St. James Wildcats | Summer 3-2-1 Spotlight

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Always-intriguing St. James returns a few well-known senior leaders and is already seeing its next wave of young talent coming on strong behind their lead.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wildcats have been familiar faces on the 7-on-7 and camp circuits during Prep Redzone Louisiana's offseason tours and garner their edition in the series of "3-2-1" spotlights looking at three key returning standouts, two notable breakout candidates and one underclassman to know sooner than later.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/embed/QuzRKZjkCrM","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"embed-handler","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <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/QuzRKZjkCrM </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>3 WELL-KNOWN RETURNERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='285279' first='Brayden' last='Williams'] — 6-0, 190 QB — St. James (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='285273' first='Kobe' last='Brown'] — 5-10, 160 WR — St. James (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No better place to start in terms of well-known leaders and playmakers than the rising senior quarterback-receiver tandem that has grown up together through the ranks both at St. James and on the 7-on-7 circuit. Williams earned all-state honors this past fall in his first as the Wildcats' starting quarterback with a 180-for-263 passing performance for 2,367 yards, 25 touchdowns and five interceptions. Brown caught 47 of those passes for 824 yards and 11 scores in an all-state honorable mention and all-district showing of his own alongside LSU-bound star Khai Prean in the receiving corps. Both Williams and Brown are among the state's top returning statistical leaders in their respective positions. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='285275' first='Jarmaine' last='Mitchell'] — 6-8, 330 OL — St. James (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>Deuce Williams — 6-2, 300 OL – St. James (2024) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wildcats have to replace three all-district offensive linemen up front, including a pair of first-teamers, but return a couple big, mobile tackles. Williams earned second-team all-district honors as a versatile blockers with highlights at tackle on both sides. And the multisport athlete Mitchell, also a basketball standout, has long intrigued college coaches with his particularly rare size — including offers from Nicholls State, Grambling State and Copiah-Lincoln.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Adrian Prean Jr. — 6-0, 220 LB/RB — St. James (2024) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='914127' first='Chaidyn' last='Parker'] — 6-0, 225 LB — St. James (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In sticking with the theme of tandems, Davis also pointed to a pair of stout, physical linebackers who have developed in the program the past couple years into bigger roles. Prean, the younger brother of the aforementioned 2023 wide receiver signee, has grown into a notable rising senior leader within the program with playmaking ability on both sides of the football. And Parker earned all-district honorable-mention recognition this past fall as a sophomore. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2 BREAKOUT CANDIDATES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='914096' first='Garry' last='White'] — 6-0, 160 DB — St. James (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The rising junior cornerback is a fairly under-the-radar talent in the Wildcats' secondary to keep an eye on this fall. White has good size and speed — a 40-yard dash in the 4.4-second range, according to coaches — and returns for his second season starting in the role. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='920681' first='Nolan' last='Zenon'] — 6-0, 170 LB — St. James (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='920687' first='Amir' last='Broden'] — 5-10, 160 DB — St. James (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='401966' first='Jakias' last='Villanueva'] — 5-6 WR/ATH — St. James (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. James has several key senior leaders returning to lead the way this fall, but also a strong contingent of underclassman talent already working its way into the lineup. From the lighter, quicker outside linebacker in Zenon working his way in alongside Prean and Parker, to Broden in the secondary and Villanueva as a dynamic pass-catcher, the Wildcats' 2026 class appears poised to make some notable contributions this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>1 UNDERCLASSMAN TO KNOW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='934578' first='Jye' last='Blain'] — 5-10, 160 DB/WR — St. James (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>Kendrick Joseph Jr. — 5-11, 160 RB/WR/DB — St. James (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='934581' first='Derrick' last='Pittman Jr.'] — 5-9, 150 DB/WR — St. James (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Zenon, Broden and Villanueva could have fit in this category as well. But the incoming 2027 class is already worth pointing out as well — with a handful of notable names already firmly on the Prep Redzone Louisiana radar and expected to compete for roles early on in their high school careers, including this trio of versatile skill athletes who have stood out throughout the 7-on-7, spring and camp settings this offseason.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->