Louisiana high school football: Here are the top specialists for the 2023 season
The 2023 high school football season was completed this month.
But football never ends, and further proof of that is the final SBLive Louisiana position list, as we will focus on the specialists, consisting of the top kickers, punters and long snappers from the 2023 season.
Keep reading to meet the state's top specialists. Players are listed in random order.
Louisiana's Top Players To Watch in 2023
Quarterbacks | Receivers/Tight Ends | Running Backs | Offensive Linemen | Defensive Linemen | Linebackers | Defensive Backs
Aeron Burrell, Kicker, Sr., Parkway
From the Bossier City-based school, an LSU signee who is ranked as the No. 1 kicker in the nation by 247Sports, which rates Burrell as a three-star prospect and the No. 62 player in Louisiana. Rated five stars by Kohl's Kicking. Set a Bossier Parish record this past season with a 55-yard field goal, eclipsing a 53-yard field goal from his junior season.
As a junior, Burrell recorded touchbacks on all 51 kickoffs and went 8-for-10 on field goals. Committed to LSU in April 2023. As a senior, made nine field goals and again put all of his kickoffs into the end zone.
Abram Murray, Kicker, Sr., C.E. Byrd
Miami (Fla.) signee from the Shreveport-based school who is ranked as the No. 3 kicker in the nation by 247Sports, which rates Murray as a three-star prospect and the No. 65 player in Louisiana. Rated five stars by Kohl's Kicking. Chose the Hurricanes over the University of Arkansas.
Was Miami's first commitment in the 2024 class when he gave the Hurricanes a verbal on July 31, 2022. Also punted for the Yellow Jackets and averaged 41.6 yards per punt as a junior.
Grant Denicola, Long Snapper, Sr., Dutchtown
Rated as a four-star prospect by Kohl's Kicking. At the Kohl's National Camp, had an average snap time of .73 seconds and scored on 14 charted long snaps. Helped the Griffins to the Division I non-select semifinals.
Brek Schultz, Kicker, Jr., Live Oak
Rated as a five-star and the No. 3 kicker in the nation by Kohl's Kicking. Made four field goals in 2023 with a long of 51 yards and recorded touchbacks on 29-of-33 kickoffs. Made 18-of-19 point after touchdowns.
Cooper Helmke, Kicker, Jr., St. Martin's Episcopal
Rated as a five-star and the No. 7 kicker in the nation by Kohl's Kicking. Made a 42-yard field goal in a win over the Willow School. Placed second in the field goal competition and tied for seventh for field goals in the Kohl's Eastern Showcase in December.
Zachry Sugandi-Truitt, Kicker, Jr., St. Louis Catholic
Rated as a four-star by Kohl's Kicking. Holds a scholarship offer from the University of Arkansas-Monticello. Posted a score of 104.95 on kickoff charting at the Kohl's Texas Winter Showcase.
Aidan Parker, Kicker, Jr., Sterlington
Ranked a five-star and the No. 6 punter in the nation by Kohl's Kicking. Holds a scholarship from the University of Arkansas-Monticello. Visited the University of Louisiana in Nov. 2023. Also kicked for Sterlington and helped the Panthers to the Division III non-select semifinals.
Silas Hall, Long Snapper, Jr., Episcopal
Ranked as a 4.5 star and the No. 8 long snapper in the nation by Kohl's Kicking. Charted on eight of his long snaps with an average snap time of .68 seconds at the Kohl's Texas Showcase.
Daniel Chevallier, Long Snapper, Jr., West Monroe
Ranked as a 4.5 star and the No. 12 long snapper in the nation by Kohl's Kicking. Completed the charting portion of the Kohl's Texas Showcase with the third highest overall score in the nation.
Gavin Higgins, Kicker, So., Parkview Baptist
Ranked as a 4.5 star and the nation's No. 8 kicker by Kohl's Kicking. Attending the Kohl's Texas Winter Showcase and displayed "advanced leg speed." Had "a monstrous ball of 76 yards" during the kickoff charting.
Asher Murray, Kicker, So., C.E. Byrd
Ranked as a 4.5 star and the nation's No. 14 kicker by Kohl's Kicking. Named a finalist at the 2023 Kohl's National Scholarship Camp and Field Goal Competition. Kohl's notes that Murray's lift on his field goal "is top end."
Andrew Bordelon, Punter, So., Jesuit
Rated as a four-star by Kohl's Kicking. At the 2023 Kohl's Texas Winter Showcase, he had numerous balls reach 40-plus yards in the punt charting, with his big ball measuring 46 yards with a hang time of 4.19 seconds. Also scored 15 points on the field goal charting.
Payne Williams, Kicker, Sr., St. Mary's
Colorado State commit who is rated as a five-star and the No. 39 kicker in the nation by Kohl's Kicking. At the Texas Spring Showcase, connected with a big ball of 70 yards with 3.68 seconds of hang time. Showed off "one of the strongest legs" at the 2023 Future Stars Event.
Trey Furey, Kicker, Sr., Belle Chasse
Rated as a 4.5 star and the nation's No. 67 kicker by Kohl's Kicking. University of Houston commit. Made the Class 4A first-team all state coaches' team. Scored 30-of-36 points on field goals at the 2023 National Scholarship Camp.
Trayce Millet, Kicker, Sr., Lutcher
Rated as a 4.5 star by Kohl's Kicking. Scored 18 points on field goals at the 2023 Kohl's National Scholarship Camp, which was his first ranking event. Was part of the Bulldogs' Division II non-select state championship team his junior season.
