ESPN Recruiting Nation Football

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Donnie Alexander is used to being surrounded by high-end college talent.

Playing for Louisiana Class 4A state champion New Orleans Edna Karr, Alexander played on the same team as 2013 ESPN 300 prospects Standish Dobard (Miami (Fla) signee) and Noel Ellis (Texas A&M) and 2014 watch list prospects Gerald Willis III and Speedy Noil.

Count Alexander among the high-end Karr prospects.

The 2014 linebacker was offered by LSU on a weekend trip to Baton Rouge. After returning home and talking it over with his mother, he decided to pull the trigger and commit.

"LSU's the school I always wanted to go to since I was small," he said. "I didn't really want to wait."

The name may be an unknown to fans, who were perhaps expecting one of the 12 Louisiana players on the ESPN Watch List to be the next to commit.

Truth be told, Alexander was surprised, too.

"I was (surprised)," he said. "I really wasn't expecting it. They like my speed. They like that I'm a good tackler. They like that I make plays."

In that regard, he is perhaps comparable to 2013 signee Duke Riley, who share's Alexander's smaller build, but speed that will allow him to be versatile in areas like pass coverage.

"I think I do have good coverage skills," he said. "I get good drops and I'll come up and stick a slot receiver."

And he knows how to win. Karr went unbeaten in 2014, beating a talented Monroe Neville team for the 4A title.

"At Karr, we strive toward winning and being successful young men," he said. "That's what our coaches preach to us. Now that we've won, we have to maintain, don't let it get to our head."

NEW ORLEANS -- Over 980 athletes gathered Feb. 2 at Joe Brown Memorial Park for the New Orleans stop of the Nike Football SPARQ Combine tour. Here is a look at the 25 standout performers who make up the New Orleans All-Combine team.

Note: Selections are based upon combine performance as well as past and projected on-field performance. Athletes must have completed two of the four combine tests to be eligible for selection. Athletes are in the Class of 2014 unless otherwise noted.

OFFENSE

QB: Donovan Isom, 6-foot-3 ½, 245 pounds, Destrehan (La.)
Results: 5.00 40-yard dash, 4.60 shuttle, 33-foot power ball throw, 31.3-inch vertical jump, 79.14 SPARQ rating
Breakdown: Good athlete with great frame who could end up on defense or at tight end in college if quarterback doesn’t work out.

RB: Dontrell Hilliard, 5-11, 186, Baton Rouge (La.) Scotlandville
Results: 4.62 40, 3.95 shuttle, 41.5’ PB, 34.9” VJ, 126.63 SPARQ
Breakdown: The 2012 District 4-5A Louisiana Offensive Player of the Year as a junior has the nation’s top SPARQ Rating through two combines.

RB: Jeremy Smith, 6-0 ½, 196, Hammond (La.)
Results: 4.72 40, 4.52 shuttle, 35’ PB, 33.6” VJ, 86.22 SPARQ
Breakdown: Bigger back also doubles as a linebacker and earned all-district on both sides of the ball as a junior.

WR: D.J. Chark, 6-0 ½, 170, Alexandria (La.)
Results: 4.55 40, 4.10 shuttle, 35’ PB, 37.0” VJ, 106.95 SPARQ
Breakdown: Totaled over 1,000 yards receiving and rushing and 11 touchdowns last fall.

WR: Gabe Fuselier, 5-10, 173, Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic
Results: 4.61 40, 4.06 shuttle, 35’ PB, 33.7” VJ, 101.58 SPARQ
Breakdown: Snagged 77 passes for over 1,200 yards and 19 scores last fall.

WR: Glenn Irons, 5-8 ½, 148, New Orleans Edna Karr
Results: 4.68 40, 4.15 shuttle, 32’ PB, 36.3” VJ, 89.73 SPARQ
Breakdown: Western Kentucky, Louisiana-Lafayette and South Alabama have offered Irons, who helped Karr to a state title in 2012.

WR: Corey McBride, 6-1, 173, Geismar (La.) Dutchtown
Results: 4.46 40, 4.40 shuttle, 32’ PB, 35.5” VJ, 94.08 SPARQ
Breakdown: McBride backed up his rep as one of the Bayou State’s fastest players with a 4.46 40.

WR: Speedy Noil, 5-10 ½, 176, New Orleans Edna Karr
Results: 4.45 40, 4.18 shuttle, 36’ PB, 41.7” VJ, 120.54 SPARQ
Breakdown: ESPN Watch List recruit locked up the second invite to The Opening this summer.

OL: Alex Anderson, 6-3, 267, New Orleans O. Perry Walker
Results: 5.21 40, 4.78 shuttle, 35.5’ PB, 23.5” VJ, 67.56 SPARQ
Breakdown: Impressive two-way lineman held his own versus state’s best last fall.

