14 top-ranked prospects to watch in the Baton Rouge area in 2024

Louisiana's 2024 high school football season is now in its final countdown to its official kickoff Sept. 5, 6 and 7.   And the always talent-loaded state will once again feature a long list of future college talent in every region and corner.   As much time as we spend looking at top prospects specifically by class, we thought we'd take a look at the best by area — mixing together seniors, juniors and sophomores — to help preview on which student-athletes fans might want to keep an eye in their area or when their team hits the road or hosts a less-familiar foe from elsewhere in the state.   We continue the 10-region tour with the Baton Rouge area, among the state's most consistently talent-rich. .   Each list will focus specifically on the 2025, 2026 and 2027 cycles and hold off on further evaluation and consideration of the 2028 group until more of those players have some high school competition and film to their resume.   Also note, while the list has to be cut off somewhere — for the capital area, we broke at 14 — between 100 and 200 Louisiana prospects sign with Division-I colleges every year, so these lists just represent the leading tips of The Boot's notable talent iceberg.     [player_tooltip player_id='401737' first='Blaine' last='Bradford'] — 6-2, 205 DB — Catholic (Baton Rouge) (2026)   and [player_tooltip player_id='710081' first='Jacob' last='Bradford'] — 6-0, 190 DB — Catholic (Baton Rouge) (2025)   The first of two tandem of brothers on the Baton Rouge area list, both Jacob and [player_tooltip player_id='401737' first='Blaine' last='Bradford'] are among the top defensive backs statewide in their respective classes — the former as a Houston-committed cornerback now seeing a ramped-up effort by LSU to flip him in the final months of the cycle, and the latter as a hard-hitting safety among the nation's most sought-after 2026 prospects by a long list of offers headlined by LSU, Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon and Notre Dame.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLtJI4azyIA </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='920618' first='Kristion' last='Brooks'] — 6-4, 180 WR — Zachary (2026)   The most under-the-radar prospect in our Baton Rouge top 14 (at least relative to the high-profile list overall), the Broncos' tall, athletic receiver and multisport standout holds offers already from Louisiana (Lafayette), Louisiana Tech, Arkansas State and Grambling State, but feels like he's only scratching the surface with a strong offseason under his belt and what should be a productive junior season seemingly on deck as now a veteran go-to for a new-look, but reloading and still-talented Zachary receiving corps.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UofWdl7V9c0 </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='212343' first='Lamar' last='Brown'] — 6-4, 260 OL/DL — University Lab (2026)   The Cubs' two-way trench standout with a long list of offers that includes LSU, Texas A&M and Central Florida among his most notable and consistent recruiters would have a case as the highest ranked prospect in the area regardless of class, a legitimate high-end talent on either side of the ball with impressive athleticism and explosiveness to go with his build and physicality.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufyQDDsZlkA </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='642719' first='Elijah' last='Haven'] — 6-4, 190 QB — Dunham (2027)   The list's other top candidate as the Baton Rouge area's top prospect regardless of class, the Tigers' multisport standout and returning starting quarterback already early in his development boasts a great frame, strong arm and high-level athleticism at the position and showed during a productive freshman season at the helm some special flashes of poise and playmaking under pressure.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJTWEaMnvNc </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='1214125' first='Joshua' last='Lewis'] — 6-5, 240 DL — Dutchtown (2025)   The tall, long and quick defensive end is the first of three current SEC commits on this list, with more sure to follow in the coming years (if not months). Lewis, who pledged to Missouri earlier this year, is a disruptive standout on his Griffins' front with his explosiveness into opposing backfields and instincts for getting his arms into passing lanes when quarterbacks attempt to sneak passes by him during his rush.   [player_tooltip player_id='740981' first='Brysten' last='Martinez'] — 6-6, 290 OL — East Ascension (2026)   The big, physical blocker is light and quick on his feet at his size — unsurprising to hear he also has some background on the basketball court — and has shown the versatility to excel on either end of the line, starting at right tackle as a freshman in 2022 and then flipping over to left tackle as a sophomore in 2023. Martinez is one of the top offensive linemen not only in Louisiana, but in the nation.   [player_tooltip player_id='914090' first='D.K.' last='Mays'] — 6-4, 250 DL — Central (Baton Rouge) (2025)   A second Houston commit on this Baton Rouge list, Mays has burst onto and up the overall 2025 rankings the past couple years the development of both his physique and his game into one of Louisiana's most powerful and versatile defensive linemen in a strong class for the position group.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzXJDlGuhfA </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='739720' first='Jayden' last='Miles'] — 6-2, 205 RB — Catholic (Baton Rouge) (2027)   Kicking off a string of other promising, highly ranked 2027 prospects to join Haven on the list, the Bears' powerful young running back enters his sophomore season with big expectations even in a loaded backfield for the defending Division-I Select state champions with all their impressive history at the position. His early offers already include Oregon, Florida State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Baylor and Houston.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DaUjXJ-uPg </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='1250280' first='Ryan' last='Moore Jr.'] — 5-11, 160 ATH — East Feliciana (2027)   "Bug" has the early look of one of the next great athletes coming through East Feliciana with his dynamic and high-impact play in all three phases for the Tigers as a freshman and high expectations for the years ahead. With his quickness, speed, leap and ball skills, Moore is electric as a threat to score from anywhere on the field on offense, special teams or following takeaways.   [player_tooltip player_id='485983' first='Emmanuel' last='Moses'] — 5-11, 180 DB — University Lab (2027)   and [player_tooltip player_id='144905' first='Keylan' last='Moses'] — 6-2, 215 LB — University Lab (2025)   The second pair of brothers on the Baton Rouge area list, Keylan has been the region's highest-ranked 2025 prospect throughout the group's high school career, while Emmanuel has been among the the top 2027 prospects since the initial rankings for the class early last year. Keylan, the LSU-committed linebacker, has been a disruptive force in the box since the beginning of his freshman year and quickly developed into a vocal leader and difference-maker in all three phases. And "ManMan" appears poised for a breakout sophomore season as an instinctive defensive back with good ball skills, but also a hard-hitting physicality reminiscent of his older brothers in the box.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwCOSo4e3Tk </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='1214132' first='Ferzell' last='Shepard'] — 6-2, 175 WR — Scotlandville (2025)   The Hornets' star is one of a couple multisport athletes and versatile football players for which Mississippi State has dipped into Louisiana so far in the 2025 cycle. Shepard possesses a tall, long frame and vertical speed and still plays even bigger with his springy athleticism and ball skills as reliable high-point playmaker with a wide catch radius.   [player_tooltip player_id='1345158' first='Blaise' last='Thomassie'] — 6-5, 265 OL — Catholic (Baton Rouge) (2026)   The debut of Thomassie in the rankings earlier this year and recruiting explosion this summer gives the Bears four players on this list, edging nearby rival U-High for the most of any school. The Bears' big tackle, another offensive lineman with some basketball background to his athletic profile, boasts a great combination of size, strength, mobility and mentality that has already garnered early offers from Florida State, Oregon, Arkansas and Houston.

Louisiana's 2024 high school football season is now in its final countdown to its official kickoff Sept. 5, 6 and 7.