20 Louisiana high school football players enjoying breakout seasons

Highlighting Louisiana high school football players who have emerged during the 2024 season

Mandeville running back Isaiah Baham stepped in four an injured 4-star teammate and has enjoyed a breakout season rushing for 788 yards and eight touchdowns thus far. / Isaiah Baham Instagram

In previous articles, we introduced our candidates for LHSAA Player of the Year and Top 20 Underclassmen. Keep reading to find out 20 players who had breakout seasons through the first round of the LHSAA playoffs. This list is not meant to be exhaustive. There are hundreds of deserving candidates. Please let us know who else had a breakout season by tagging us on X @LouisianaHighSchoolonSI.

Javon Vital So. Hamilton Christian Position: QB Measurables: 5-10, 175

Donald Fusilier, who coaches Vital on the 4th Quarter Mentality 7-on-7 team, says he'll play on Sundays. Fusilier knows a thing or two about that, having tutored NFL receiver Malik Nabers when the latter was in high school. Vital led the Warriors to a 10-1 record through the first round of the Division IV select playoffs. During the regular season, he completed 72 of 117 passes for 1,139 yards and 17 TD with three interceptions, rushed for 1,506 yards and 25 TD and racked up 3,035 all-purpose yards with 46 touchdowns. 

Kennan Brown So. Lafayette Renaissance Position: QB Measurables: 5-10, 170 

The Tigers posted a 6-4 mark in their first varsity season behind the arm of Brown, who was fourth in the state in passing during the regular season. Brown passed for 2,598 yards and 30 TD with 11 interceptions, which led the Lafayette area. Lafayette Renaissance nearly earned a first round home playoff game as a No. 17 seed (lost to No. 16 Parkview Baptist). 

DJ Neal Fr. Franklin Parish Position: RB Measurables: 5-10, 175

Neal joins junior quarterback Dezyrian Ellis in a potent Patriots' backfield. During the regular season, Neal rushed for 939 yards on 125 carries and nine TD (7.5 avg.). He added seven receptions for 103 yards and three scores. Neal rushed for 181 yards on 23 carries in a Week 10 win over Tioga that wrapped up a 9-1 regular season and No. 4 Division II nonselect playoff seed.

Isaiah Baham Sr. Mandeville Position: RB Measurables: 5-10, 175 

When four-star running back Nate Sheppard suffered a season-ending injury, Baham bolstered the Division I nonselect fifth-seeded Skippers' running game, earning northshore boys athlete of the week honors from The New Orleans Advocate after he rushed for 233 yards on 21 carries with two TD in a win over Ponchatoula. Baham finished the regular season with 788 yards on 101 carries with eight TD for the Skippers (10-1).

Brody Anderson So. Westlake Position: QB Measurables: 6-3, 195

Anderson, who is a college prospect as a left-handed pitcher and first baseman, accounted for six touchdowns (three rushing, three passing) in his team's win over South Beauregard. He has passed for 1,947 yards and 22 TD with eight interceptions for the 7-4 Rams, who won their first Division III nonselect playoff game as a No. 13 seed over Crowley. On the ground, Anderson averaged 8.5 yards per carry (64-547, six TD).

Caleb Ellis Sr. Ferriday Position: QB Measurables: 6-0, 170

Ellis averaged 17.7 yards per completion for the Trojans, passing for 2,370 yards and 32 touchdowns with six interceptions. He added three rushing scores. In Ferriday's win over crosstown rival Delta Charter, which was undefeated, Ellis threw three TD passes on five completions with 122 yards. The Trojans finished the regular season with a 7-3 record.

Caden Heck Sr. Covington Position: QB Measurables: 6-0, 160

Heck led the Lions to a 9-2 record through the first round of the Division I nonselect playoffs and a No. 16 seed. in the regular season, he rushed for 747 yards on 104 carries with 10 TD, according to Joseph Halm of The New Orleans Advocate, and passed for 1,793 yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. In a bi-district playoff win over No. 17 Barbe, he passed for 169 yards and rushed for 168 with three total TD, according to Mike Perval of The New Orleans Advocate. 

Greg Williams Sr. Homer Position: RB Measurables: 5-10, 180

Williams was the third-leading rusher in the state during the regular season, logging 173 carries for 1,987 yards and 24 TD for the Pelicans, who went 5-6 and lost in the Division IV nonselect bi-district playoffs to East Feliciana. Williams went for 235 yards rushing on 22 carries with three scores in a win over D'Arbonne Woods.

Cayden Jones Sr. Walker Position: RB Measurables: 5-10, 180

Jones, who goes by the moniker "Cheat Code," helped the No. 22-seeded Wildcats defeat No. 11 Dutchtown for the second time this season in the first round of the Division I nonselect playoffs. In the regular season, he rushed for 1,443 yards on 181 carries and caught 18 passes for 183 yards with 22 total TD. "If you're looking for a great student-athlete that's coachable and talented...here's the guy to look for," Coach Jackson, a Walker High assistant track and field coach, wrote about Jones on X.

