Karr Division I recruits dominate in state championship game | Preparatory sports

Edna Karr’s football program was loaded with NCAA Division I talent in 2024, but her motto entering the season was “recovery.”

That’s because Karr hadn’t won a state championship since 2019, but they returned to Caesars Superdome this year and dominated against Alexandria in a 53-8 win.

Karr’s squad was led by several highly recruited players who shined in the state championship. The Cougars had four seniors sign with Division I universities this month and two juniors committed to LSU.

“When you have the job of leading a program as big as Edna Karr, the expectation is high,” Karr coach Brice Brown said. “The expectation is to win. But how do you do that? This is important.”

The standout defensive players in the 2026 class are delivering

Karr’s defense set the tone and delivered the first points of the game when LSU commit Aiden Hall returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown.

Hall, a widely recognized four-star safety recruit, was one of several standout players in the middle of Karr’s defense. 2026 LSU commit Richard Anderson and 2025 Ole Miss signee Corey Adams are the stars at defensive tackle.

“(Anderson and Hall) are an important part of what we do,” Karr coach Brice Brown said. “Richard plays in the middle and Aiden plays at the back. So it’s a triangle effect when you have great defensive line play, great linebacker play and great safety play. It starts from the top down.”

Anderson had an outstanding performance that included six tackles for loss, a sack and a safety. He and Adams featured Alexandria running back JT Lindsey, an LSU freshman who had over 2,000 yards from scrimmage this season.

“I told (Lindsey) this wasn’t the right play,” Anderson said. “They don’t plan on putting up big numbers and stuff like that. It was fun competing against him. After putting the preparation into practice every week, we just came out and dominated on the field.”

The Division I wide receiver signees are doing their part

Karr’s receiving corps features a trio of Division I signees in TaRon Francis (LSU), Oliver Mitchell (Tulane) and Daejawn Smith (Louisiana Tech).

The three seniors didn’t produce any eye-catching running performances against Alexandria, but they did manage to record several big wins. Smith had a team-high five catches for 81 yards, while Franics wasn’t far behind, catching three passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns.

“The number of reps (Francis, Smith and Mitchell) play off the bench shows the shape they are in,” Brown said. “We throw a lot, but we showed that we can be a tough team that can endure anything.”

Quarterback John Johnson shines

With Karr’s elite passing game controlled by Alexandria’s defense, Cougars quarterback John Johnson was forced to make plays with his legs.

Johnson, a dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2026, was named Most Outstanding Player against Alexandria despite throwing four interceptions. Johnson ran for a team-high 161 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries.

“I thought what (Johnson) did with his legs made a difference in the game,” Brown said. “Our offensive line did a good job opening up holes for him.”