LSU commits take center stage on ESPNU
On Thursday evening, Baton Rouge will take center stage on ESPNU as Woodlawn hosts Zachary to open District 4-5A play.
The game will kick off at 7 p.m. CT., and multiple SEC commitments – LSU included – will be on display.
LSU quarterback commitment Rickie Collins will be leading the offense for Woodlawn, while LSU safety commitment Kylin Jackson helps pace the Zachary defense.
Zachary quarterback Eli Holstein, a one-time Texas A&M commitment who later flipped his pledge to Alabama, was set to face off against Collins on Thursday night, but an injury in September appears to have taken that storyline off the table. Holstein suffered an injury to his non-throwing shoulder in a loss to St. Augustine on Sep. 16, which led to backup Hudson Spangler getting the starting nod when the Broncos took on Winona (Miss.) a week ago.
In five games this season, Collins has completed 61-of-102 attempts (60%) for 729 yards and nine touchdowns with four interceptions. He’s carried the ball 43 times for 273 yards and three touchdowns.
Collins is ranked by the On3 Consensus as the No. 13 quarterback prospect in the country. As a four-star prospect, he checks in as the No. 12 recruit in Louisiana and No. 178 overall prospect in the 2023 class.
“He brings leadership and he brings just that experience of being a four year starter,” Woodlawn head coach Marcus Randall told On3. “And obviously, talent just to be able to push the ball down the field and make plays.
“He’s been playing four years and he seen pretty much everything right now.”
The Zachary defense allowed 13 points to East Ascension, 21 points to John Curtis, 24 points to St. Augustine and 14 points to Winona (Miss.).
With Woodlawn set to face off against a defending state champion in the Broncos, one key could well be Collins’ ability to make plays outside the pocket, which Randall said has been one of his starting quarterback’s biggest strengths for an offensive line that has been missing some pieces across the 2-3 start.
“Being being able to make the throws and being able to extend plays, being able to use his legs,” Randall said. “I think that’s one of the things that you do to make some of those big plays happen.”
Woodlawn (2-3) was shutout 25-0 in the season opener against University High before falling 33-6 to Lafayette Christian Academy in Week 2.
Woodlawn bounced back in Week 3 with a 40-14 win over Carver Collegiate Academy, then won 29-26 in a tight battle with E.D. White. One week ago, Woodlawn came up on the wrong end of a three-point game in a 30-27 loss to St. James.
The game will also feature a fourth SEC commitment in Woodlawn defensive back Jordan Matthews, a four-star recruit who is committed to Tennessee.
