Sugar Bowl

High schools from the New Orleans area have sent many outstanding football players around the country to play collegiately. The Allstate Sugar Bowl spotlighted local stars playing away from the Crescent City throughout the 2022 season.
 
NOVEMBER 25, 2022 SPOTLIGHT – Caleb Sampson, Kansas Jayhawks
Sampson has been a key part of the Kansas defensive line since making his debut in the 2019 season. The Jayhawks' starting tackle in every game this year, the 6-3, 305-pounder has tallied 70 career tackles as well as 5.5 sacks. He was selected to represent the entire Kansas student-athlete population in the Big 12's Champion for Life campaign due to his leadership and work ethic. "He's handled changes in his life and uses them as well as anyone I have ever seen," KU coach Lance Leipold said. "He's just a great example. He doesn't say a lot, but when he does, it's well respected. It's heard." A product of St. Rose, La., Sampson graduated from Northlake Christian School, where he was a standout for the Wolverines.
 
NOVEMBER 18, 2022 SPOTLIGHT – Zach Breaux, Jackson State Tigers
In his first year in the program, Breaux has been the starting center on the offensive line for a Jackson State team which is 10-0 for the first time in program history. He has anchored the O-line that has placed QB Shedeur Sanders on the verge of breaking several school single-season passing records and has powered a running game that could have its first 1,000-yard rusher since 1999. An all-state selection for head coach Mark Bonis at Brother Martin High School, Breaux helped the Crusaders advance to the 2016 LHSAA Class 5A semifinals. He began his collegiate career at UL Monroe. The Tigers will close their regular season on Saturday when they travel to Mississippi to face the Alcorn State Braves.
 
NOVEMBER 11, 2022 SPOTLIGHT – Logan Diggs, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Logan Diggs has continued to expand his role with the Notre Dame offense. The sophomore running back has now tallied 112 carries for 545 yards this season. Since Diggs' role has expanded, the Fighting Irish have won three straight games – over that stretch, the Archbishop Rummel graduate is averaging over 21 carries and nearly 110 yards per game. He registered a career-high 130 rushing yards in an Oct. 22 win over UNLV and this past week, he had 17 carries for 114 yards as the Irish took down No. 4 Clemson. Diggs was one of the top running backs in Louisiana while playing for the Raiders. As a junior, he ran for 924 yards while helping Rummel to the state championship. He scored 18 touchdowns over his final two seasons.
 
NOVEMBER 4, 2022 SPOTLIGHT – Quindell Johnson, Memphis Tigers
Quindell Johnson has established himself as the leader of the Memphis defense. After missing nearly two full games with an injury, he returned to match his career-high with 13 tackles in the Tigers' Oct. 22 game against Tulane in his hometown. He also tallied 13 takedowns in a 37-13 victory over Navy. He has also snagged three interceptions this season to give him nine for his career. A second-team all-conference selection last year, Johnson already earned his undergraduate degree from Memphis. As a standout defensive back at Edna Karr, Johnson helped the Cougars to a two-year mark of 29-1 with a pair of LHSAA Class 4A state championships.
 
OCTOBER 28, 2022 SPOTLIGHT – Jacoby Windmon, Michigan State Spartans
Jacoby Windmon is coming off one of the best games of his career as he was named the national defensive player of the week after tallying 11 tackles, forcing a fumble and snagging an interception as Michigan State took down Wisconsin on Oct. 15. The 6-2, 250-pound senior has spent most of his time on the defensive line but had his first start at linebacker in the Wisconsin game. For the season, Windmon is sixth on the Spartans with 37 tackles and he is among the nation's best with 10.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and six forced fumbles. A 2018 graduate of John Ehret, Windmon did it all for the Patriots, seeing action at quarterback, receiver, tight end, H-back and on the D-line.
 
