Recruiting Steals: Notable Louisiana seniors awaiting first offer

Louisiana produces more NFL players per capita than any other state in the country. But, for a less metropolitan state than counterparts such as California, Texas or Florida, several prospects can slip through the recruiting cracks longer or even entirely. Here are 10 prospects still awaiting their first college offers entering their senior seasons. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="63615" first="Jacoby" last="Bellazar"] — 5-10, 155 ATH — Capitol</strong> The 5-foot-10, 155-pound Capitol star looks electric on his junior film and his new coach Corey Brownfield, a former college athlete who has worked around several notable prospects as an assistant at Southern Lab, beams about his potential. Bellazar was explosive in all three phases last season and figures to be so again in his final high school season. [caption id="attachment_61562" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-61562" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/10/Ryan-Armwood-300x197.jpg" alt="[player_tooltip player_id=" width="300" height="197" /> Photo by Tom DArmond[/caption]<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="63626" first="Ryan" last="Armwood"] — 5-10, 168 ATH — Episcopal (Baton Rouge)</strong> The explosive 5-foot-10, 168-pound athlete earned District 8-2A MVP honors as a junior for Episcopal (Baton Rouge) at running back. And while one of the biggest questions has been whether he might transition to another position in college, he has expressed enthusiasm about working more at cornerback or slot receiver or anywhere else his coaches at the next level might see as the best fit.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="63632" first="Lanard" last="Harris"] — 5-11, 180 DB — Woodlawn (Baton Rouge)</strong> The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Woodlawn (Baton Rouge) safety is among the most athletic players on this list and maybe the most physical. He draws favorable comparisons to former Louisiana Tech signee Xavier Lodge for his physicality, which will be a centerpiece of the Panthers’ defense this fall. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="63643" first="Chavez" last="Brown"] — 6-1, 200 ATH — Terrebonne</strong> The 6-foot-1, 200-pound teammate of star defensive tackle [player_tooltip player_id="63549" first="Maason" last="Smith"] certainly passes the eye test and has shown a propensity to make plays all over the field — wide receiver, defensive back, linebacker or anywhere else he lines up. He should be in line for a breakout senior season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="63650" first="Oden" last="Pierce"] — 6-3, 220 DE — Mandeville</strong> The 6-foot-3, 220-pound edge rusher is a defensive leader on a Mandeville team known more for quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="63594" first="DeVon" last="Tott"], his weapons and massive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="63605" first="Mackey" last="Maillho"]. Pierce is a productive playmaker at the Class 5A level, quick to the ball and into the backfield, and appears to have a frame that could add weight.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="63651" first="Elijah" last="Clyde"] — 6-1, 170 DB — West Feliciana</strong> As mentioned in the article on prospects finishing their high school careers in new places, the 6-foot-1, 170-pound defensive back is transferring from a small private school in the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools into one of Louisiana’s tougher Class 3A districts. But his film shows a physicality that should allow him to translate smoothly to his new level of competition, and his new coaches are excited about what he appears to be bringing to the table. <strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/matthew-mccallister/">[player_tooltip player_id="63654" first="Matthew" last="McCallister"]</a> — 5-11, 185 WR — West Monroe</strong> Playing in northeast Louisiana and for a more old-school, run-minded offense, the West Monroe receiver may be one of the state’s most underrated players at his position. He’s always been tough, quick, sure-handed and hard-working. And his diligence in improving his footwork and route-running has been paired with a growth spurt of a couple inches to push him toward 6-feet to make him an increasingly intriguing prospect to watch.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="63711" first="Jabez" last="Thompson"] — 5-8, 155 WR — Bastrop </strong> The Bastrop athlete is one of the more under-the-radar of Louisiana’s several smaller, quick slot receivers in the 2021 class compared to more well-known southern counterparts such as [player_tooltip player_id="63679" first="Lynarise" last="Elpheage Jr."], [player_tooltip player_id="63661" first="Jalen" last="Johnson"], [player_tooltip player_id="63714" first="Alred" last="Luke"] and [player_tooltip player_id="63680" first="Eric" last="St. Romain"] in New Orleans or [player_tooltip player_id="63600" first="Glynn" last="Johnson III"] and [player_tooltip player_id="63715" first="Jaylen" last="Joseph"]. But the 5-foot-8, 155-pound weapon has the opportunity to be in the mix among the best few of the bunch. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="63678" first="Jermaine" last="McNeal"] — 6-1, 190 LB — Alexandria</strong> An All-Central Louisiana performer as a junior, the 6-foot-1,190-pound Alexandria linebacker looks like a slightly smaller version of Tulsa-committed Green Oaks standout [player_tooltip player_id="63674" first="Jaden" last="Moore"] in their junior film as a quick backer able to make plays all over the field in Louisiana’s highest classification. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="63720" first="Ian" last="Helmcke"] — 6-1, 161 K — De La Salle</strong> The De La Salle kicker isn’t as well-known a name as Ole Miss commitment [player_tooltip player_id="63653" first="Caden" last="Costa"] at Mandeville across Lake Pontchartrain or LSU-committed punter [player_tooltip player_id="63610" first="Peyton" last="Todd"] or Ruston kicker/punter [player_tooltip player_id="63726" first="Caleb" last="Phillips"] up north. But he has performed well in big moments for his team and at kicking camps in the offseason, and top prospects in New Orleans mention his name quickly when asked about other recruits they hope their colleges will add to their respective classes.