Top 20 underclassmen in Louisiana high school football

Who are the best freshmen, sophomore football players in the state? We scoured the state and narrowed down the 20 best

Airline WR Kenny Darby making a catch at the Division I Non-Select Regional playoff match against Southside in Bossier City, LA on November 17, 2023 / Paul Karge/The Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

There is no denying the amount of high school football talent in Louisiana in the 2024 season. 

Even with LSU doing most of its heavy recruiting in-state, there remains a ton of prospects ripe for the picking from South Dakota State (Kentrell Prejean-Teurlings Catholic) to the Univ. of Miami (defensive coordinator Lance Guidry/four-star Westgate DB commit Jaboree Antoine) to Temple University, which recently offered one of the players mentioned below in our segment featuring the top 20 underclassmen in Louisiana.

• Louisiana (LHSAA) high school football player of year candidates in 2024

There are some big-name recruits as well as some small-school sleepers on our list, which isn't exhaustive. We tried to select players who may be difference-makers on championship teams. Who are some other top underclassmen in Louisiana? Please let us know by tagging us on X @LouisianaHighSchoolonSI. 

Note: Underclassmen that made our recent Player of the Year frontrunner list, such as Ke'Von Johnson and Peyton Houston, weren't considered for this list to ensure greater inclusion.

TOP 20 FRESHMEN, SOPHOMORES IN LOUISIANA

Elijah Haven, The Dunham School, soph.

Measurables: 6-4, 210 Position: QB

The nation's No. 1 player in the Class of 2027 per 247Sports, Haven led the Tigers to wins in their first eight games. He accounted for six touchdowns in a 46-0 win over local rival Parkview Baptist, was named WAFB-TV Sportsline Player of the Week, and broke the school career record for most passing and total touchdowns.

Darryus McKinley, Acadiana, jr.

Measurables: 6-3, 265 Position: DL

The Wreckin' Rams won seven straight games after a season-opening loss at defending Division I nonselect state champion Ruston. McKinley, the younger brother of LSU defensive lineman Dominick McKinley, anchors a defense that held its last six opponents to 10-or-fewer points. Darryus had eght solo tackles and three sacks in a Saturday night win over fellow Class 5A power Zachary that was broadcast statewide.

Kenny Darby, Airline, jr.

Measurables: 6-1, 175 Position: WR

Darby totaled 1,000 yards receiving in his first seven games, then added a 10-catch, 202-yard, four-TD performance in a Week 8 win over Natchitoches-Central that kept the Vikings perfect at 8-0. He decommitted from Mississippi State over the weekend, and is ranked as the No. 14 player in Louisiana by 247Sports. 

Roderick Tezeno, Opelousas Catholic, jr.

Measurables: 6-3, 175 Position: WR

Tezeno and the Vikings were sailing along with a 4-0 record, and starting quarterback Kross Gillen went down with an injury. Tezeno, who caught 25 passes for 549 yards and seven TDs through the early weeks of the season, could reportedly get his QB back for Week 10. He caught six passes for 195 yards and three TDs in a district win over Sacred Heart.

John Johnson, Edna Karr, jr.

Measurables: 6-0, 180 Position: QB

The Cougars won their first seven games as "Hollywood," which is Johnson's nickname, passed and ran with aplomb. He passed for 270 yards and two TDs and ran for 100 yards in a 34-13 Catholic League victory over Brother Martin. In a 62-16 rout of Warren Easton in Week Eight, Johnson completed 13 of 17 passes for 311 yards and five TDs. 

For the season, he has passed for 1,799 yards (107 of 165) and 21 TDs and rushed for 467 yards on 48 carries with four scores.

Zion Lee, Bunkie, jr. 

Measurables: 5-11, 217 Position: RB/LB

Lee ran for 139 yards on nine carries and recorded 14 tackles in the undefeated Panthers' first district game, a shutout win over Caldwell Parish. Through the first half of the season, he rushed for 469 yards on 48 carries with eight TDs and collected 40 tackles with five stops behind the line of scrimmage.

Braylon Calais, Cecilia, soph.

Measurables: 6-2, 190 Position: RB

Calais, who is rated as a four-star prospect and the No. 4 player in Louisiana by both On3 and 247, is projected as a receiver but has been the primary ballcarrier for the Bulldogs, who are seeking a return to the Division II nonselect state championship game. Calais ran for 448 yards with 10 TDs and caught 10 passes for 222 yards and four scores through the first seven games.

Parker Robinson, Neville, soph.

Measurables: 6-2, 185 Position: QB 

The Tigers won their first eight games, including victories over Ruston, St. Thomas More and Calvary Baptist, and hold the No. 1 power rating in Division I nonselect. Robinson, who is also ranked statewide by Prep Hoops Louisiana as a small forward, completed 16 of 24 passes for 208 yards and two TDs in the win over Ruston. He entered the game with 1,231 yards passing and 12 TDs with two interceptions.

Marvin Joseph, Central-BR, soph.