OCTOBER 21, 2022 SPOTLIGHT – Will Sheppard, Vanderbilt Commodores
Will Sheppard has blossomed into one of the top receivers in the country as a junior at Vanderbilt. He has 38 catches for 497 yards and his eight receiving touchdowns through seven games ranks second in the SEC and fourth in the nation. The 6-3, 200-pounder had career-highs of 10 catches and 174 yards to go with a pair of scores (he has three games this year with multiple TDs) in the Commodores' win over Northern Illinois on Sept. 17. A graduate of Mandeville High School, Sheppard had 77 receptions for 1,454 yards and 28 touchdowns as a senior with the Skippers. Vanderbilt finishes out October with a road game at Missouri on Saturday (3 p.m., SEC Network).
 
OCTOBER 14, 2022 SPOTLIGHT – Jeremy Singleton, Georgia Southern Eagles
Singleton, a 6-0, 190-pound receiver, has become a key part of the Georgia Southern offensive attack after transferring from Houston. The senior has 33 receptions for 344 yards and a pair of touchdowns through six games for the Eagles. His top performance came in Georgia Southern's upset of Nebraska on Sept. 10 when he had nine catches for 89 yards. A graduate of Brother Martin High School, Singleton graduated as one of the top receivers in Crusader history, tallying 76 receptions for 1,384 yards and 19 touchdowns while playing for head coach Mark Bonis.
 
OCTOBER 7, 2022 SPOTLIGHT – Kym Wimberly, Harvard Crimson
Wimberly is establishing himself as an Ivy League star as a senior wide receiver at Harvard. After three games, the six-foot, 200-pounder leads the Ivy League with 24 receptions and 292 yards. He has snagged three touchdowns as the Crimson have opened the season with a 2-1 mark. Wimberly had eight catches for 115 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Crimson's 35-28 win over Brown on Sept. 24. A Slidell product, he is a 2018 graduate of Holy Cross where he was an all-state selection and a four-year letterman for the Tigers. Wimberly and the Crimson take on Cornell tonight (Friday) at 6 p.m.
 
SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 SPOTLIGHT – Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M Aggies
Cooper, a graduate of Covington High School, has become a key part of the Texas A&M defense. He has started every game this year at linebacker and ranks fourth on the team with 23 tackles. He also has three pass break-ups which leads all SEC linebackers. The 6-3, 225-pounder posted a season-best 10 tackles against Appalachian State while his career-high was 11 against Ole Miss last season. Cooper played for coach Greg Salter at Covington and was one of the top recruits in Louisiana following the 2019 season.
 
SEPTEMBER 23, 2022 SPOTLIGHT – Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia Bulldogs
Van Pran, a 6-4, 310-pound redshirt sophomore, is scheduled to make his 19th straight start on the offensive line for the top-ranked Bulldogs on Saturday against Kent State. Van Pran is a 2020 graduate of Warren Easton High School where he played for coach Jerry Phillips. He was a four-year starter at center and a three-time team captain and helped the Eagles to a pair of LHSAA State Championship games. He was the top-rated center in the nation as a senior and that billing has proven accurate as he started every game as redshirt freshman for Georgia national title team last year. "Sedrick has become one of the leaders of our team with his high level of play and how he carries himself off the field," said Georgia offensive line coach Stacy Searles. "He is a vital piece that helps us compete against the best defensive fronts in college football."
 
SEPTEMBER 16, 2022 SPOTLIGHT – Julien Gums, Nicholls State Colonels
Gums, a 5-10 senior running back at Nicholls State, led De La Salle High School to the 2017 LHSAA Division II state championship game – the Cavaliers first state title appearance in 56 years. The first-team all-state selection stayed close to home with the Colonels where he continues to re-write the record books. He set the school single-season marks for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns and the career record for 100-yard games. This weekend, when Nicholls travels to face the Southeast Missouri Redhawks, Gums will have the chance for two major records. He needs 35 rushing yards and two rushing TDs to become the school's all-time leader in both categories.