6 north Louisiana, CenLa freshmen in upcoming 2027 watch list

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Redzone Louisiana's first 2027 watch list of the cohort's high school career is scheduled to come out this week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we prepare for the complete list heading into the student-athletes' fast-approaching freshman season, we'll look a little more closely at six particular standouts from five different areas of the state — loosely determined by area codes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's kick the process off with a half dozen "31Greats," promising young players from across the 318 area code in north and central Louisiana.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='465348' first='Devyn' last='Downs'] | 6-0, 170 ATH | Sterlington</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The young multisport star is a special young all-around athlete, who committed to LSU Baseball late last October as a pitcher and shortstop and has also already shown notable and versatile potential as a football prospect to watch for the years to come. Downs brings a great combination of size, physicality and speed with him to high school whether continuing to carry the load at running back or blow up plays as a defensive back as on his first highlight play to come out of fall practice to start this month. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='261907' first='Peyton' last='Houston'] | 5-11, 185 QB | Calvary Baptist </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No surprise here. The Cavaliers' young quarterback has been arguably — if even arguably at this point — the most high-profile football prospect in the early stages of Louisiana's 2027 class with TCU, Ole Miss, Texas Tech, Houston and Purdue among colleges already making moves with offers. "Pop" is already pushing up close to 6-feet tall with a solid build as he begins his freshman year and zips the ball anywhere on the field with a quick flip of the wrist. He's still young and learning, but his feel for the game, maturity, work ethic and aforementioned physical traits are all impressive. Like the other athlete on the list, Houston participates in other sports including baseball and basketball, but football is the clearer priority.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='469439' first='Ahmad' last='Hudson'] | 6-5, 190 ATH | Ruston</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another high-profile young prospect in multiple sports, Hudson begins his Ruston high school career with high expectations in both football and basketball — including a hoops offer earlier this summer from hometown Louisiana Tech and participation last month in the first-ever Jr. NBA Showcase in Las Vegas. He already boasts great size, explosiveness, body control in the air and ball skills that could make him a valuable pass-catching target early on, but has shown notable potential as a quarterback and edge rusher in middle school. Hudson may more likely end up a college basketball player, but he's a special young athlete with lots of options in his future — with which sport and, if football, which football position both up to his continued physical development and preferences.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='934564' first='Braylun' last='Huglon'] | 5-10, 160 DB | Calvary Baptist</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Houston's teammate would be another notable name on the shortlist of Louisiana's other most high-profile prospects in the 2027 class thus far. Huglon is quick and fluid with potential on both sides of the ball he's showcased on the 7-on-7 circuit, but working particularly at corner much of this summer when the Cavaliers' hit college campuses where he more than looked the part in a strong secondary and against strong competition. Ole Miss and Texas Tech are among his early offers. And like Houston, he participates in other sports, but with football seeming the most notable. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='934571' first='Bryson' last='Phoenix'] | 6-2, 210 ATH | Pineville</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Most of this list comes from up and down Interstate 20 from Shreveport to Ruston and Monroe. But, dipping down a bit further south in the 318, Phoenix is among the first few CenLa prospects on Prep Redzone Louisiana radar with the highlights and buzz he's already started to generate. Whether overpowering his peers with his thick build and strength as a big, physical running back or linebacker or hauling down receptions with his ball skills split out wide, the young Pineville athlete has shown the ability to make plays all over the football field. And he carries that power over to the baseball field with a bat in his hands at the plate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='489183' first='Parker' last='Robinson'] | 6-2, 180 QB | St. Frederick</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another of the state's most intriguing young quarterbacks is the son of St. Frederick coach Andy Robinson, the former Louisiana Tech quarterback and tight end. Parker is a tall, athletic passer with a strong arm he uses to make throws both from the pocket and on the move and has grown up around the game at a high level from an early age. With his size, the younger Robinson has played some defensive end as well and is also a standout basketball prospect early on for Louisiana's by-all-accounts special class in that sport.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Make sure to check the complete watch list for more standout student-athletes early in the cycle's development — including representatives from Alexandria, Marksville, North DeSoto and more. </em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->