Class of 2023 Recruit Spotlight: Acadiana High School LB/Safety Jaylen Lawrence

by Freety Parker

Jaylen Lawrence is a 6’1, 205 pound linebacker/safety hybrid for Acadiana High School that wants to do nothing less than make the offense regret going his way on the field. Last year the Acadiana Rams went an impressive 7-0 in district play and finished the season with an 11-3 record. Jaylen helped lead the team in the playoffs, but unfortunately came up short against Ponchatoula in the semifinals last year. Next season, Jaylen will be the leader of the defense and will put pressure on the opposing team’s coaching staff to come up with a game plan that doesn't involve sending the ball to his side of the field.

Jaylen says he’s been in love with football for as long as he can remember and when he was in peewee, he knew that he could be a force at a high school level. Now the next level, playing football is starting to sound more like the future for the defensive back. When asked what he feels he needs to improve on for next season, Jaylen said covering was his number one priority and he has been playing 7v7 to improve his coverage. When asked what sets him apart from other defensive backs, Jaylen says his drive and having no fear is what will make him excel at the next level.

In his junior year, Jaylen put up 98 tackles, 57 of those being solo, 12 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two interceptions, eight sacks, and five pass break ups. He also finished 1st Team All-Metro, 1st team All-District, 2nd Team All-State, and 2nd Team All-Acadiana. When looking at what he can do his senior year, 100 tackles and tripling his interceptions from last season does not look out of reach. Don’t blink. Jaylen Lawrence will flash by you with his 4.5/40 yard dash speed and the potential to be one of the best Louisiana defensive backs in the fall.

When Lawrence is not playing football, he enjoys training, cleaning, hanging out with his family, and playing video games. When it comes to his plans for , he plans on majoring in business or nursing, and making a name for himself on and off the field. He currently has offers from UIW, Mississippi Prep, and Northwestern State University. Other schools that have interest include Louisiana Tech, University of Louisiana-Lafayette, Houston, Kansas State, Tulane, Grambling, Southern Miss, and Mississippi State. More offers are sure to come his way.

Click below to check out Jaylen Lawrence's highlights:

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13641395/61ba41fa7bd333051cbb6835

Freety Parker is a current LSU student majoring in Sports Administration from Sulphur, Louisiana. He plans on continuing his education and getting a Masters in Finance, with hopes of one day working for the new-orleans Pelicans.

We have exciting news that for the 25th year, we will release our Louisiana Football Magazine preview editions. Also, for the fifth straight year, we will have our North and South LA issues and both are now available to pre-order! Both issues will continue to cover all the Louisiana s as well as all the high schools in state, but there will be eight pages that will focus on North Louisiana as well as South Louisiana. Along with our print editions of both magazine issues, our digital magazine editions will also be available to pre-order. Just like with our print versions, our digital editions will be available to you when both magazines are available.

For more information, please check the following link to where you can either order our print or digital version of the magazine of your choice. Also, below are the two covers as well as where you can order both magazines on our website.

Buy Print/Digital Magazine Here: https://www.lafootballmagazine.com/2021-magazines/

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