BEAUMONT, Texas – The word "prospect" has become a hot buzzword in the world of sports. The lead up to National Signing Day gains nearly as much attention as the actual national championship game. No matter which sport you follow – or what level of that sport – fans can find information on high-value prospects. There are numerous recruiting services that rank players in all sports nationally, by region, by state and by position. If you follow professional sports, fans will get inundated with top prospect lists in the lead up to drafts. For Major League Baseball, minor league players are ranked overall, by position and by organization – the rankings seemingly never end.
 
With that being said, I thought it might be fun to create a top prospect list for the Lamar University football team with a twist. The following prospect list comes from the viewpoint of current upperclassmen. There were several rules that each upperclassman had to follow:
 

• Defensive players could only comment on offensive players and vice versa
• The only players that qualify as "prospects" for this list will be incoming junior college transfers, true freshmen, redshirt freshmen or sophomores who may not have played a great deal previously
• The players interviewed could only comment on "prospects" but not rank them
• At the end of the story there is an honorable mention section which will be explained later.

 
A few basics before we get started: LU head coach Mike Schultz opened the 2017 season with 57 brand new players (signees, walk-ons and transfers), so the interviewed players for this story had a very tall task attempting to narrow their list down to a few worthy names. Also, this story is not meant to be a complete list of potential stars on the roster, but simply a fun look at younger players who have not yet made a name for themselves at the Division I level from the perspective of their teammates. Finally, getting back to the "honorable mention" list, it is comprised of players who were only mentioned by one veteran instead of by multiple teammates.
 
Let's begin …
 
The Prospect List
The "prospect list" consists of eight players including four on each side of the ball. The breakdown of players by position are two defensive backs, a running back, a receiver, a quarterback, a defensive end, a linebacker and an offensive lineman. The prospects include (in no particular order):
 

• Myles Wanza – RB, 5-9, 176, So.-1L
• Cameron Houston – DE, 5-11, 253, So.-1L
• Kirkland Banks – WR, 5-10, 173, So.-1L
• Andre Mulinax – DB, 5-10, 187, So.-1L
• Stephon Cooper – OL, 6-1, 280, Jr.-TR
• Abel Daily – LB, 6-0, 197, Fr.-RS
• Stanley Norman – DB, 6-1, 185, Jr.-TR
• Jordan Hoy – QB, 6-1, 195, Jr.-TR

 
Our coverage will begin on the offensive side of the ball with two players who asserted themselves among the league's top freshmen last year in Banks and Wanza. It can be argued that they don't qualify for this list due to the amount of playing time in 2017, but they're only going to be true sophomores in 2018.
 
Banks played in all 11 games last year earning six starts, and left his imprint on the Cardinals' offense. The team's third leading receiver a year ago, Banks hauled in 32 receptions for 298 yards and a touchdown. He also carried the ball 23 times for 197 yards (8.6 pc) and completed a touchdown pass for good measure. A talented speedster, Banks became an even bigger fan favorite last season because Schultz and company snagged him from rival McNeese's back yard (Lake Charles Barbe HS) during the recruiting process.
 
The Lake Charles native followed up a strong rookie campaign with more of the same during the spring. His ability on the field caught the attention of several defenders.
 
"Kirk's route running has really improved over the course of this past season," said senior defensive back Rodney Randle. "He makes tough catches in traffic, and you can put him anywhere on the field and he will go out there and catch the ball. He has great hands, to go along with top-end speed. All of that combined makes him a match up nightmare."
 
"The scary thing about Kirk is, he is already good and he's just going to be a sophomore," said senior defensive end Dedrick Garner. "He's only going to get better as he grows. I enjoy watching him play when we're on the sideline."
 
Wanza is a similar story to Banks – a prized recruit during the 2017 class – Wanza played in nine games and finished second on the team with 365 rushing yards (4.6 pc) and two touchdowns.
 
"Simply put, Myles is a beast," said senior linebacker Chaston Brooks. "Myles has lightning quick speed which is one of his best assets. In addition to that, he also makes great cuts on the field. Something I think gets overlooked when it comes to Myles is his strength. He's a small guy but Myles is really strong. I think he has a chance to be a very special player in this league.
 
"One thing about both Myles and Kirk, they're both very intelligent players. They understand the game and how it is to be played. The best way I can describe it is they have 'football smarts,'" added Brooks.
 
Another player who received healthy praise from the Cardinals' defense came on the offensive line, in the form of junior college transfer Stephon Cooper. From the moment Schultz arrived on campus he wanted to bulk up the Cardinals' offensive front. He lived up to that commitment in his first recruiting class by bringing in five offensive linemen, and added to that list with five more during the early signing period and 2018 National Signing Day.
 
