Inside The Knights

Memorial Day Showcase: Prospects Shine in Louisiana

There were several top-notch prospects competing on Monday at the Memorial Day Showcase.

Brian Smith

LAFAYETTE, La. - The state of Louisiana is constantly producing talent (10 Louisiana players just went in the 2022 NFL Draft), and that’s why there’s a need to keep an eye on the future prospects. That’s what Monday was all about. Here’s a look at some first-time names, as well as some players that just began to get on the recruiting radar, via the Memorial Day Showcase.

Who’s This Guy?

For anyone that does not know anything about edge defender Charlie Robinson, you probably are not alone where you live. He’s playing for Monroe (La.) Sterlington, but that’s not one of the traditional powers in the area. When he came to the camp, and even before he weighed in, there was the obvious question.

Who are you?

16 years old, this young man is built like a Greek God. He’s blessed. The photographs do not lie. Players over 225-pounds do not normally look like Robinson.

Robinson is familiar with playing on the edge, and he’s probably going to play there in college as well. He also went through work as a linebacker during the camp, something unfamiliar to him altogether. It’s part of the learning process of being an all-around football player. It is good to see him eager to learn regardless of how comfortable he currently is with a position. His upside is great regardless, but seeing Robinson so willing to learn adds more value to his stock.

He’s just getting started as a recruit, but he does plan to participate in camps at Mississippi State, Alabama, Louisiana, and maybe a few more schools. Basing Robinson’s upside on his natural frame and physique, and combining those two attributes with his effort and willingness to learn, he’s going to be picking between quite a few schools for where he is playing college football. It’s only a matter of time before the offers start to roll in for Robinson.

Speed

The number of speedy and quick athletes is far more than one person can define. With that in mind, note that there is still one constant in the greater Lafayette area.

**Wide receiver Alex Beard is a player that continually makes plays. He is fast, yes. More importantly, Beard does a great job of using technique at the line of scrimmage to create separation. Here’s an example from the class of 2023 receiver from Lafayette (La.) Christian Academy:

There were numerous other wide receivers and defensive backs that made plays as well. It’s a really long list, which is the norm in Louisiana. Nothing is changing, it appears.

Quarterbacks

While many are fixated on Eli Holstein (Alabama commitment) and Arch Manning at the quarterback position, Louisiana actually has quite a few signal callers. Even though some of them do not have Power Five offers just yet. One of those players did quite well on Monday.

**Grayson Saunier has the traditional frame of a pocket passer, and he’s also adept at moving right or left before firing a pass. Most notably, he accurately threw deep ball after deep ball on the money.

That’s often the difference between winning and losing. Saunier plays for Lafayette (La.) High School. He is going under the radar for now, but that should change quickly.

**There were several other quarterbacks to watch, including class of 2025 prospect Colton Morris, one of the best young signal callers in Louisiana. He plays for Loranger (La.) High School.

Young Skill Talent

**One of the best 2025 prospects in Louisiana would be running back Diesel Solari from Cecelia (La.) High School. He’s a powerfully built player that has been great for 4th Quarter Mentality 7v7 this spring. He also did a great job of showing off his receiving skills at the camp despite being a running back on Friday nights.

Solari made multiple difficult catches; he even made the catch of the day via an over-the-shoulder catch in the back of the end zone despite tight coverage. He’s going to be a very good player, and Solari is already impressive.

**Speaking of young talent, with multiple Power Five offers already, Harlem Berry is not one’s typical prospect at the age of 15. He’s a player that’s already running by defenders, making people miss in space, and just using his natural skills to make plays, just like this one:

Even though he plays running back (over 2,000 yards as a freshman) for St. Martin’s Episcolal School in New Orleans, he went from running back to receiver during the one-on-one portion of camp. No real training, mind you, yet Berry made several catches against quality defensive backs. There will be very few class of 2025 prospects from the bayou with more offers than this young man when all is said and done. He’s a special talent.

The running back position in general was just loaded. Lots of prospects with quick feet and really good hands. The number of running backs that made difficult catches is hard to calculate. That's a great sign.

**The most impressive cornerback on the day comes from the class of 2025 as well. Opelousas (La.) High School standout Landon Hammond provides the frame college scouts covet at roughly 6’2”. With three more years of high school, he looks like one of Louisiana’s best moving forward.

Length

One other player to mention, and he's just starting to grow into his frame. Watch out for Corey Amos from Opelousas (La.) High School. He's just over 200-pounds, and he is a rising edge rusher that should be recruited early. He's a class of 2025 prospect.

Overall Thoughts

There were more prospects there to watch than one could keep up with. That’s a good problem to have. The greater Central Louisiana area, i.e. Baton Rouge to Lafayette, is full of talent for coaches to check out. It’s advisable for college coaches to do just that.

Thank you to @4thQtMentality for holding the camp and allowing everyone to compete and enjoy the day. Looking forward to coming back to Louisiana in the future.

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Brian Smith
BRIAN SMITH

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