8 biggest climbers in latest PRZLA 2026 rankings

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Redzone Louisiana released its latest 2026 rankings this past week with several prospects making notable leaps up the list heading into senior year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at eight of the biggest climbers ahead of their final high school season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1673797' first='Isaiah' last='Washington'] —&nbsp;6-2, 175 DB/ATH —&nbsp;Haynesville</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The multisport, two-way standout was a bright spot in the Golden Tornado's state runner-up runs the past two winters with the flashes of athleticism with the ball in his hands he was able to show on the big Caesars Superdome stage. But he particularly rocketed up the rankings and recruiting consciousness this spring when he followed up an all-state defensive selection as a junior with an impressive performance on the track in multiple events on his way to a commitment to home-state LSU over Tulane, Arkansas, Texas Tech and a slew of other options that arose to kick off the summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1603222' first='Javen' last='Holmes'] — 6-2, 200 DB —&nbsp;Madison Prep</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another ballhawk on the back end of the defense with some versatility to his game, the Chargers' standout has a big, strong build that helps make him effective in the more physical aspects of the game and great instincts and ball skills with which he excels playing back in coverage, reading the opposing offense and shutting down passing windows to snatch interceptions. Holmes initially committed to Louisiana (Lafayette) this past winter following his junior season before flipping those plans to Houston during the summer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1237632' first='Ari' last='Slocum'] — 6-4, 275 DL/OL — Union Parish</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Slocum stood out as a big, physical extra blocker at tight end for his Farmers during their state championship run his sophomore season and possessed clear potential for the next level, though the exact position fit remained uncertain. He appears set to move full-time to defense at Arkansas and reportedly camped well on that side of the ball this summer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1601816' first='Braylon' last='Walker'] — 6-0, 155 ATH/QB — Lafayette Christian</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Knights' star flashed his potential as a dual-threat quarterback this past fall in his first year at the helm, following the big shoes left by record-setting LSU signee Ju'Juan Johnson and racking up more than 2,800 combined yards and 36 touchdowns. He then wowed Ragin' Cajuns coaches with his athletic testing numbers to start the summer and wasted little time committing to the hometown program where he's expected to transition to defensive back where his long-term ceiling appears even higher.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1602064' first='Harrison' last='Kidder'] — 6-1, 190 DB/LB — Catholic (Baton Rouge)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another summertime Louisiana (Lafayette) pledge, Kidder arose during his junior year as a notable Division-I prospect on both the football and baseball fields. The Bears' versatile strong safety's physicality stands out, but he has proven himself effective against the run, dropping back into space or covering offensive receivers in the slot. His commitment to the Ragin' Cajuns continues a recent pipeline from the Baton Rouge powerhouse across the Atchafalaya Basin to Lafayette.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Franklin Morgan Jr. — 5-10, 175 ATH — Amite</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1602060' first='Damien' last='Richard II'] — 5-11, 170 DB — Destrehan</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1603272' first='Emanual' last='Collins'] — 6-0, 170 DB — Southside</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Three Louisiana Tech-committed defensive backs all make respective moves up the rankings and into the top 100. All three players have been notable standouts for winning high school programs with each hitting the Prep Redzone Louisiana radar for slightly different roles: Richard as a cover corner on the outside who plays with patience, makes well-timed plays on the ball and appeared to particularly be hitting his stride down the stretch in his Wildcats' biggest games; Collins as an instinctive free safety with the ability to reliably cover the slot and who appears to have hit a nice growth spurt during the past year; and Morgan as a dynamic, versatile athlete who has played not only all over the secondary, but all over the field in all three phases with a nose for both takeaways and touchdowns. The trio should fit well together for a Bulldogs program with a nice track record of finding quality in-state steals of defensive backs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->