury. An ACL sidelined him during his junior season, but he has been hard at work to return to form for his senior campaign with the Eagles.
No. 15 Khayree Lee Jr. | 6-6, 330 OL | John Ehret
The LSU commitment is still one of Louisiana’s biggest athletes after dropping close to 50 pounds. Lee carries his 330 pounds well, moves well at his size — with good feet and balance — and displays versatility across the line as his Patriots’ primary left tackle or getting some reps inside at his more likely college position at guard. He is a powerful and relentless blocker, particularly in the run game where he looks equally comfortable mauling defenders 10 yards backward or pulling his big body quickly across the formation and getting ahead of carries to the right side of the field.
No. 14 Albert Smith | 6-2, 205 LB | Ponchatoula
The Green Wave linebacker is a remarkably fast edge rusher with an explosive first step and 4.6-second 40-yard speed the frustrate opposing tackles, passers and ball-carriers. Fast enough to line up far wide and still swiftly reach the quarterback before a play can develop, Smith consistently beats tackles to the outside, speed-dips past them or uses that threat to set up blockers and then quickly cut back to the inside. Baylor, Missouri, Nebraska and Tulane became his first scholarship offers last summer leading into his junior season.
No. 13 Ahmad Breaux Ahmad Breaux 6'3" | 260 lbs | DL Ruston | 2024 State LA | 6-4, 235 DL | Ruston
The highest-ceiling and most versatile member of the Bearcats’ stacked defensive line and defensive unit overall that helped lead the program back to its first state championship appearance since 1998 has been a hot name on the recruiting trail in the couple months since the title game. But he quickly and enthusiastically committed to Duke even has his list of offers continued to expand to now include Ole Miss, Missouri, Purdue, Tulane, Louisiana (Lafayette), North Texas, Northwestern State and Prairie View A&M. Breaux has played both side of the ball and all across the defensive line, inside and out, with the explosiveness and strength to overpower blockers and athleticism, quickness and array of moves to to beat them to the gap or the outside.
No. 12 Tristan Santoro Tristan Santoro 6'6" | 270 lbs | OL Evangel Christian | 2024 State LA | 6-6, 270 OL | Evangel Christian
A big man of a little mystery has a strong case among the few candidates as the best offensive lineman in what’s looking like another sneaky-solid class in Louisiana at the position group. Santoro had to sit out his sophomore year at Evangel after transferring from Haughton, and the only film out on him thus far from his junior season are three jamboree snaps on Hudl and a little over two minutes on a separate YouTube account. But the tall, long and lean right tackle is impressive in every bit of the footage — quick and light on his feet with fast, strong hands and upper body that overpower a lot of defenders even in instances in which he seemed to be briefly off-balance — and has also shown his overall athleticism as a track and wrestling standout during his high school career. Baylor offered in August, and Tulane, Louisiana (Lafayette), Louisiana Tech, Memphis and Texas State have all done so in recent weeks.
No. 11 Joel Rogers Joel Rogers 6'0" | 190 lbs | ATH West Feliciana | 2024 State LA | 6-1, 185 ATH | West Feliciana
The Saints’ all-around standout had debuted in the Prep Redzone Louisiana rankings last year in the 60s and makes a huge leap forward onto the cusp of the top 10 after his two-way performance leading his team to the state semifinals — and very nearly farther if not for a legendary performance by Lutcher counterpart D’Wanye’ “Lunch” Winfield. West Feliciana fell almost instantly behind, 21-0, in that contest before pulling back to within 28-21 by the end of the third quarter due in no small part to the dynamic rushing of Rogers with his quick changes of direction, explosive burst and power to stay on his feet and moving forward through multiple tacklers. He also showed flashes of his closing speed and physical tackling on defense from his safety position that evening. The performance served as a microcosm for his impressive season as a whole and a prime example why TCU, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas, Ole Miss, Florida State, Miami, Georgia Tech, Tulane, Louisiana (Lafayette) Louisiana Tech and Arkansas State have all extended offers during the past few months, in addition to Memphis last summer.