OL: Ethan Frith, 6-7, 336, Summit (Miss.) North Pike
Results: 5.49 40, 5.41 shuttle, 33’ PB, 21.8” VJ, 67.26 SPARQ
Breakdown: Showed solid athleticism, and you can’t teach 6-foot-7, 336 pounds.

ATH: Dylan Moses (2017) , 6-1, 210, Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab
Breakdown: Youth league phenom picked up an offer from LSU at the Tigers’ camp last summer.

DEFENSE

DL: Deldrick Canty, 6-1 ½, 252, Baton Rouge (La.) Scotlandville
Results: 5.08 40, 4.69 shuttle, 37.5’ PB, 34.5” VJ, 94.32 SPARQ
Breakdown: Well-built defensive lineman displayed explosive athleticism for a 252-pound prospect.

DL: Christian Gill, 6-3, 237, Navarre (Fla.)
Results: 5.11 40, 4.34 shuttle, 34.5’ PB, 30.8” VJ, 84.60 SPARQ
Breakdown: A second-team all-area selection as a junior, Gill recently landed offer No. 1 from Louisville.

DL: Chuck Harlow, 6-3, 292, DeRidder (La.)
Results: 5.44 40, 4.52 shuttle, 34’ PB, 28.5” VJ, 83.31 SPARQ
Breakdown: Strong and athletic, Harlow was a breakout performer in New Orleans.

DL: Raekwan McClellan, 5-11 ½, 251, Biloxi (Miss.)
Results: 5.09 40, 4.89 shuttle, 40.5’ PB, 33.2” VJ, 94.44 SPARQ
Breakdown: Sturdy defensive end totaled 13 tackles for loss as a junior.

DL: Garrald McDowell, 6-1, 244, Covington (La.)
Results: 5.11 40, 4.75 shuttle, 32’ PB, 24.4” VJ, 60.60 SPARQ
Breakdown: Kansas State and Arkansas have offered this Class 5A all-state player who had 10.5 sacks as a junior.

LB: RaeJuan Marbley, 5-11, 211, Destrehan (La.)
Results: 4.84 40, 4.50 shuttle, 37’ PB, 33.0” VJ, 88.53 SPARQ
Breakdown: All-district selection as a junior, Marbley is regarded by locals as one of Bayou State’s best LB prospects in this class.

LB: Arthur McGinnis (2015) , 6-1 ½, 203, New Orleans Warren Easton
Results: 4.78 40, 4.70 shuttle, 41.5’ PB, 32.8” VJ, 96.12 SPARQ
Breakdown: Rising sophomore already physically resembles an SEC linebacker.

LB: Alvin Moore, 5-11, 183, Bassfield (Miss.)
Results: 4.40 40, 4.28 shuttle, 33’ PB, 36.4” VJ, 106.74 SPARQ
Breakdown: Southern Miss is the first offer for Moore, who totaled 103 tackles and four sacks last fall.

LB: Delvin Purifoy, 6-1 ½, 234, Pensacola (Fla.) Catholic
Results: 4.70 40, 4.87 shuttle, 36’ PB, 33.6” VJ, 89.64 SPARQ
Breakdown: Early FSU pledge racked up 116 tackles as a junior to earn Class 3A all-state honors.

LB: Josh Watson, 6-1, 233, Blue Springs (Mo.) South
Results: 4.83 40, 4.22 shuttle, 37.5’ PB, 31.7” VJ, 102.00 SPARQ
Breakdown: Big, sturdy Show Me State ‘backer made the 15-hour drive worth it with a 100-plus SPARQ Rating.

DB: Camyron Brown, 5-9 ½, 180, Missouri City (Texas) Ridge Point
Results: 4.67 40, 4.29 shuttle, 34.5’ PB, 33.6” VJ, 91.32 SPARQ
Breakdown: Texas State and UTSA are first two offers for Brown, a second-team all-district pick as a junior.

DB: Molefi Maat, 5-10, 159, Cordova (Tenn.)
Results: 4.51 40, 4.44 shuttle, 33’ PB, 40.9” VJ, 97.38 SPARQ
Breakdown: Elite track performer also earned all-district honors on the gridiron as a junior.

DB: Curtis Mikell, 5-7 ½, 161, Bassfield (Miss.)
Results: 4.34 40, 4.46 shuttle, 32’ PB, 42.2” VJ, 105.93 SPARQ
Breakdown: Small, speedy corner had five interceptions as a junior.

ATH: Calvin Moore, 5-11, 184, Bassfield (Miss.)
Results: 4.53 40, 4.28 shuttle, 35’ PB, 38.6” VJ, 106.86 SPARQ
Breakdown: Alvin Moore’s twin brother was part of a tremendous showing by Bassfield prospects.