St. Augustine Purple Knights | Spring 3-2-1 Spotlight

St. Augustine finished its 2022 schedule with its best record in more than a decade and a No. 4 seed in the Division-I Select playoffs.   Several key players graduated notable talent, leadership and experience, but the Purple Knights return more than enough — with some high-profile youngster developing quickly alongside another strong senior class — to have their title aspirations and the state's attention both still high.   St. Augustine was among the first stops of Prep Redzone Louisiana's spring practice tours and a series of "Spring 3-2-1" spotlights looking at three key returning standouts, two notable breakout candidates and one underclassman to know sooner than later.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/embed/AL_LVH2ZAcY </div></figure>     3 WELL-KNOWN RETURNERS   [player_tooltip player_id='139475' first='Joshua' last='Jackson'] — 6-3, 180 WR — St. Augustine (2024)   The Mississippi State and Michigan target is both the most prominent weapon on the Purple Knights' offense and one of Louisiana's top-ranked receiver prospects for the 2024 class — pairing with Florida State, Houston and Indiana tight end target [player_tooltip player_id='421605' first='Hubert' last='Caliste'] Jr. as the headline prospects on that side of the ball thus far. Jackson has good size, plays well through contact and has the combination of explosiveness, leap, body control and strong, reliable hands to make big plays in a variety of ways, including stretching defenses vertically and going up over defensive backs for high-pointing highlights. He and Caliste won't be alone on that side of the ball with a handful of other senior pass-catchers and an up-and-coming 2025 and 2026 group that includes intriguing rising junior Nehemiah Philip.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/embed/PziQD54p4-k </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='285270' first='Cornell' last='Harris'] Jr. — 6-2, 280 DL — St. Augustine (2024)   The Purple Knights' defense is particularly loaded with Division-I talent, and the rising senior defensive lineman is a clear leader of a deep group up front that includes 2024 prospect LaDavion Walls, 2025 end [player_tooltip player_id='426963' first='Warren' last='Roberts'] Jr. and the 2026 duo of [player_tooltip player_id='212341' first='Jahkeem' last='Stewart'] and [player_tooltip player_id='401985' first='Ty' last='Dominique']. "C.J." is a stout, strong anchor on the inside with good quickness and leverage to get by bigger blockers. His offer list is about two dozen programs long with Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss, Troy, Arkansas State, ULM, Marshall, Grambling State, Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana among the mix.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/embed/qeQgp9HnMSM </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='421523' first='Christian' last='Pritchett'] — 6-3, 175 DB — St. Augustine (2024)   The long, lean and versatile safety is one of a slew of talented rising seniors in the secondary along with corners Charles Gurley III, Michael Malone, Anthony Ellzey, Andrew Lewis and Brian Robinson and junior athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1335970' first='Frederick' last='Lewis']. Pritchett has started to blow up on the recruiting trail during the past month and a half with offers from Duke, Indiana, Arkansas State, Marshall, Mississippi Valley State, Georgia Tech, Arkansas and Nicholls State.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xz0DO142lAc </div></figure>     2 BREAKOUT CANDIDATES   [player_tooltip player_id='139262' first='Dawson' last='Simmons'] — 6-0, 170 QB — St. Augustine (2024)   and Amare Cooper — 6-3, 180 QB — St. Augustine (2024)   The Purple Knights' 2024 quarterback duo continued battling for snaps this spring — and each having their share of highlights in the spring game — after each playing well in starting opportunities throughout the fall. The dynamic should be interesting to watch throughout the summer and into the fall, but coach Nick Foster mentioned both as breakout candidates with whom he'd been pleased through the spring and anticipated notable strides this season.   Moses Gray Jr. — 6-0, 200 RB — St. Augustine (2024)   Regardless of which quarterback is taking snaps in a given game or on a given drive, the expectations are high for the starting running back alongside him. Gray, the younger brother of former Hahnville and McNeese State defensive back Alijah Hamilton, was a bit of a breakout player already as a junior for St. Augustine and said he is continuing to work on rounding out his game, including being a bigger receiving threat out of the backfield. His recruiting process has also started to gain steam with offers from Mississippi Valley State and Marshall and some interest from Tulane and South Alabama.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/embed/VfrsNdepysw </div></figure>     1 UNDERCLASSMAN TO KNOW   [player_tooltip player_id='212341' first='Jahkeem' last='Stewart'] — 6-5, 295 DL — St. Augustine (2026)   The top-ranked 2026 prospect in the state is one of the most high-profile and highly anticipated freshman athletes to come through Louisiana with an already-national status that includes LSU, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Texas A&M, Tennessee, USC and Michigan in the mix. Stewart has been hungry to make his varsity debut this fall and looked good this spring from non-contact drills all the way through a full-go spring game against Madison Prep in which he made multiple plays behind the line.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/embed/IYR6r5fYUqg </div></figure>

St. Augustine finished its 2022 schedule with its best record in more than a decade and a No. 4 seed in the Division-I Select playoffs.