St. Augustine prospects to watch | Preseason 3-2-1 Spotlight

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A St. Augustine program that reached its first state-title game this past December since 1979 returns a roster loaded with talent and experience this year to go make a run at even further, even more prestigious history.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One runner-up coach after another wrapped up his team's season in Caesars Superdome reflecting on the memorable season that had come to a close just shy of top honors and assured their teams would be back on that stage — generally with the sense that the return trip would come sooner than later.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But few coaches had a stronger case than Robert Valdez and his Purple Knights, who certainly have had key graduated pieces to replace, but also far more answers than questions relative to most of their peers around the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Louisiana's high school football season is just over a month away, and Prep Redzone Louisiana will spotlight some of the top programs and prospects as in years past with its 3-2-1 format of three well-known returning stars or leaders, two notable candidates for breakout performance or big steps forward in some fashion and one underclassman to know sooner than later.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>3 WELL-KNOWN RETURNERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1323402' first='Miguel' last='Whitley'] — 6-0, 180 WR — St. Augustine (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1356127' first='Ray'Quan' last='Williams'] — 6-0, 165 WR — St. Augustine (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2228466' first='Derrick' last='Bennett Jr.'] — 5-10, 155 WR — St. Augustine (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Purple Knights' wide receiver corps continues to be one of the top positions groups in the entire state — not just in terms of receiving corps, but in any position group, period — with three productive, highly ranked rising seniors and future Division-I signees helping lead the way. Whitley and Williams have both spent their entire careers in the top 20 overall of the state rankings with offer lists stockpiling accordingly and each earned all-district first-team honors in the New Orleans Catholic League as juniors. Meanwhile, Bennett racked up 671 yards and 10 touchdowns on 40 catches in his own right, including the game-winning score in the final seconds of the semifinal and a team-high four receptions in the title game, and has started to garner some recruiting momentum of his own, including Nicholls State. Whitley and Williams committed this summer to Ole Miss and Tulane, respectively, but have continued to hear from other Power-Four programs hoping they may reconsider, while Bennett is one of the state's top remaining uncommitted pass-catchers until the Colonels or another suitor can land his pledge.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1618856' first='Darren' last='Coates Jr.'] — 5-11, 205 LB/EDGE — St. Augustine (2028)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1358241' first='Jacques' last='Robichaux'] — 6-4, 230 EDGE — St. Augustine (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defense returns plenty of production in its own right, headlined by the game-changing pressure they can bring off each edge with a highly ranked prospect in each of the next two classes. The balance between the versatile, rising junior Coates and the Southern Mississippi-committed senior Robichaux leaves opposing offenses with difficult decisions on how to keep the Purple Knights' rush as bay and avoid being consistently disrupted before they can get going. The duo corralled 11.5 and 9.5 sacks, respectively, this past season and should have the opportunity to challenge, if not more likely exceed, those numbers this year and once again be a critical strength of a title-contending St. Augustine squad.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2228473' first='Elijah' last='Menville'] — 6-1, 275 OL — St. Augustine (2027) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1845261' first='Jayden' last='Taylor'] — 6-4, 260 OL — St. Augustine (2028)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Perhaps no position group can often be as simultaneously overlooked on paper from the outside, but as make-or-break to a team's actual successes or failures. And it's any area where the Purple Knights have plenty of reason to be confident heading into this season. Menville leads a good group overall as a stout, strong interior force at center and smart, high-character senior leader overall. Menville saw some recruiting traction pick up this summer, including an offer from Southern, as a consistent, technically sound blocker who plays with a strong base and great balance and discipline. And he is far from alone in terms of Division-I talent in the St. Augustine trenches. Taylor was already a highly ranked prospect on the PRZLA list for the class prior to his sophomore season and only continued to bolster his stock with a solid sophomore season holding down the Purple Knights' blind side and a year of noticeable physical development in which he tacked on about another 30 pounds. Taylor's long athletic frame, quick feet and competitive mentality helped set him apart early on as one of the top prospects in a solid Louisiana class of offensive linemen, and he's only going to continue to help himself and his team as he gets stronger. His early offer list continues to grow, including LSU making him one of its elite class of in-state prospects to be offered by the Tigers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2 BREAKOUT CANDIDATES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1618849' first='Jaelle' last='Noble'] — 6-1, 185 QB/ATH — St. Augustine (2028)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Quarterback is the biggest roster-turnover question for the Purple Knights this year, at least in terms of big shoes to fill. St. Augustine graduated an experienced and poised senior leader at the position who had run the offense to perfection. But the team have another highly ranked prospect at the position who is among the top athletes in his class and has been brought along nicely with some snaps and packages each of the past two seasons. Noble is a solidly built rising junior with an explosive burst and legit 4.6-second (or better) 40-yard speed that all helped him earn early opportunities to get on the field and get the ball in his hands. He has appeared in camp and 7-on-7 settings throughout the offseason to have made some notable strides as a passer with his ability to get the ball out to his many weapons on time and on target, including some nicely thrown deep balls. And his continued growth into the responsibilities of leading the offense, showing poise and consistency and making good decisions will be an much an X-factor to the Purple Knights' season overall as any.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1851150' first='Lucas' last='Jefferson'] — 5-11, 170 WR — St. Augustine (2028)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As mentioned above and often in previous PRZLA articles the past couple years, the Purple Knights' depth at wide receiver and of weapons overall sometimes doesn't get enough credit in recruiting articles that tend to center on Whitley and Williams. And Jefferson is a prime example of another dynamic player at Noble and company's disposal who is more than capable of burning opposing defenses when given the chance. He had already earned a solid ranking prior to his sophomore season after some flashes shown during last offseason and preseason and has appeared this year ready to make an impact this fall. Jefferson ran a 4.64-second laser at Louisiana vs. All Y'all Elite camp in February — a number he will likely only continue to trim during the next two years — and put together an explosive performance in the Purple Knights' spring scrimmage at Alexandria that had assistant coaches shouting, "Hello World, meet [player_tooltip player_id='1851150' first='Lucas' last='Jefferson']!" as he torched his way to a long touchdown. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>1 UNDERCLASSMAN TO KNOW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Justin Betts Jr. — 6-2, 240 DL/EDGE — St. Augustine (2030)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the topic of notable spring takeaways, the Purple Knights' rising freshman defensive lineman was generating buzz among high school and college coaches alike before the scrimmage Alexandria even began. Betts stood out from an eye-test standpoint with one of the biggest, next-level frames and builds on the field during pregame warmups and has some intriguing agility and mobility at his size to match. His eighth-grade footage — though already playing up against primarily then-freshmen — shows a disruptive defensive tackle not only able to overpower his young peers, but with good body control and use of his hands to swim and slip past them and chase down plays behind the line of scrimmage. Betts figures to be a notable addition to the Purple Knights' rotation up front and has already picked up offers this summer from California and Florida before even beginning his ninth-grade year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->