Opelousas Tigers | Offseason 3-2-1 Spotlight

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Opelousas won its first-ever football state championship this past defender with a junior-heavy squad.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So the Tigers appear well-situated to make a run at some further history this season as a top contender in the hunt for a potential repeat. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Opelousas is among the first stops of Prep Redzone Louisiana's series of "Offseason 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: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='710273' first='Corey' last='Amos'] — 6-3, 205 LB — Opelousas (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='913928' first='Travis' last='Esprit'] — 6-0, 200 LB — Opelousas (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Tigers are loaded with returning standouts who should be fairly familiar names from rankings content, top performers and recruiting updates, so we're going to cheat a bit to squeeze more players into the "well-known returners" category. Amos, the tall and disruptive edge rusher, is among the top-ranked prospects in Louisiana's 2025 class and already an Ole Miss commit. But the Opelousas defense has strength in its impressive numbers of playmakers, with the hard-hitting Esprit, a UCF target, among the biggest partners in crime in the box. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='710072' first='D'Shaun' last='Ford'] — 5-11, 210 RB — Opelousas (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='915076' first='Jonathan' last='Ford'] — 6-1, 250 DL — Opelousas (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Ford brothers are two of the Tigers' top, most decorated performers on each side of the ball — each with a district MVP honors and all-state selections under their belts. D'Shaun and fellow rising senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='913917' first='Zackeus' last='Malveaux']</strong>, an explosive athlete at quarterback, make for a dynamic duo in the offensive backfield, headlined by the highly recruited D'Shaun's powerful running style and prolific numbers. And, on the other side, "J.J." is a handful in the trenches from his defensive end spot with Central Arkansas, Arkansas State and Southern University offers this spring helping kick-start his recruitment.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='912270' first='Landon' last='Hammond'] — 6-2, 160 DB — Opelousas (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='913912' first='Kyran' last='Moore'] — 6-0, 170 DB — Opelousas (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As mentioned above with the linebackers, the Tigers' defense is loaded with talented and experienced playmakers all over the field. And the corner and safety duo of Hammond and Moore, each with major college offers, helps headline the secondary. The former, a speedy and wiry-strong lockdown performer on the outside, has become one of the state's fastest-rising recruits throughout this spring, and the latter, a versatile ballhawk, has picked up several offers of his own headlined by Arkansas. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2 BREAKOUT CANDIDATES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='920639' first='Jamarion' last='Daughtery'] — 6-4, 245 DL — Opelousas (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Daughtery was actually our "Underclassman to Know" last spring for the Tigers and particularly caught our attention on the field in the state championship game in which he provided some explosive, hard-hitting plays at and behind the line from his role on the end opposite [player_tooltip player_id='915076' first='Jonathan' last='Ford']. Daughtery has earned five offers since then, including Arkansas State and a trio of SWAC programs, but that should only be the beginning with more recruiting traction likely ahead for a player who should be an even more consistent force as an upperclassman.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bryson Lewis — 6-3, 245 OL — Opelousas (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As junior-heavy as the Tigers were this past fall, some of their most notable senior presence came up front on offense. And with the graduation of leaders from that line group, the second-team all-district performer at left tackle should figure even more prominently. Bethel, Tuskegee, Southern and Prairie View A&amp;M have all helped kick off his recruitment process in recent weeks.</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='1356155' first='Jaylon' last='Owens'] — DB — Opelousas (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The promising young athlete earned playing time as a freshman this past fall and held his own at corner — playing confidently, fast and physically regardless of competition or stage, including making a couple plays in the state title game. Owens has made the case as one of the players to know early in the development of Louisiana's loaded 2027 class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->