Lutcher QB D’Wanye’ Winfield Named Gridiron Football’s 2022 Louisiana Player Of The Year

Today, Gridiron Football’s Jace LeJeune, Marcus Randall, and Broderick Fowler came on the Football Huddle to take one more look back at 2022 before putting our focus on the 2023 season. Check out the entire show below and see the entire discussion of who the Gridiron Football staff made as the 2022 Louisiana Player of the Year.

In the video above, the Gridiron Football staff dives into their top five players of the year in Louisiana, but just like we did all season long, we will list the top performers one final time in 2022 and this time, it is for the year.

Gridiron Football’s Top Five Louisiana Players of 2022:

  1. Lutcher High School QB D’Wanye’ Winfield:

Without a doubt, the number one consensus 2022 Gridiron Football Louisiana Player of the Year selected by the entire staff is Lutcher High School QB D’Wanye’ Winfield. “Win” is in his name and he certainly did it all on the “field.” Nicknamed “Lunch”, the Lutcher dual threat quarterback carried the Bulldogs to a Division II (Non-Select) State Championship this past season. Whether it was throwing the football or running the football, it was always a great plan to have number seven touching the football. Last season, the Bulldogs’ legendary quarterback had a season for the ages accounting for 4,657 total yards and a whopping 70 touchdowns. On the ground, Winfield got better in games with each and every carry rushing for 2,477 yards and 38 touchdowns. However, he proved to be not just a rushing quarterback as he showed that he could throw it as well throwing for 2,180 yards and 32 touchdowns. Like fellow Lutcher quarterback legend Blaine Gauthier, D’Wanye’ Winfield will be playing quarterback for the UL Ragin’ Cajuns.

Lutcher High School senior QB D’Wanye’ Winfield is our consensus 2022 Gridiron Football Louisiana Player of the Year.

2. LCA Junior QB Ju’Juan Johnson:

Lafayette Christian Academy junior QB Ju’Juan Johnson is a “Prime” candidate for Louisiana Player of the Year in 2023 based on what he did this past season as the number two player in 2022. Johnson, who recently committed to play for Deion “PrimeTime” Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes, was coming off a record setting season in which he helped lead LCA to their sixth straight state championship game appearance by posting video game numbers with 4,140 passing yards, 1,347 rushing yards, and 60 total touchdowns. What makes Johnson number two on this list is what he did down the stretch in the playoffs. In a semifinal win over Teurlings Catholic, Johnson accounted for 649 total yards and 9 TDs. Although the Knights would lose in the Division II (Select) State Championship to St. Thomas More, it still was a record setting performance as Johnson accounted for a Prep Classic record 586 total yards of offense against the Cougars.

LCA junior QB Ju’Juan Johnson is number two on our Gridiron Football Louisiana Player of the Year list.

3. Many High School senior LB Tackett Curtis:

Many High School senior linebacker Tackett Curtis was one of Louisiana’s all-time great defensive players and finds himself number three on our list of top Louisiana performers from the 2022 season. At 6’3, 220 pounds, Curtis was indeed the Terminator when it comes to leading a dominant Many Tiger defense that had eight games in which the unit gave up seven points or less in a game. Defensively, the future USC Trojan had 112 total tackles, 16 TFLs, six sacks, and three interceptions while also quarterbacking the team on offense with 1,115 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Playing for his uncle Jess Curtis, Tackett Curtis cemented himself as an all-time Many great leading the Tigers to an undefeated Division III (Non-Select) State Championship.

Many High School LB Tackett Curtis is number three on our Gridiron Football Louisiana Player of the Year list.

4. Union Parish High School senior RB Trey Holly:

Louisiana’s all-time leading rusher Trey Holly finds himself number four on our list after having a great year to cap off his incredible prep career at Union Parish High School. It was earlier this year that the future LSU running back broke the all-time rushing mark that was originally held by former U-High Cub and LSU running back Nick Brossette. Breaking the record early in the season at the end of September, Holly went on to crush the rushing record by finishing his record breaking career with 10,523 rushing yards and 146 touchdowns. This season, Holly helped the Farmers reach the Division III (Non-Select) State Championship Game by rushing for 2,694 yards and 38 touchdowns.

Union Parish High School RB Trey Holly is number four on our Gridiron Football Louisiana Player of the Year list.

5. De La Salle High School senior RB PJ Martin:

All De La Salle High School senior running back PJ Martin did this past year was set records for the Cavaliers. When it is all said and done, the 5’10, 200 pound running back left the program breaking just about every record that there is. At the end of the 2022 season, he set records for single season rushing yards (2,248), rushing TDs (33), all-purpose TDs (58), career rushing yards (3,721), career rushing TDs (56), all-purpose TDs (58), all-purpose yards in season (2,608), all-purpose yards in career (4,132), single season yards per touch (10.7), career yards per touch (9.1) and has four of the top ten single game rushing performances in program history. The standout running back will continue to play football at the college level as he signed with South Alabama.

De La Salle High School RB PJ Martin is number five on our Gridiron Football Louisiana Player of the Year list.

This year marked the debut year of the Gridiron Football Louisiana Player of the Week show and it was a great success. Check out our 2022 Player of the Week winners in Louisiana below!

Week 1: St. Edmund High School Freshman Running Back Kevon Johnson

Week 2: Ouachita High School Junior Running Back Carldell Sirmons

Week 3: Oak Grove High School Sophomore Quarterback Jackson Bradley

Week 4: North Caddo High School Senior Wide Receiver Omarion Miller

Week 5: Benton High School Senior Quarterback Gray Walters:

Week 6: Avoyelles High School Junior Running Back Decareyn Sampson

Week 7: Dutchtown High School Junior Defensive Tackle Diego Spears

Week 8: Rosepine High School Senior Athlete Aden Cline

Week 9: St. Thomas More High School Junior Quarterback Sam Altmann

Week 10: Dutchtown High School Senior Safety AK Burrell

Week 11 (1st Round): Haughton High School Senior Quarterback Colin Rains

Week 12 (2nd Round): C.E. Byrd High School Senior Quarterback Lake Lambert

Week 13 (Quarterfinals): De La Salle High School Senior Running Back PJ Martin

Week 14 (Semifinals): LCA Junior Quarterback Ju’Juan Johnson

Week 15 (State Championship): Lutcher High School Senior QB D’Wanye’ Winfield