Cooper is a 6-1, 280-pound center from Perkinston, Miss., who comes to the Golden Triangle after a standout career at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. A powerful individual even during his high school career, Cooper guided his prep squad to a state powerlifting title by finishing second overall.
 
"Stephon has proved, in a very short time, that he deserves to be at this level," said Garner. "He is a very strong guy and I think he is going to be a very good Division I player. One thing most people don't know about him is that he brings energy to the offense line. He has the ability to get those guys hyped up.
 
"Stephon comes out every day and does his job. He is going to be a big help to our young backs being able to run behind him," added Garner.
 
A player who will directly benefit from Cooper's success on the line is transfer quarterback, Jordan Hoy. One of the top additions on National Signing Day, Hoy transferred to the Cardinals from Old Dominion. He signed with ODU after a junior college career that saw him earn SCFA Player of the Year honors. Similar to current LU quarterback, Darrel Colbert, Jr., Hoy is another signal caller who has the ability to make plays with his arm or feet.
 
"Jordan is an explosive player with size," said Brooks. "He can really move with the football. Jordan is a very athletic guy as well, and any time he is on the field we have a big play threat. That attribute will help any offense."
 
Two defensive backs took center stage according to players on the offensive side of the football, one who joined the roster prior to the 2017 season (Andre Mulinax) and a prized recruit from the most recent signing class (Stanley Norman).
 
A transfer from Cerritos College, Norman originally signed with Arizona State out of high school following a prep career that saw him earn Army All-America honors in his final three seasons and play in the U.S. Army All-America Bowl following his senior year. He ended his sophomore season at Cerritos College with 39 tackles, five pass breakups and an interception.
 
"Scrap (Stanley "Scrappy" Norman) had a really good spring," said senior quarterback Darrel Colbert, Jr. "To be honest, I thought all of our corners had a good spring, but Scrap really stood out to me. He is a physical corner who is going to help us out in the fall. He brings a swagger to our secondary and the rest of the guys seem to feed off it. Scrappy has that ability to get the best out of those he's playing with."
 
While Norman has impressed LU coaches and players in his first spring camp with the team, Mulinax has proven himself through hard work over the course of the past season. A late signee prior to the 2018 season, Mulinax played in seven games during his rookie campaign recording five tackles, including one for a loss.
 
"Andre was hurt a bit at the beginning of spring but really had an impact when he returned to the field," said junior tight end Case Robinson. "Offensively, we really had to work to get used to him on the field. He brings an added dimension to our defense with his speed. It is such a weapon for him. I really have to be focused when facing him on the perimeter because he will take a pass away from you."
 
Another member of Schultz's first LU recruiting class, Daily redshirted during the 2017 season gaining valuable experience as a member of the Cardinals' scout team. Daily came to LU as a strong athlete, but has improved in that area during the past year, and impressed his teammates with his work ethic and aggressive nature.
 
"I saw Abel a lot during the fall because he was on the scout teams," said Colbert. "He's a guy who just comes to work every day, and works hard on every play. During the spring he was primarily running with the twos, but he would also get some time with the ones and he made his presence known. He might be considered undersized, but his speed allows him to do so many things on the field. I think he has a chance to be really special."
 
The final player that received healthy praise from teammates was Houston product Cameron Houston. The former Westfield High School standout played in nine games during his rookie season recording 17 tackles, including two for losses and a sack.
 
"Cam has worked real hard in the weight room to get stronger," said junior running back Kendrick King. "The thing I like about Cam is he shows up to practice every day ready to go. He is always prepared and never stops competing – a whistle-to-whistle type guy. I think fans are really going to like what they see from him in the years to come."
 
As it is with all sports, a player's growth and improvement on the field comes down to staying healthy. Injuries can quickly take their toll on a depth chart. The one benefit for the coaching staff is the overall youth of the team in 2017. The Cardinals started the year with 57 new players, and added to that youth in the 2018 recruiting class. Big Red enters the new season with options, but they will still be young.
 
The following is the list of honorable mention players. Again, this list was created from the fact that each of them was mentioned, but by only one upperclassmen. Since they were recognized by a teammate I felt they deserved at least a mention in this story.
 
Honorable Mention

• Aires Gilmore-Gardner – OL, 6-3, 305, Jr.-TR
• Mason Sikes – TE, 6-4, 246, So.
• Isaiah Spencer – LB, 6-1, 230, Jr.-TR
• Desmond Veals – LB, 6-0, 214, So.-1L
• Darien Wilson – DT, 6-0, 309, Jr.-Tr.

 
Beyond the honorable mention list, there were still several other players who received praise from teammates, but those players were left off this list since they were heading into their true junior seasons or former junior college transfers heading into their final year of eligibility.