Home Run Hitter: All-State receiver Jakias Villanueva latest in St. James’ big-play threats
by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
During its annual spring game, St. James offensive coordinator Herbert Washington presented senior wide receiver Jakias Villanueva with his first challenge of the day.
Villanueva, the District 7-3A Offensive MVP and Class 3A first team selection, had long been regarded for his athleticism and ability to make defensive backs appear out of position in tight spaces on the field.
But this was different. Sophomore quarterback JaJuan Jackson took a step back from the 25-yard line of Douglass and lofted a ball in the direction of the 5-foot-6, 160-pound Villanueva near the goal line.
Villanueva, who got a free release at the line of scrimmage and was behind coverage, made a decisive leap two steps into the end zone, jumping into the air against two defenders and coming down in bounds with the catch for a touchdown.
“Coach called a fade,” he said. “I had to get it. No one expected it.”
Villanueva was also nearly unstoppable closer to the ground as well, taking two other passes for touchdowns in the spring game, an example of his explosiveness that provided a glimpse into what he may have in store this fall.
He also beat a defender in single coverage on a 25-yard go route for a touchdown and turned a tunnel screen into a 47-yard highlight run for another score.
Three touches, three touchdowns.
“We’re going to lean on him a little more from a leadership standpoint,” St. James coach LaVanta Davis, who is 31-9 at the school. “He’s a good kid, fun to coach, and he’s hard-working. He wants to be better. He loves the game. He’s a ‘yes, sir’ or ‘no, sir’ type kid. He’s small in stature but has the heart of a giant.”
Villanueva gave St. James a wide receiver on the Class 3A All-State first team for the sixth consecutive year. His 80 catches for 1,011 yards (12.6 yards per catch) and 13 touchdowns enabled him to join former all-state teammates Khai Prean, Kobe Brown, and Shazz Preston (a three-time selection) in such company.
Three years ago, it was Villanueva who showed patience and wait his turn behind both Prean and Brown until getting his opportunity in 2023 as the team’s secondary target behind Brown.
Prean, who signed with LSU and is now at Southeastern Louisiana, had a 55-catch, 1,041-yard season for 13 TDs in his only season following his transfer from Ascension Catholic. Brown wound up his final two seasons with 124 receptions for 2,178 yards and 27 TDs – leading the Wildcats with 77 catches for 1,354 yards and 16 scores in ’24.
“Going into my sophomore year, the coaches had a meeting to see if I was going to be a starter or not. To see if I was ready,” Villanueva said. “To see if I was big enough for the challenge. I showed them I was ready. I caught some passes, and they kept me in there.”
Villanueva went from six catches for 43 yards and a TD as a freshman to a bigger role alongside Brown with 49 catches for 709 yards and 5 TDs.
Davis credited Villanueva’s progression to the stability St. James has relished with Morrel Bartholomew as wide receivers coach.
“We have continuity at that coaching position,” he said. “I thought Khai and Kobe did a good job of setting the bar and setting an example in their approach to playing the position and the work you have to put in to play the position.”
Villanueva nearly doubled his production in his first season as the team’s lead receiver in 2024.
Jackson flourished in his first season as a starter, completing 159 of 229 passes for 2,033 yards with eight interceptions and 22 touchdowns.
The Wildcats also had a dominant lead running back in junior Kani King-Young with 1,120 yards and 15 TDs, while junior Kendrick Joseph added 486 yards and 3 TDs on 82 rushes.
“We did a good job offensively of being creative,” Davis said. “Just being smart about the kids that needed the ball and getting it to them. That’s what makes us more dangerous as an offensive unit.
“He has some guys around him, so defenses are going to have to account for them,” Davis said of Villanueva. “We have a good core (receiver) group coming back. His ability to move from slot to outside, and then you have to kick away from him on special teams.”
With an array of weapons, Bartholomew has been able to formulate game plans to take advantage of the skilled athletes on his side of the ball.
Villanueva’s versatility allows him to line up in the slot and on the outside, motion across the formation or line up in the backfield next to Johnson and take a handoff.
Villanueva enjoys the constant chess match that takes place each Friday.
“Some of the plays are to see if the defense is going to follow me or stay in their spots,” he said. “If they stay where they are, then I may get the ball and make a play.”
Davis said his offensive coaches look forward to rewarding their players because of the commitment they make each week in practice.
“Our guy’s work,” he said. “Our kids love to play the game of football and want to be better. We just try to find ways to keep it simple. Just find ways to get everybody their touches and in position to help the team be successful. We do a good job of moving kids around and getting the ball in positions and use it to their strengths.”
Villanueva, a 4.4 sprinter, was the one providing the spark for St. James with the ability to turn short completions into long gains that often changed the complexion of the game.
“You can’t put a price tag on that,” Davis said. “We call them home run hitters. He’s able to take a 10-yard play and take it 90. We had that in Kobe Brown and Khai Prean, and now we’ve been blessed to have it in Jakias.
