2026 defenders among eye-catchers at LA NG7 Jambalaya Jam

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A Louisiana-heavy field of teams met in Shreveport for the second annual Louisiana NG7 Jambalaya Jam 7-on-7 tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And the event featured a slew of eye-catching performances ranging from some of the state's top prospects to under-the-radar and up-and-coming players of all ages.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Redzone Louisiana will spotlight more than two dozen student-athletes this week broken down by position groups and recruiting cycles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at seven rising senior defenders who were among the standouts in 18U action.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1348505' first='Wydell' last='Clark'] Jr. — 5-9, 165 WR/ATH — Ouachita Parish </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clark played heavy reps on both sides of the ball for the new NELA Elite squad, including a few pass break-ups on defense while also serving as a go-to target for high school teammate [player_tooltip player_id='283985' first='Montrell' last='Conner Jr.'] on key conversion downs and near the goal line when the team was on offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1237615' first='Dezyrian' last='Ellis'] — 6-2, 180 ATH/QB — Franklin Parish (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The all-state quarterback is being recruited by some programs at that positions and others — including home-state LSU — as an athlete and likely defensive back. And his all-around athleticism and ball skills were on display throughout the weekend for champion Team Heru Raw as one of the top cornerbacks in the event, as well as some highlights as a big-play deep threat in snaps at receiver. His quickly closed passing windows with his speed and length, including a pair of interceptions and several other breakups, </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='401735' first='Antonio' last='Gladney'] Jr. — 5-10, 175 ATH — Parkway</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another of Team Heru Raw's two-way standouts, Gladney has impressed as a versatile running back and receiver throughout his high school career, but played a more prominent role on defense as a junior and made some of his biggest plays on that side off the ball this weekend as well, including an interception in the title game that helped his team play from ahead in the matchup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1602085' first='David' last='Johnson'] — 6-0, 160 DB/ATH — Istrouma</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The versatile, two-way athlete from Baton Rouge was among the top cornerbacks in the event with good length, speed and ball skills on the outside highlighted by at least two interceptions on the weekend on which he anticipated throws and broke swiftly in front of the receiver for takeaways for the JackBoyz.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1237778' first='Kevin' last='Jones'] — 5-9, 165 DB — Avoyelles</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another JackBoyz standout, Jones played alongside Johnson much of the weekend in the slot. The Avoyelles' two-way playmaker was a nice complement in the role as a more compact athlete with a good combination of quickness and strength. The tandem locked down the left side of the field much of the weekend. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='401969' first='Jamarcea' last='Plater'] — 5-9, 180 ATH/RB — Captain Shreve</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After an all-state performance this fall in his first season at running back, Plater made plays on both sides of the ball this weekend, but stood out in particular as a smart, vocal and explosive defender in the middle of the field with an interception and a few pass break-ups for champion Team Heru Raw.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rontrell Woods — 5-8, 155 DB/ATH — Carencro</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The quick, speedy athlete was one of the smaller players on the field in many of the Louisianimals' matchups, but also one of the most aggressive as he flew around and attacked the ball to break up passes in his range. Woods was also a solid receiving weapon for the team's offense and leaned into the skillset of his typical position on defense for one highlight on which he snatched the ball away from an opposing defensive back to turn an apparent interception into a big gain.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->