Landon Daughdril, Kicker, Sr., St. Louis Catholic
Rated a four-star kicker and 3.5 star punter by Kohl's Kicking. Holds a McNeese St. offer. At the 2022 Kohl's National Scholarship Camp, he scored 18 points on the field goal charting and hit a big ball of 66 yards with 4.09 seconds of hang time.
Brayden Guilbeau, Punter, Sr., Southside
Rated as a 4.5 star punter and four-star kicker by Kohl's Kicking. At the 2023 May Showcase Camp, he scored 100.9 points on kickoffs, five points on field goals and 98.2 points in punting. At an earlier Kohl's Texas Showcase, he "showed flashes of great potential throughout the event in all three disciplines."
Grant Johnson, Long Snapper, Sr., C.E. Byrd
Rated as a four-star prospect by Kohl's Kicking. At the Kohl's Texas Showcase, he had "a very strong showing," finishing with the second highest charting score and the highest overall score in his class. Also a standout defender with 58 tackles, five tackles for loss, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Bennet Boudreaux, Kicker, Jr., Catholic-New Iberia
Rated as a 3.5 star prospect by Kohl's Kicking. At the 2023 Kohl's National Scholarship Camp, he scored 10 points on the field goal charting. During the kickoff charting, he had an overall score of 89.35, highlighted by his big ball being a 59-yard kick with a hang time of 3.61 seconds.
Christopher Peyton, Long Snapper, Sr., Captain Shreve
Rated as a four-star prospect by Kohl's Kicking. At the Kohl's Texas Showcase, he finished the charting phase by scoring on 7 of his 12 long snaps, with an average snap time of .72 seconds.
Ryan Hicks, Kicker, Sr., Holy Savior Menard
Rated as a four-star prospect by Kohl's Kicking. At the 2023 Kohl's Texas Fall Ranking Events, his biggest charted kickoff was 73 yards with 3.56 seconds of hang time. He "looked comfortable and confident with his punt technique. He moved with good temp on his approach to contact and he connected on some excellent punts."
Ryan Lacy, Kicker, Sr., Destrehan
Rated as a four-star prospect by Kohl's Kicking. Had three field goals in his team's win over East St.. John. At the 2023 Kohl's National Scholarship Camp, his overall score on kickoffs was 85.35, and his biggest charted ball was "55 yards with 3.31 seconds of hang time." His combined chart on field goals was 18 points.
As a junior, Lacy was part of the Wildcats' Division I non-select state championship team, and kicked a field goal in the title-game win against Ruston.
John Chance, Kicker, Sr., Captain Shreve
Rated as a 4.5 star prospect by Kohl's Kicking. Also a star punter, having earned Shreveport/Bossier Advocate All-Metro honors. Had a 78-yard punt in the season opener, pinned five punts inside the 20 and posted a 44-yard average. At kicker, he made 8-of-11 field goals with a long of 49 yards, while 47-of-51 kickoffs were touchbacks.
Ross Cortez, Kicker, Sr., Basile
Rated as a four-star prospect by Kohl's Kicking. At the 2023 Kohl's National Scholarship Event, he scored 18 combined points in the field goal charting portion, and was able to connect with a big ball of 64 seconds with 3.40 seconds of hang time in the kickoff portion.
Andrew McCormick, Kicker, So., Ascension Episcopal
McCormick, who is following in the steps of Ascension Episcopal alum and Univ. of Georgia kicker Peyton Woodring, is rated 4.5 stars by Kohl's Kicking, which deems him the No. 26 kicker in the nation. He was "dominant" at the 2023 Kohl's National Scholarship Camp. McCormick scored a combined total of 24 points in the field goal portion, and had a big ball of 67 yards with 3.85 seconds of hang time.
Ethan Cabos, Kicker, So., Jesuit
Rated as a four-star prospect by Kohl's Kicking. At the 2023 Texas Winter Showcase, he had a number of balls reach 60-plus yards, with his standout ball reaching a distance of 66 yards with a hang time of 3.07 seconds. Scored 18 points in the field goal charting.
Gavin Polk, Kicker, So., Ouachita Christian
Rated as a four-star prospect by Kohl's Kicking. At the 2023 Texas Winter Showcase, Polk had a great "A" ball measuring a distance of 70 yards with a hang time of 3.35 seconds. In the punting session, he ended with an overall score of 81.56, with a big ball of 44 yards with a hang time of 3.26 seconds.
Ty Powell, Kicker, Jr., E.D. White
Rated as a four-star prospect by Kohl's Kicking, which declared that Powell "is setting himself up for a big year next year" after he "was able to show his leg strength" with a big ball of 68 yards with a hang time of 3.65 seconds at the 2023 Texas Winter Showcase.
Others To Watch
Joseph Whitehouse, Kicker, Pope John Paul II
Jason Dudenhoeffer, Long Snapper, John Curtis
Granville Anderson, Punter, University Lab
Cameron Ott, Punter, Assumption
Logan Templett, Kicker, Loreauville
Jake Thibodeaux, Kicker, Westgate
Eli Bray, Kicker, Haynesville
Tyler Mitchel, Punter, John Curtis
Photo of Parkway's Aeron Burrell by Russell Hedges, Bossier Press-Tribune
-- Mike Coppage | @SBLiveLA