Measurables: 6-0, 175 Position: RB/DB

With three offensive teammates sidelined in Week 1 due to injuries suffered in a car accident, Joseph stepped up on both sides of the ball in a win over De La Salle. rushing for 54 yards on 17 carries with a TD and making numerous tackles near the line of scrimmage in run support. He has even taken snaps at Wildcat and threw a TD pass for the Wildcats, who won seven of their first eight games.

Karsen Sellers, Alexandria, soph.

Measurables: 6-1, 175 Position: QB 

Through the first seven games, Sellers ranked seventh statewide in completion percentage (68.13%), seventh in yards per attempt (11.33), third in touchdowns per attempt (0.1868) and fourth in QB rating (106.69), according to Louisiana high school stats expert Hayden Lessard. Alexandria was off to an 8-0 start and Sellers had not thrown an interception.

Dylan Vital, Lake Charles College Prep, soph.

Measurables: 6-3, 220 Position: QB

Vital, who is ranked by Prep Baseball Report Louisiana as a first/third baseman, completed 92 of 140 passes for 1,548 yards through seven games (ranked sixth statewide) with 12 TDs and eight interceptions. The Trailblazers won their last two games, including a district blowout of Westlake, after losing to a pair of 7-1 teams in Jennings and Catholic New Iberia.

Braylon Walker, Lafayette Christian, jr.

Measurables: 5-11, 160 Position: QB

Walker has played well in his debut as the Knights' starting quarterback following the record-setting career of Ju'Juan Johnson, who is now at LSU. Walker passed for approximately 1,600 yards with 14 TDs and three interceptions through the first eight games, which featured a rugged schedule (Shaw, Rummel, Central-BR, Westgate). He added 271 rushing yards with eight TDs and landed his first scholarship offer from Arkansas St. The Knights have a good chance to extend their state title game appearance streak with Walker calling signals.

Luke Delafield, North DeSoto, jr.

Yes, Delafield is still an underclassman. If it seems like he's been doing this a long time, he led the Griffins to the state title game as a freshman and a No. 1 playoff seed as a sophomore. This year, he's passed for 1,646 yards with 13 TDs and nine interceptions for the Griffins, who have won five straight despite missing leading receiver Cole Cory to injury.

Makelin Lemoine, Elton, soph.

Measurables: 5-10, 185 Position: RB/DB

The Class 1A Indians won six of their first eight games behind a two-pronged rushing attack of Lemoine and senior Tristan LeBlanc. Through seven games, Lemoine had rushed for 1,180 yards on 94 carries (12.55 ypc) with 18 TDs. His older brother, Marcus Lemoine, played collegiately at the Univ. of Arkansas-Monticello. 

Jayden Anding, Ruston, soph.

Measurables: 6-0, 170 Position: DB

The younger brother of 2025 LSU cornerback commit Aidan Anding, Jayden intercepted two passes in Ruston's win over Longview (Texas) in an intriguing Saturday afternoon interstate matchup. Jayden has early offers from Arkansas and Miami as a safety and has helped the Bearcats win six of their first eight games for the No. 2 power rating in Division I nonselect.

Lamar Brown, University Lab, jr.

Measurables: 6-4, 280 Position: OL

Brown allowed no sacks and no quarterback hurries in over 100 snaps through the first five games of the season. The five-star recruit has helped the Cubs to a 7-1 record and the No. 2 power rating in Division II select. Highly decorated QB Emile Picarella can sit comfortably in the pocket with Brown heading up pass protection.

Jaden Carter, Covenant Christian, jr.

Measurables: 5-10, 175 Position: Athlete

Carter has been a versatile star for the Lions, who are the talk of Class 1A after reeling off eight straight wins, highlighted by a three-score victory over previously undefeated Jeanerette. Through the season's midway mark, Carter totaled 12 receptions for 301 yards, 245 return yards and 19 rushing yards. He intercepted two passes in a win over Archbishop Hannan and grabbed an offer this month from Temple University.

Devine Duhon, Jeanerette, soph.

Measurables: 5-11, 180 Position: RB

The Tigers won six of their first seven games and ascended to the top spot in the Division IV nonselect power ratings at one point. Duhon has impacted games in every fashion, rolling up 233 all-purpose yards and five TDs in a Week 3 win over White Castle. He was averaging over 10 yards per carry with nearly 800 yards rushing through the season's midway point.

Karon Eugene, Catholic New Iberia, soph.

Measurables: 6-1, 160 Position: DB

Eugene leads the 7-1 Panthers with four interceptions and two pick-sixes, which both occurred in a 62-6 district win over Delcambre. Eugene, who has amassed 167 interception return yards, has blocked three punts and is tied for second on the team with 15 solo tackles despite missing two games due to injury.

Collin DiBetta, Acadiana, soph.

Measurables: 5-10, 175 Position: WR/CB

DiBetta, the younger brother of Acadiana senior quarterback Caden DiBetta, starts at cornerback for one of the state's premier large-school programs. Through eight weeks, Collin was next-and-neck for the team's leading receiver with 2025 UL Ragin' Cajuns' commit Russell Babineaux. Collin, who has an Ole Miss offer, had 16 catches for 461 yards and seven TDs. He also threw a 62-yard TD pass in a Week 8 win over Southside.

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-- Mike Coppage | @sblivela