Football prospects hit major marks in D-I indoor track state meet

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Louisiana's indoor track and field season wrapped up this past weekend with the state championship meet in LSU's Carl Maddox Field House.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As always, a long list of football standouts were among the top performers, including several title-winners and podium-finishers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at the multisport athletes we know have some football background — including two event wins by a 2026 Division-I football signee, a national-best mark by ranked 2027 prospect and a historic-best by a notable 2028 name — who finished in the top six of their individual events to net points for their schools in the meet in Division-I competition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1602060' first='Damien' last='Richard II'] — 5-11, 170 DB/ATH — Destrehan (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Louisiana Tech signee won both the long jump (22-05.00) and triple jump (45-01.75) championships.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1356168' first='Ja'ir' last='Burks'] — 5-10, 160 WR — Jesuit (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The highly ranked wide receiver prospect continued to bolster his résumé as one of the nation's elite hurdlers with another win in the 60-meter event with a 7.88-second time that marked the best in the country this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Carter Rivet — OL/DL — Alexandria (2028)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Trojans' starting left tackle as a sophomore, poised to move to defensive end this year, became the first athlete in the history of Louisiana's indoor state championship meet to break the 60-foot mark with his title-winning 60-09.50 throw Saturday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Micah Green — 5-8, 150 WR/ATH — Archbishop Rummel (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Won the 60-meter dash (6.79 seconds).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Malik Brown — 6-0, 155 DB/WR — Ponchatoula (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Second in the triple jump (44-07.00).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Travon James — 6-2, 180 WR — A.J. Ellender (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finished second in the high jump (6-06.75).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Miles Torres — 6-2, 170 DB/WR — Warren Easton (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finished third in the long jump (21-10.00) and participated in the 60-meter hurdles, 400-meter run and 4x400-meter relay.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Brayden Berglund — WR — Mandeville (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finished second in the 800-meter run (1:55.93).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1247371' first='Macario' last='Dade Jr']. — 5-5, 160 RB — Ouachita Parish (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Southern-signed state-championship running back finished third in the 60-meter dash (6.88 seconds).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Darreyus Scott — 5-10, 230 DL/EDGE — Denham Springs (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finished third in the shot put (57-01.50).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1375189' first='Chauncey' last='Wilkins IV'] — 5-10, 155 DB — Huntington (2028)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finished fourth in the 60-meter dash (7.01 seconds) and ran legs of his Raiders' fourth-place 4x200-meter and fifth-place 4x400-meter relay teams, which also featured Louisiana Tech signee [player_tooltip player_id='710968' first='Nathan' last='Green']. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cohen Aucoin — 5-9, 150 WR — Thibodaux (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finished third in the 800-meter run (1:57.27).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cody Nelson — 5-6, 145 WR — Ouachita Parish (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Third in the triple jump (43-06.00).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Julian Lee — 5-9, 170 RB — Belle Chasse (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finished fourth in the 800-meter run (1:57.81).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1641238' first='Chandler' last='Hartman'] — 5-11, 165 DB/WR — A.J. Ellender (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fourth in the triple jump (43-06.00).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Gavin Ellison — DB — Benton (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finished fourth in the long jump (20-10.75).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Spencer Waguespack — OL — Jesuit (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fourth in the shot put (55-11.00).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1737475' first='Keidrick' last='Bailey Jr.'] — 6-2, 290 OL — Zachary (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Southeastern Louisiana signee finished fifth in the shot put (53-07.00).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Laiken Jordan — 5-10, 170 RB — Ponchatoula (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finished fifth in the 60-meter dash (7.05 seconds).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Zalen Bennett — 6-1, 190 RB/DB — Hammond (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The graduating senior finished fifth in the 60-meter hurdles (8.33 seconds).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jamarion Meady — 5-9, 140 DB/WR — Prairieville (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finished fifth in the long jump (20-10.75).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dedrick Tillman — DB — Barbe (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fifth in the triple jump (43-05.00).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1238192' first='Carl' last='Reed Jr.'] — 5-10, 150 QB — Warren Easton (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sixth in the triple jump (41-08.00).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Yair Torres-Aguilar — 5-11, 160 DB — South Lafourche (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finished sixth in the 400-meter run (50.96 seconds).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sanjaya Falcon — 5-11, 175 DB/WR — Huntington (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finished sixth in the 60-meter dash (7.06 seconds) and ran the third leg of the fourth-place 4x200-meter with Wilkins and company. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tanairo Houston — 5-9, 225 DL — Archbishop Rummel (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finished sixth in the shot put (52-04.75).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ross Jordan — DB/WR — Captain Shreveport (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sixth in the long jump (20-10.75).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kaleb Casto — EDGE — Catholic-BR (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Finished sixth in the high jump (5-10.75).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->