by Lee Brecheen

Landon Collins - Dutchtown

February 1, 2012 - 2011 was the year of the Linebacker for Louisiana.  In my twenty-five years of covering high school recruiting in Louisiana, I don’t ever remember seeing twelve to fifteen Linebackers in that are legit DI in the same class and seven to eight linebackers that are NFL prospects frame wise and speed wise right now.  In a normal year in recruiting for Louisiana I might see two linebackers that are legit DI and a few undersized and fast linebackers that could end up being good.  When you look back five years from now you will see several Linebackers from this recruiting class make it to the NFL, and a handful will make a mark in college and in the Pros.

I ranked this class like I have every year since 1996 by seeing these kids play several times from their freshman year to their senior year.  Actually with this group I saw more film in a four-year period for one class than any class I’ve ever scouted in my career.  I watched over 800 full games of these kids, so I can give you a true opinion of the best players in Louisiana by position.

I put a lot of these players at their more natural college position instead of the position they played in High School for the team.  I also looked at ranking the players that are the most ready right now.  I always look at it like a NFL draft meaning the kids who can play right away from a talent stand point where all they need is a playbook to learn and they’re ready to get on the field.  You will see there are 24 players then several that tied for 25 that I thought where ready to play DI football right now.

I counted over 55 players that did not make the Bayou 25 list that are still DI that will probably redshirt but still have great college careers.  Remember Louisiana always has close to a 100 DI players even in a normal recruiting year and over 100 IAA prospects.  I will have a list of several other players in the coming days that I rank by position that did not make the Bayou 25.  Again this list is a ranking of the most gifted and most ready, and my list always has the most athletic speed players by position.

I do not make my opinions from what someone else said, but from what I see with my own eyes.  I’m a pretty good judge of talent in the state, and I’ve worked for over 300 colleges for the last 20 or so years in the business.

You will see players that a lot of people don’t know about and names you have never heard of.  But I promise you that after reading this you will then know the great sleepers in the State along with the big names everybody else has already mentioned.

I hope you enjoy the 2012 Louisiana Football Magazine Bayou 25, and I look forward to putting up a lot of different information that I think you will find interesting in the coming days for this 2012 signing class.

2012 Louisiana Football Magazine Bayou 25

(All Photos are Property of Louisiana Football Magazine)

Ronnie Feist - West St. John	Davante Bourque - Crowley	Joseph Brunson - Ruston
Juwaan Rogers - Amite	Travin Dural - Breaux Bridge	Jerquinick Sandolph - Hahnville
Dominick Bilich - Archbishop	Derek Edinburgh - Edna Karr	Dwayne Thomas - O. P. Walker
James McFarland - West Monroe	Cyril Noland - Ruston	Lorenzo Phillips - Patterson
Tremaine Lightfoot - Patterson	Devon Breaux - Donaldsonville	John Thomas - Airline
Colby Delahoussaye - New Iberia	Brandon Johnson - Parkview Baptist	Dylan Long - St. Paul's
Kevin Fouquier - Comeaux	Kajandre Domino - Scotlandville	Sanchez Pitre - Washington-Marion
Denman Evans - Block	Mark Laird - Ouachita Christian	Kedrick Banks - McDonogh #35
Alonzo Moore - Winnfield	Ed Boley - West Monroe	Jacob Tyson - West Monroe
Kentrall Brice - Ruston	Henry Taylor - Scotlandville	Trey Gilbert - Winnfield
Lamar Louis - Breaux Bridge	Quentin Wheeler - Ouachita	Jalen Richard - Peabody
Kameryon Brown - Southern Lab	Marcus Hall - St. Charles Catholic	D'Nerius Antoine - Westgate