Branon Mitchell Jr. Ascension Episcopal Position: QB Measurables: 6-2, 175

Mitchell, the son of Ascension Episcopal defensive line coach Brandon Mitchell, led the Blue Gators to a 9-1 record and a No. 5 seed in the Division IV select playoffs. In the Blue Gators' only loss to undefeated Vermilion Catholic, Mitchell left the game with an injury. He has since returned and passed for 949 yards and 15 TD with one interception. Mitchell has rushed for 577 yards on 69 carries with seven TD. 

Jamarcea Plater Jr. Captain Shreve Position: RB Measurables: 5-9, 180

Plater was second in the state to Xavier Ford in rushing during the regular season, racking up 2,120 yards on 199 carries with 30 TD for the Gators, who finished with a 6-5 record. He finished the year with 2,235 yards and 32 TD (10.8 yards per carry). 

Brayden Allen Jr. Lafayette Christian Position: WR Measurables: 6-1, 170

Allen averaged 22.9 yards per catch against a host of tough defenses (Archbishop Shaw, Archbishop Rummel, Central-BR, Westgate), snagging 47 receptions for 1,076 yards and 10 TD through the first round of the playoffs. The second LCA receiver to top the 1,000-yard receiving mark, Allen recently picked up a scholarship offer from the hometown UL Ragin' Cajuns. 

Daejawn Smith Sr. Edna Karr Position: RB Measurables: 6-0, 175

A converted running back, Smith was quarterback John Johnson's favorite target in the regular season, grabbing 50 catches for 873 yards and 12 TD as part of a receiving room that includes LSU and Tulane commitments. The Cougars posted a 9-0 record and landed the No. 1 seed in the Division I select playoff bracket. Rivals national analyst Sam Spiegelman tabbed Smith "the most under recruited player in Louisiana this year...a Power 4 receiver, book it," in a November post on X.

Coryann Hawkins So. Archbishop Rummel Position: RB Measurables: 5-9, 185

Hawkins complements senior running back Norman Taylor in the Raiders' backfield. He and Taylor combined for 260 yards and three TD in the second half of a rivalry win over Archbishop Shaw, according to Mike Strom of Geaux Preps. His bruising 12-yard run against Shaw "hyped up the Rummel linemen," Chris Dabe of The New Orleans Advocate wrote. Hawkins had the game-winning TD in OT against St. Augustine for the Division I select No. 5-seeded Raiders (8-2).

Johnny Casey Jr. Evangel Christian Position: WR Measurables: 5-10, 155

A three-star prospect and the state's No. 24 prospect on 247Sports, Casey has been the top beneficiary of quarterback Peyton Houston's passes, catching 52 balls for 1,014 yards and 14 TD during the regular season for the Eagles, who upset district rival No. 15 Captain Shreve in the first round of the Division I select playoffs. Casey caught six passes for 144 yards and a score in the playoff win.

Jeremiah Bushnell Jr. Iowa Position: WR Measurables: 6-3, 190

A plus-sized downfield threat, Bushnell had 44 receptions for 846 yards and 10 TD during the regular season for Iowa (9-1), which earned the No. 5 seed in the Division II nonselect playoffs. He plays basketball for the Yellow Jackets, who have made consecutive state tourney appearances, and scored two TD in the second half of a preseason jamboree win over Westlake, according to Roderick Anderson of The American Press.

Javonte Broussard Fr. Northside Position: WR Measurables: 6-1, 170

Broussard was among the top receivers in the Lafayette area, catching 47 passes for 810 yards and eight TDs during the regular season. He had five catches for 137 yards and a score in a loss to Cecilia. 

Rontrae Carter So. Archbishop Shaw Position: DB Measurables: 6-0, 170

Jarryd Boyd, a former Shaw Eagle and founder of The Hash It Out Show, predicts that Carter will be "at least a four-star prospect" on the recruiting sites. "Coach (Hank Tierney) just wants us to be great," Carter told Louisiana vs. All Y'all in August after a preseason game. Carter had a scoop and score in a win over Belle Chasse for the Division II select No. 1 Eagles (8-2).

Seth Aucoin Sr. St. Edmund Position: WR Measurables: 5-10, 180

Aucoin has an unbelievable TD/catch ratio, reaching the end zone on 12 of 17 receptions that have totaled 740 yards for the Division IV select No. 8-seeded Blue Jays (9-1).  He was the Under The Lights player of the game in a Week 10 win over Westminster Christian-Opelousas (three rec, 180 yards, three TD). 

Jayden Chavis Sr. Northwest Position: QB Measurables: 5-8, 155

During the regular season, Chavis' precision passing kept defenses from focusing too much on junior running back Ke'Von Johnson. With both Johnson and Samuel Leday nursing injuries, Chavis connected on 10 of 12 passes for 152 yards and two TD in the No. 11 Raiders' 35-7 win over No. 22 DeRidder in the Division II nonselect playoffs. On the season, Chavis has passed for 1,230 yards and 20 TD with four interceptions.