Arkansas linebacker commitment Josh Paul’s outstanding senior season paid off big on Tuesday with him being named the Class 3A Outstanding Defensive Player by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
Paul, 6-2, 205, 4.76, of New Orleans De La Salle, chose the Hogs over about 30 scholarship offers from Ole Miss, Kansas State, Purdue, Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech, Tulane and others in June.
“He was dominate all year long from start to finish,” De La Salle Coach Ryan Manale said.
He recorded 81 tackles, a sack, 5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles and returned an interception for a score this past season.
“The struggle was putting him in a position to make plays,” Manale said. “Most teams would avoid him and run away from him and check away. You have to give him credit for studying film and preparing for his opponents. Every game we played he was the best player to step on that field.”
Manale said Paul was a big part for De La Salle going 13-1 this season. The lone loss was to Parkview Baptist of Baton Rouge in the state semi-final playoffs.
“That’s a big reason for us being No. 1 team in the state from the start to all the way to the semi-finals and we got beat by a pretty good team,” Manale said.
Paul beat out several highly touted prospects for the defensive award.
“You’re talking about guys committed to LSU and other big time schools and big SEC schools,” Manale said. “He’s no longer a secret.”
Schools are still trying to get involved with Paul.
“They’re trying to get his number,” Manale said. “He seems solid. He loves (Hog receivers) coach Michael Smith and he feels real comfortable going there. The ones that have contacted are Texas A&M, LSU and Ole Miss. Teams like that have expressed interest in getting in touch with him.”
Manale believes several other schools are making contact with Paul via social media.
“He’s going to know the schools more than I will,” he said. “I just get the e-mails and phone calls.”