RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesLafayette Renaissance Charter Academy football’s Ansinneo “AJ” Charles knew when he stepped foot on the University of Louisiaiana-Lafayette’s campus, that he was home.
The three-star senior defensive edge was one of Acadiana’s top defensive prospects from the Class of 2027 and had his pick of the litter with double-digit Division I offers. In the end, Charles decided to stay close to home, committing to the Ragin’ Cajuns on July 17.
“When I went for my official visit, my mom loved it, I loved it and they treated everybody like family,” Charles said. “It was nice and the coaches, they really played a big part in my decision, the way they talked about me and the way they want to implement me.”
Building bonds within Louisiana football
Listed at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Charles is one of seven commits hailing from the boot and one of two from the 337 area. He chose Louisiana over offers from Mississippi State, Syracuse, Louisiana Tech and Texas State, among others. According to Charles, the personal relationships built with UL football coaching staff would be the difference maker. The Cajuns had their sights set on him from the start of their recruitment of the Class of 2027.
“Before they were offering the 2027 class, I talked to Coach Des [Michael Desormeaux] and they were like ‘You’re going to be one of the first ones we offer’ and eventually they offered me,” Charles said. “From there, I would say it was the communication and that bond that I shared with UL over schools like Mississippi State.
Mississippi State is a hell of a school, good team, good conference, good everything but like I said, it was the bond and stuff that won me over at UL.”
Along with the strong connection Charles built with the Cajuns coaching staff, he also feels like he’ll be a great addition to their defense come fall 2027.
“The position they said I would be it’s most likely going to be rushing off the edge majority of the time, but then I also can cover like what I’m doing now,” Charles said. “ They compared me to a few guys that came through the program and all the things like that and they said I would probably get to be a true freshman.”
Having the possible opportunity to see the field as a freshman is a huge draw for players like Charles within Group of 5 programs like UL, where youth shines through compared to Power 4 programs. Before he’ll be working for his shot to make an immediate impact on the fied for the Cajuns, Charles will look to lead LRCA to a deep postseason run in the upcoming 2026 season.
“Oh, we got a lot cooking,” Charles said of the Tigers during the offseason. “We playing against some tough competition, but we’ve been working all summer since January. So everything we’re about to get it what we deserve.”
Shannon Belt covers high school sports and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: How Louisiana football won over local commit 2027 DE Ansinneo Charles
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