Another season of Louisiana football is finally officially underway after a weekend loaded with memorable matchups and performances at the high school and college levels.
As always, Louisiana vs. All Y’all has identified its Players of the Week to highlight offensive, defensive and special teams standouts at each level.
Six total winners from high school and college action help kick off this year’s awards, while the NFL guys will join this week as their regular season opens.
HIGH SCHOOL
Offense — Elijah Haven (2027), Dunham QB: The Alabama-committed quarterback and his defending Division-III Select champion Tigers appeared to pick up right where they left off Friday with a 55-15 rout of Parkway that was among the most eye-catching Week 1 victories in the entire state. Haven racked up more than 300 yards of offense and six touchdowns — three rushing and three passing — against Class 5A foe Parkway in one of the program’s more impressive regular-season wins.
Defense — Harlem Steele (2029), Slidell DB: The Tigers edged Catholic League member Holy Cross, 17-14, for a big season-opening victory, and their sophomore defensive back’s performance was pivotal and tone-setting. Steele snatched a pair of early interceptions, including a pick-six that allowed Slidell to strike the scoreboard first and never trail.
Special Teams — Dylan Henry (2027), Mandeville DB: Moments after Mandeville had fallen behind for the first time, its South Alabama-committed defensive back immediately regained the advantage with a 90-yard kickoff return to the end zone in the third quarter. The Skippers never trailed again in the 35-17 win vs. Salmen with Henry, who had another apparent 91-yard kickoff return in the second quarter negated by a flag, standing out in all three phases with his particularly pivotal and highlight-reel play coming in special teams.
COLLEGE
Offense — Sam Leavitt, LSU QB: LSU’s re-establishment of a run game was a sight for sore eyes after a rough 2025 in that area. And while the passing game took some more time to find its rhythm, Leavitt was playmaking with his legs from the outset with 113 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, breaking tackles and fighting and diving for extra years. He found his mark through the air more in the second half en route to 230 yards and a touchdown on 16-for-28 passing for a nearly 350-yard, three-score day of total offense in a 51-10 rout of Clemson.
Defense — Jordan Ross, LSU EDGE: The Tigers’ defense was lights-out from start to finish, including some of its biggest plays and a solid all-around performance by Ross. The Tennessee transfer wrapped up one of the team’s four sacks, plus another tackle for loss, and snatched and housed a 30-yard pick-six that clicked the early 10-0 lead into another gear from which LSU never really slowed down in its dominant performance overall.
Special Teams — Dedrick Latulas, Louisiana Tech WR: The former Westgate star chipped into his Bulldogs’ 80-6 onslaught against nearby Northwestern State in two phases Saturday in a milestone performance in his college career.. Latulas returned four punts for 97 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown, the program’s longest in nearly three years and the first end-zone trip of any kind of his college career. He later added a receiving touchdown on his two-catch, 10-yard night on offense.