“We try to stick to our blueprint, use these kids to the best of their ability,” Davis said. “We put them in position to be successful, push them to be great student-athletes, and hopefully they can go on and accomplish the things they want after high school.”
Villanueva had at least one catch in all of St. James’ games, matching his season high of nine catches for a season-best 137 yards and 3 TDs in a 35-6 league win over Donaldsonville.
He twice matched that 9-catch threshold in a 35-14 setback against eventual Division II select state champion Archbishop Shaw (9-82, TD) and a 15-11 win over St. Charles (9-117, 2 TDs).
Villanueva posted four 100-yard games that included such efforts in wins over Class 5A Ponchatoula (7-118, TD) and in a rematch with Donaldsonville (6-103, TD) in the regional round of the Division III non-select playoffs.
He wound up with receiving touchdowns in eight games and added his only rushing score in the team’s Division III state championship game with Sterlington.
“Every week I got more and more comfortable,” said Villanueva, who has 135 career catches for 1,743 yards and 18 TDs. “My coach would call plays that got me open, and I kept making plays, and they kept getting me more comfortable.”
Before his team’s second straight trip to the Superdome, Villanueva was honored as the District 7-3A MVP on offense. He was named first team at both wide receiver and return specialist, where he combined to add 384 yards on 28 returns that helped aid with field position and gave opponents pause when kicking in his direction.
He scored 14 total touchdowns and was second on the team with 84 points scored.
“It made me feel like my hard work had paid off,” Villanueva said of the honor. “There’s a lot of good offensive players in our district.”
Davis said Villanueva earned the respect of the league’s coaches for impacting games with his overall playmaking ability.
“It normally goes to a quarterback,” he said of the honor. “I guess his body of work, as we played each team in the district, spoke for itself. You have to identify where he is on the field, and you have to account for him. I think he earned it and was good to see him get rewarded for the work he put in.”
St. James got two TD catches from Villanueva in a 26-7 quarterfinal win over Pine and needed a 21-point fourth quarter rally to advance past Union Parish, 43-35, to secure a berth in the Division III state final.
The Wildcats led 21-20 at halftime and took a 28-27 lead into the fourth quarter when the Panthers added a game-winning TD in the fourth quarter for a 35-28 victory.
Villanueva drew close attention from Sterlington’s defense, having to deal with bracket coverage that limited him to five catches for 57 yards, and two carries for 11 yards and a score that completed his all-state credentials.
“That felt great,” he said of the all-state selection. “I didn’t make it as a sophomore. To get it as a junior, that’s really a blessing. There’s a lot of talent at receiver in Louisiana. It was a blessing to me.”
Villaneuva transitioned to track, where he finished as the district’s champion in the 100 meters.
The Wildcats went on to win the state 4×100 relay with Villanueva in the lead-off position before a forgettable start in the 100 resulted in a seventh-place finish.
Track continued to enhance the skill set of Villanueva, adding to his quickness in tight quarters, and his ability to accelerate enabled him to pull away from defenders.
“I know it helps me in football,” he said. “I run what I’ve got to run to get faster. That’s the main goal.”
It’s another layer in the process of helping Villanueva garner the attention of college coaches.
While the NCAA transfer portal hasn’t been a huge benefit for high school seniors such as Villanueva, his coach feels he’ll get a shot in college.
“It’s become a circus and a detriment to the high school athletes,” Davis said of the portal. “I think there’s a home for him somewhere. He’s explosive. We’ve asked him to get faster, and he’s done that. He can go out and catch a high-point ball.
“I’m sorry, but one guy’s not tackling him in the open field,” Davis said. “His size is an issue, but he makes up for it with his speed and his ability to make guys miss. He plays the game with a giant heart, and he’s passionate about it. I pray that he finds a home somewhere because he definitely deserves it.”
Davis also pointed to Villanueva’s unselfishness when it comes to downfield blocking.
The Wildcats’ balance is predicated on running the football, something Villanueva takes pride in, and he unleashed his body to spring teammates toward the end zone.
“That’s the type of character that he is,” he said. “Those 10-yard runs are 40-50-yard runs because he’s perimeter blocking and extending plays. He wants to see his brothers have success as well. He’s doing the things that most wide receivers don’t like doing, which is the dirty work.”
Villanueva’s been active over the summer on the 7-on-7 circuit with the Louisiana Bootleggers after his own team’s 7-on-7 schedule. He’s taken part in either camps or 7-on-7 competitions at UL-Lafayette and Central Arkansas and received positive feedback.
His list of scholarship offers contrasts from Division I Sacramento State to FCS teams Grambling State and Alabama State. Division II Southwest (Missouri) Baptist, Division III Millsaps College, NAIA institutions, Louisiana Christian and Ottawa University, and Southwest (Miss.) Community Colleges are trying to secure his signature.
“Colleges like me because I’m a dual threat,” he said. “I can catch the ball, return the ball, do anything. I’m trying to get myself ready for college. I’ll do anything I’ve got to and make myself better.”