New 24/7 Initial Rankings-Louisiana Related

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INITIAL RATING: HAYWARD HOWARD JR., 2026 CB
We got a chance to see New Orleans Edna Karr cornerback Hayward Howard Jr. at the Under Armour New Orleans Regional and he did not disappoint. An ultra-competitive cover man, Howard debuted this week on 247Sports with a high three-star 88 rating following an impressive live evaluation.

Verified at 6-foot-2 with a wiry strong frame, Howard won his fair share of 1-on-1 reps, including some snaps with turn-and-run downfield juice. He displayed sudden redirecting ability and handsy catch-point peskiness in the short-to-intermediate game.

Howard's Fall 2024 junior season showed an instinctive, aware cornerback. He will take some chances from time to time, and occasionally blurs the line of legality in regards to physicality in coverage, but more often than not, Howard puts himself in the spots he needs to be when the ball arrives.

Sitting at No. 12 overall in the talent-laden state of Louisiana's 2026 class, Howard has garnered about 20 offers. He told 247Sports national recruiting analyst Mike Roach that he has narrowed his focus to a group of schools and has set a commitment date for the summer. – Gabe Brooks, 247Sports national scouting analyst

INITIAL RATING: COLE BERGERON, 2026 QB
Lafayette (La.) St. Thomas More's Cole Bergeron assembled a strong performance at this past weekend's Under Armour New Orleans Regional, which followed his promising junior campaign in Fall 2024. A big-framed signal caller north of 6-foot-4, Bergeron – who debuted this week on 247Sports with a high three-star 87 rating – throws with a quick release and above average velocity to multiple levels.

Bergeron's junior tape shows advance touch-passing acumen downfield, but perhaps the most important reps involve throwing off-schedule passes across the field i.e. from just inside the right hash to the numbers on the left side of the gridiron.

Indiana offered Bergeron in August, while Louisiana, Florida Atlantic, and Georgia Southern have offered since. Expect that list to grow as Bergeron's measurables, junior tape, and camp video make their rounds in front of college personnel departments' eyes this offseason. – Brooks

INITIAL RATING: GREG WILFRED, 2026 WR
Destrehan (La.) playmaker Greg Wilfred caught our eye at this past weekend's Under Armour New Orleans Regional, where he performed well in drills and 1-on-1 competition. Wilfred is a fun slot receiver who adds return game value. He tested pretty well in a combine setting after putting some electric reps on tape in Fall 2024.

Wilfred, who debuted this week with a three-star 84 rating, displays good run-after-catch ability, as well as field-stretching juice in the vertical game. The 5-foot-8 1/2, 165-pound Wilfred's stature and functional athleticism make for an intriguing gadget option with whom an offensive staff can get creative.

Almost halfway through March, Wilfred has reported more than half a dozen offers so far in his recruitment. South Alabama and Arkansas State offered Wilfred within the past six weeks. – Brooks

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