After visiting the University of Florida this past weekend, Ja'khi Douglas was very impressed with the state of the program & the atmosphere after the Gators took down #5 ranked LSU. In Dan Mullen’s first year as head coach, he has the Gators off to a 5-1 start with wins over two top 25 opponents. Douglas made it known how much he enjoyed himself in Gainesville, but expressed that his recruiting is still wide open. “I really like Florida & the coaches there,” Douglas said. “Both times I went up there, I really enjoyed it. And even though I’m high on Florida, I just want to make it clear that they are not my top school. Me & my family are still going through the process of trying to figure out what schools best fit me.” ​

Douglas is arguably the hottest 2020 athlete in Louisiana when it comes to recruiting. The 4 star prospect currently holds 21 offers from the likes of LSU, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi St, TCU, & a host of others. “I plan to come out with a top 5 in a May,” Douglas said. “I’m looking for a school that’s going to have my major & that uses small shifty receivers like myself. I’ve been paying close attention to the offenses of the schools that’s recruiting me trying to see how I would fit in. I plan to be an early enrollee because I want to play as a true freshman. My dream school since I was a kid is Florida St, so I hope they come around to recruiting me soon before I come out with my top 5.” 

The home state school LSU seems to be in good position to lure Douglas to Death Valley as well as any school recruiting him. With how LSU’s offense has looked this season, Douglas has been pretty intrigued with how wide open they’ve been in the passing game thus far. “I like how LSU has been throwing it around a lot this season versus how they were in the past,” Douglas said. “I’ve always liked LSU & I’ll continue to keep a close eye on them the rest of the season. Something that will go in LSU’s favor is having 4 star quarterback T.J Finley committed for the 2020 class, who Douglas is very high on. “The first time I saw T.J play I was like man I would love to play with him,” Douglas said. “He can make all the throws on the route tree & I could see us having real good chemistry together. T.J & I have a great relationship & we always chop it up about how it would be if we went to the same college. Every time we see each other since he committed to LSU, he always ask me when am I coming join him to be a Tiger.” 
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Douglas has been stellar in his junior season so far scoring 7 total touchdowns from at receiver, returning kicks, & designed runs plays at quarterback. Douglas has his team off to 6-0 start & they’re currently ranked #4 in 5A. With so many high major schools recruiting Douglas, it’s going to be interesting to see who will land the dynamic playmaker when it’s all said & done. “After September 1st I started receiving a lot of love from schools,” Douglas said. “I’m really thankful to be receiving this kind of attention from so many great programs. I just want to continue to improve as a player so when I do get to college I’ll be ready to come in & contribute early.”

At this point Douglas has offers from some of the most premier programs in the country & I think you’ll see this kid pick up even bigger offers going forward. Clemson, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St, & Georgia are some schools that are monitoring Douglas hard at the moment. Offers from these schools looked to be on the way by season’s end or by the Spring when colleges really start their evaluation period.

​The talented wing from Sophie B. Wright out of New Orleans, LA made it official committing to the University of Rhode Island earlier this week. It was a little bit of a shock to most that Hammond chose a school so far from home, but the he expressed how he felt it was the best fit for him going forward. “I chose Rhode Island because I felt the energy as soon as I stepped foot on campus,” Hammond said. “Head Coach David Cox makes you feel really comfortable with him & the relationship we built made me feel like I can trust him. The players embraced me when I was on campus & it made me see myself really playing with them next year.” Hammond had a hell of showing on the Adidas circuit this past summer, which made his stock rise even more to a bevy of schools. The 3 star prospect became even more intriguing to schools after he grew from 6-0 to 6-4 within a year. Hammond committed to the Rams while holding offers from Mississippi St, Ole Miss, Tulane, Louisiana Tech, The University of Louisiana-Lafayette, & a host of others. 
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According to 247 Sports Hammond is ranked the #2 shooting guard in the state behind Rayville’s Mylik Wilson. The 3 star prospect is very athletic, can shoot it well off the dribble, & has deep range which I see really translating to that Atlantic 10 conference in the coming years. “This is a moment I been waiting for since I was a kid,” Hammond said. “Even though playing college basketball was a goal, it’s not going to stop there. I envision myself making it to the NBA & I feel that Rhode Island can help me achieve that.” It’s evident that Hammond has gotten better & better every year, which is why I think he is no where near his ceiling. His ability to be able get to the cup at will & finish over athletic bigs is something you’ll notice early when you watch this kid play. “Over the last year I brought my game to another level,” Hammond said. “A lot of hard work & having a consistent work ethic really contributed to my progression. I have some great coaches that has helped me throughout my development like my dad, coach Jason, coach Newton, coach Charles, & coach Vincent.”

It’s no secret that Sophie B. Wright basketball program was a afterthought four years ago, but over the last 3 years things have changed. Just last season the Warriors finished with a 33-6 record & made it to the semifinals before falling short to Peabody. Hammond has played a vital role into this program’s turnaround, and this upcoming season you could very well see the Warriors back in the mix to compete to win a 3A state title. “Sophie B has developed me on the basketball court, but most importantly as a person,” Hammond said. “I spend countless hours in the gym with one of the coaches getting better & they don’t mind coming help any of the players work on their game. Things like being to class on time, making sure we’re in the appropriate uniform, just following school policies are things the coaching staff never let me slack off with. I love everything about Sophie B. Wright & I’m happy I came here for my high school years.”