6 Louisiana DL whose recruitments could pick up this offseason

The NCAA's latest recruiting dead period has wrapped up, and prospects are beginning to make and schedule trips to college campuses the rest of the spring.   As Prep Redzone Louisiana has detailed in recent weeks, several prospects around the state have already started receiving new offers as the offseason ramps up.   And many more will be joining as programs will continue to adjust their recruiting boards, host prospects on campus and get verified measurements and athletic testing numbers through those visits, the camp circuits and outdoor track season.   Here's a look at eight defensive linemen around the state whose recruitments haven't taken off just yet (at least in terms of many offers) or potentially have lulled some after earlier offers, but whom we expect to gain some traction in the months ahead.     Cameron Bagwell — 6-2, 205 DL/EDGE — Sterlington   There might not be a player in Louisiana right now who has more of a proven track record of production and winning, but felt largely under the radar recruiting-wise. Bagwell has been an LSWA Class 3A all-state selection each of the past two years for back-to-back state champion Sterlington with a combined 149 tackles, 13 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, two safeties, four forced fumbles and four recoveries. He has the size and talent to play at the next level, and it sounds as thought he will have some more college coaching eyes on him sooner than later this offseason.   [player_tooltip player_id='1974701' first='Calvin' last='Duncan'] Jr. — 6-3, 310 DL — Zachary   The biggest player on this list, but one with notable athleticism at his size that's currently on display as a slugger for his Broncos' perennial-poor baseball program. His junior football film this past fall shows him swallowing up the interior and slipping by blockers to make plays at and behind the line. Duncan then showed up to the Prep Redzone Louisiana Stock-Up Showcase in January and earned one of the top performer spots with a strong showing overall, including impressing with his mobility and broad jump during athletic testing.   Roderick Johnson Jr. — 6-2, 240 DL — Parkway   An LSWA Class 5A all-state honorable-mention selection and one of the top players on a strong Parkway team overall this fall that won its first nine games, Johnson racked up 58 tackles, including 15.5 for loss and 9.5 sacks, as a junior and also showcased some versatility with a couple touchdown cases as he joined the offense in goal-line packages. He shows a good combination of strength and athleticism to power his way through some blocks and slip past others to the outside. Johnson made the rounds to some FCS and Division-II camps last summer and should see some opportunities fall into place in the coming months as he hits the road again.   Russ Lewis Jr. — 6-2, 265 DL/EDGE — Archbishop Rummel   Players who hold their own in the trenches of the New Orleans Catholic League always carry a lot of weight here, and Lewis was the lone junior of five first-team all-district defensive line selections this fall for an always-stout Raiders defense. His highlights show tenacious pursuit to opposing backfields: absorbing and powering through blockers' initial punches, consistently winning hand fights and even battling through double-teams to still chase down plays.   [player_tooltip player_id='1594309' first='Maison' last='Smith'] — 6-3, 280 DL/OL — University Lab   The Cubs' two-way trench standout has been the highest-ranked player on this list since breaking through as a sophomore and enjoyed a particularly nice surge of offers last summer with Tulane, Rice, Louisiana (Lafayette), Southern Miss, Liberty and Arkansas State. The past six months have been a big slower in that regard, but Nicholls State and McNeese State did join the list in December and February. Upcoming spring practices and summer camps should ramp that momentum back up, as well as continue providing a firmer sense of where he stands with some of the early-offer programs, including a couple who made more recent coaching chances.   [player_tooltip player_id='1783074' first='Payton' last='Taylor'] — 6-3, 260 EDGE/DL — Covington   One of the more under-the-radar names on this list in terms of recruiting, but Taylor had a solid junior campaign with film that shows a good combination of strength and quickness, battling through blocks and shutting down plays as soon as he can get a single hand on ball-carriers, but also looking comfortable stepping back and operating in a bit more space. Taylor's been working to bulk up further this offseason and shared an update this week that he's already up 10-plus pounds of muscle in the past six weeks.

The NCAA's latest recruiting dead period has wrapped up, and prospects are beginning to make and schedule trips to college campuses the rest of the spring.