Cover guys: 23 Shreveport-Bossier area shut-down cornerbacks who deserve attention
The 2023 high school football season is inching closer. Here's a look at 23 of the top cornerbacks in the Shreveport-Bossier City area to watch when the season kicks off Thursday — and what some of their coaches said about them.
Parkway's Carmaro Mayo is one of the top defenders in District 1-5A.
Jay Allen
Lakeside, Sr.
Ht: 5-8, Wt: 150
The skinny: “Jay is a good cover corner.” Coach Mike Santelices
Aiden Anding
Ruston, Jr.
Ht: 6-0, Wt: 155
The skinny: Anding’s play in the secondary will be key for the Bearcats who have one of the best defenses in the state.
Lake Bates
North DeSoto, Sr.
Ht: 5-11, Wt: 160
The skinny: “Another multi-year starter with big play potential. Our quarterback in the secondary.” Coach Dennis Dunn
Aajaius Beene
Haynesville, Sr.
Ht: 5-7, Wt: 150
The skinny: Beene is built with the skill level of past great Tors defenders.
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Brennan Benton
Minden, Sr.
Ht: 6-1, Wt: 170
The skinny: “Brennan has put in the time to improve and tackles well as a two-year starter.” Coach Spencer Heard
Jeremiah Boudreaux
Airline, Sr.
Ht: 6-2, Wt: 175
The skinny: “A long rangy cornerback who can absolutely fly. Jeremiah's size and speed make him a hard guy to throw on and extremely hard to run by. He also has a knack for coming up and setting the edge.” Coach Justin Scogin
Johnny Casey
Evangel, Soph.
Ht: 5-10, Wt: 165
The skinny: “Johnny has great speed and feet with exceptional ability to change directions. He’s a good 'man' cover corner.” Coach Denny Duron
Kylin Collins
Lakeview, Jr.
Ht: 5-9, Wt: 160
The skinny: Collins is very good at reading an offense and coming up to make the tackle.
Tre Davis
Calvary, Sr.
Ht: 5-10, Wt: 165
The skinny: “Tre is a great cover guy.” Coach Rodney Guin
Jordan Demery
Red River, Sr.
Ht: 5-10, Wt: 165
The skinny: A solid secondary performer for the Bulldogs providing deep coverage.
Cortaveous Dorsey
Green Oaks, Jr.
Ht: 6-0, Wt: 175
The skinny: “Cortaveous has all the tools to be a lock-down corner. His measures are something to be desired at defensive back for the next level.” Coach James Bradford Jr.
Ladarius Epps
Airline, Sr.
Ht: 5-9, Wt: 165
The skinny: “A fast cornerback who can double as a safety. Lardarius' athletic ability sets him apart from other players because of his high IQ. A former starting quarterback, Ladarius has a unique view on defense.” Coach Justin Scogin
Ashtin Jackson
Parkway, Sr.
Ht: 6-1, Wt: 175 Senior
The skinny: “Ashtin is a three-year starter, who is very long, tall and athletic.” Coach Coy Brotherton
TJ Jernigan
Natchitoches Central, Jr.
Ht: 6-1, Wt: 170
The skinny: Jernigan teams with senior Rytaveon Thomas (6-2, 175) to give NCHS a tough one-two punch in the secondary.
Semaj Jones
Ruston, Sr.
Ht: 5-9, Ht: 150
The skinny: A returning starter who picked up 17 tackles with a pass breakup in the run to the Superdome.
Carmaro Mayo
Parkway, Jr.
Ht: 5-10, Wt: 175
The skinny: “Mayo is one of the best DBs in the area. Last season, teams had to move their best receivers around just to try to get them the ball.” Coach Coy Brotherton
Tray Morris
North Caddo, Jr.
Ht: 6-0, Ht: 190
The skinny: “Tray is very quick and has the top end speed to stop runs on the perimeter.” Coach Chase Thompson
Joemiah Robinson
Huntington, Jr.
Ht: 6-0, Wt: 185
The skinny: "RJ will play hybrid linebacker/safety role for us this fall. Holding a La. Tech offer, he is extremely physical and will set the tone for us on the backend of our defense." Coach Steve Dennis
Randy Robinson
Bossier, Jr.
Ht: 5-10, Wt: 165
The skinny: “Randy is a shutdown corner who has all the tools to defend any receiver lined up in front of him. He is a very smart player who can take away half the field for opposing offenses.” Coach Gary Smith
Brian Turner
Minden, Sr.
Ht: 6-0, Wt: 170
The skinny: “Brian is a two-year starter who is comfortable in man coverage. He’s able to get to the ball and tackle well.” Coach Spencer Heard
Tyler Welch
Huntington, Jr.
Ht: 6-1, Wt: 185
The skinny: "Holding a Tulsa offer, Tyler is coming off an amazing sophomore season. He will play both ways for us, and we expect him to make a huge impact." Coach Steve Dennis
DeTraveon Williams
Southwood, Sr.
Ht: 6-0, Wt: 160
The skinny: “’Trey' Williams has good size and great speed. He'll be the captain of the secondary and led the team with four interceptions last season. Trey has also turned heads at college camps this summer with his great anticipation and closing speed.” Coach Mike Green
J’Shaun Youngblood
Captain Shreve, Sr.
Ht: 6-0, Wt: 190
The skinny: “J’Shaun sat out all of 2022 due to transferring, but he has shown in practice that he is going to be a big-time player for us this season. He is physical on the perimeter, can high-point the football and isn’t afraid to step up and tackle. Currently holds two offers to play in college.” Coach Adam Kirby
Jimmy Watson covers Louisiana sports for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Here's 23 Shreveport area cornerbacks you'll need to see in 2023
