Examining the talent in the Class of 2014

Last Wednesday would’ve been my father, Leo’s, 86th birthday. Unfortunately, we lost dad a couple of years ago. Now as football season is about to begin, I really think about how much I miss my father. We shared plenty of similarities, and the older I get, the more I’ve come to realize that so many of my talents and abilities come directly from him.

Pops loved football, especially three teams – the Catholic High of Baton Rouge Bears, the LSU Tigers and the New Orleans Saints. He was passionate in his love and devotion to those three teams but especially his two alma maters, both of which he suited up and played for.

Dad and my mother, Lina, would listen to my Byrd football broadcasts and then usually call me on Saturday mornings with their critiques. Our talks would usually drift into discussions about high school football, the Tigers and the Saints. I truly miss those talks, especially now as we’re about to kick off the football season.

I sure would love to hear his opinion on this year’s recruiting class in Louisiana. When LSU won the 2003 National Championship, most pundits cited Nick Saban’s 2001 recruiting class as the reason the Tigers won the title. That class, with names like Michael Clayton, Shyrone Carey, Andrew Whitworth, Rudy Niswanger, Marcus Spears, Ronnie Prude and the late Marquise Hill, many who played in the National Football League, is considered to be one of the greatest in state history. In my opinion, the Class of 2014 is better than that class. Of course, I’m sure Dad would remind me of the days of Billy Cannon or Tommy Cassanova and cite a group with equal or better talent.

The talent level in this 2014 class is incredible and stretches to all four corners of the Bayou State. From Shreveport to New Orleans, Monroe to Lake Charles there are top notch recruits all across the state this year. St. Augustine’s Leonard Fournette is among the top running backs in the country, West Monroe’s Cameron Robinson has the potential to be a future NFL star, while Barbe wide receiver Trey Quinn is an elite receiver. Those are just three of a long list of outstanding football talent in Louisiana.

In Shreveport-Bossier City, Brandon Harris, O.J. Smith and Santos Ramirez have either committed to or have received scholarship offers from major college powers.

The name at the top of the local list is Parkway High School quarterback Brandon Harris. Harris exploded on the scene last year leading his Panthers to a three-way tie for the District 1-5A title and the state quarter finals. Harris has already given his verbal pledge to LSU. I’ve seen Harris play a number of times, and I tell people he is a quarterback first and an athlete second. Meaning that he is going to read the defense, make his progressions and do the things quarterbacks do before taking off and using his athletic ability to avoid defenders. I firmly believe Harris is making a good choice in choosing LSU and new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. If the strongarmed quarterback has aspirations of playing in the NFL, there’s no better tutor than Cameron. Just ask Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers and Joe Flacco.

Airline defensive lineman O.J. Smith really impressed me last season when I was calling the Byrd – Airline season nale. Byrd quarterback J.D. Lorence, who had better than average speed, ran the ball on an option keeper around the left side. Lorence was tackled by Smith on the perimeter from his defensive tackle spot. It was one of those “wow” moments you see special athletes make. In the second half of the game, Smith went out with a concussion, and the momentum of the game shifted in Byrd’s favor. Smith has given his verbal commitment to the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Defensive back Santos Ramirez is another player who garnered quite a lot of attention last season at Captain Shreve. Ramirez did a little of everything for the Gators as he played defensive back, wide receiver and returned kicks. On a Shreve team that posted a 4-6 record, Ramirez was such a standout that he was a Class 5A First-Team All-State selection as a safety, which speaks volumes to how gifted a player he is. However, Ramirez did cause some controversy over the summer when he decided to transfer to Evangel Christian Academy. Ramirez cited wanting to “play for a state championship” as his reason for leaving Shreve. He has received a scholarship offer from LSU but has not committed to the Tigers despite conflicting reports from various recruiting sources.

I took a little time Aug. 14 to think about my dad and how much I miss him. I tried to think about what he might have said about some of these big-time recruits. What I would give to have just one more phone call critique from him of my broadcasts. Happy Birthday, Dad!

Charlie Cavell may be reached at ccavell12@hotmail.com.