By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine
With the high school football regular season nearly done, and Early Signing Day near in December, we’ve seen a lot of talent showing up this fall under the lights in Bossier and Caddo parishes.
Today’s article will focus on four of the elite players around Shreveport-Bossier City, kids who I expect to become top-caliber college starters who may even be in the NFL one day.
We will talk about the most talented players I’ve seen in the area when it comes to God-given talent — not necessarily who has previously made All-State or All-District.
I have written about all these players at some point. It’s my list and not a copied list from a recruiting service.
I don’t follow rankings. I have scouted for over 30 years and rely on my eyes watching these kids play on video or in person, in games and practices.
I’ve seen some special players come out of the area since 1991, and for every Morris Claiborne (Fair Park, LSU) or Tre’Davious White (Green Oaks, LSU), you always will see players not ranked highly who become players in college and the NFL like Donovan Wilson (Woodlawn, Texas A&M), the safety who is having a BIG year for the Dallas Cowboys.
When I worked for LSU and others in the 1990s and early 2000s as a contract scout, breaking down film, I was always told by the staff members – “find me players.”
Today’s list is my top players I’ve seen locally not only in 2022, but in a couple of cases, in the last two or three years.
I came up with an Elite Eight of local players in the Class of 2023 who I think will be special in college and possibly reach the NFL with the chance to be very successful at the highest level.
Why did it become eight players? These kids are ready to enter college tomorrow and start with no learning curve besides learning their team’s offense or defense. From a talent standpoint, they are ready now to be stars at the next level. It takes more than talent to do that – but if you don’t have the talent, it’s a very steep climb up that mountain.
In Saturday’s edition, we will talk about players I rank 5-8 in my Elite Eight list.
My No. 1 player for the Shreveport-Bossier area for the Class of 2023 is Omarion Miller from North Caddo. Currently committed to Nebraska, he recently took in an LSU game in Tiger Stadium. Stay tuned.
Why is he the No. 1, ready-for-college-now player in the area? Miller is special, a 6-2, 196-pounder who plays the game as a WR or DB like Devin White played the game a few years back for North Webster as a RB/LB. Miller plays the game at another speed and level of effort. You can’t coach his God-given speed and his tough makeup is as good as it gets in Louisiana, not just locally.
I believe he is more advanced at this point than even Terrace Marshall (Parkway HS, LSU) who had a great career in Baton Rouge with Joe Burrow and is being wasted so far in a dysfunctional organization in Carolina in the NFL.
Miller can be an All American in college at either WR or DB. That is something that only the very elite kids can do at the next level.
My No. 2 player in the area is the most gifted CB prospect I’ve seen since Tre’Davious White from Green Oaks: MarJayvious Moss (5-11, 175) from Northwood. His 4.4 40-yard speed is real. He is the only DB anywhere in my 31 years I’ve ever watched intercept five passes in one night. Vandy, Minnesota, Baylor and others have been recruiting him since this past January. This kid has incredible skills and LSU and all the big guys are starting to take notice. They should.
Coming in at No. 3 is Athlete/RB/WR Jaylan White from Parkway. This kid also has 4.4 speed or better and it’s real game speed. Mississippi State has long been the leader, but I-20 rivals ULM and Louisiana Tech have recruited him hard. There is mutual interest there for his home-state schools. White can be a RB or WR in college and has the stuff of a Jaylen Waddle-type (Alabama). My best bet here projects him as a slot WR and a playmaker on special teams. More big schools will come calling when the season is over, I predict.
Wrapping up my top standouts list at No. 4 is North Caddo RB/LB Aiden Brock, who is a ripped-up 5-11, 225-pounder with 4.5 speed. He could be a big-time LB or RB in college. Built like Devin White, with speed and strength, Brock has God-given tools to be a steal for someone who picks up on him by December.
It’s really hard to find a LB/RB this size in college with speed and I believe he should be in high demand soon. Brock is not ranked high by recruiting services but I see something special in this kid and think he can be great in college.
Saturday: the other Class of 2023 standouts in my local Elite Eight.
Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com