Walker’s Braylen Montgomery, state’s top prospect, signs with Oklahoma
by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
WALKER – Five years ago, when Walker’s baseball team reached the Class 5A state tournament and battled West Monroe in a state semifinal the Wildcats dropped 3-1, Braylen Montgomery took notice of the program’s potential to climb the mountaintop.
Montgomery’s evolved from a seventh grader with loads of promise into a 6-foot-5, 215-pounder, the No. 1 prospect in the state’s according to Louisiana Prep Baseball Report, and one of the nation’s top-ranked outfielders that will be one of the marquee names for a veteran lineup in 2026.
“I feel we can be a good state championship contender,” Montgomery said. “I feel we have the guys to put forth a good effort. I feel we have a good chance to make it all the way.”
Amid a sterling individual resume’, Montgomery is now college signee. The right-handed hitting center fielder recently turned his commitment into a signature with the University of Oklahoma.
“Signing day was amazing,” he said. “It felt like I accomplished my goal to play college baseball.”
Walker second-year baseball coach Mike Forbes said there’s plenty to like about Montgomery.
“When you talk about a five-tool athlete, he possesses every tool that there is,” he said. “That’s why (assistant) coach (Todd) Butler at Oklahoma just really fell in love with him. There are certain things that you can teach and there’s certain things that you can’t teach. He possesses a lot of qualities that you can’t teach. He’s definitely a special athlete.”
Montgomery could become the second Walker High product to play for Oklahoman since Cody Reine. The former outfielder, who was inducted into Walker High’s Hall of Fame this past year, batted .284 in three seasons after transferring from LSU and helped the Sooners to the College World Series in 2010.
The Major League Baseball Draft, scheduled for July 11, 2026, may be something that potentially altar’s Montgomery’s path to Norman, OK. He plans to rely on a higher power for guidance.
“I’m just going to put it all in God’s hands” he said. “I’m going to work through him, so whatever he feels is best for me, I’m going to go with that. I can’t deter that plan. Whatever’s already set in stone for me is set in stone for me. I can’t change that.”
Walker advanced to the Class 5A state regionals for the second consecutive season in 2025 and was eliminated by Northshore. The Wildcats (19-11) won 19 games for the season straight season and figure to be among the state’s top teams – a designation that goes deeper than Montgomery.
“It’s a total class of some very good, talented baseball players and I think that’s helped me as well,” said Forbes, who guided Central to back-to-back Class 5A state titles in 2017-18. “He has a great supporting cast around him. Our entire starting lineup will be seniors and six of those will be three-year starters.”
Forbes believes as many as eight of his 11-member senior class will sign scholarships.
With Montgomery bound for Oklahoma of the Southeastern Conference, Forbes also has position players/pitchers committed: utility player Jayden Ard (Panola, Tex. Junior College), first baseman Robert Adair (Loyola-New Orleans), pitcher/outfielder Owen Jeansonne (Belhaven), catcher Brody Singleton (Meridian, Miss. Community College) and shortstop Karter Hebert (LSU Alexandria).
“He doesn’t feel like he has to do it all and that will help him in the long run,” Forbes said of Montgomery. “He doesn’t have to be Superman every single game for us. If he struggles one day, we’ve got eight or nine guys that are just as capable of winning a game for us. That will 100% relax him. He’s a level-headed kid who understands and has high expectations for himself. He just has to take care of the little things, and the big things will take care of themselves.
“He’s always been a worker and that stood out early with him when I first got this job,” Forbes said. “The dude’s always doing something. He lives it, tries to perfect his craft every single day. He’s happy with where he’s at and anything after that will be lagniappe. I don’t think it (attention) will affect him that much.”
Montgomery improved his batting last season to .424. His blend of power and speed resulted in six homers with 29 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. He was chosen the Most Valuable Player in Livingston Parish and was also named to the Class 5A All-State first team by both Louisiana Prep Baseball Report and Louisiana Baseball Coaches Association.
“It was pretty good,” said Montgomery, who has been timed at 6.35 seconds from home to first base. “I felt I lacked in certain areas, but I’ll get better this year.”
Montgomery batted .373 in his first varsity season as a sophomore with seven homers. 38 RBIs and 19 stolen bases.
The combination of those two seasons, where he’s batted .373 in the heart of Walker’s batting order with 13 homers, 68 RBIs and 38 stolen bases, has thrust Montgomery to the state’s prospect and one of the best in the country. He’s also been stellar in center field where balls hit to the gaps generally find his glove, and base runners try and take extra bases at their own risk because of his lethal right arm.
“It’s a nod toward me because I felt I’ve put in the work for it,” Montgomery said of the gaudy rankings that sit aside his name. “I know I’ve gotten better going through my career. I don’t really look at them (rankings) as a determining factor of who I am. I know wherever I am I can still put in the work and get better.
“I have to know my role on this team, put my best foot forward and help this team win and not worry about the external stuff,” Montgomery said. “To have the best senior season that I have and help this team win a state championship.”
Montgomery became so focused on achieving excellence in baseball, he stepped away before his sophomore season from Walker’s highly successful basketball where both of his older brothers – Samuel and Trent – were standout players for the Wildcats.
“I made the transition because I knew that was my one love,” he said. “I loved playing the sport and being around the guys, putting the work in. When I quit basketball, I knew I had to go 10 times harder. I didn’t have another sport to distract me and work toward my goal. I had to take it more seriously and work harder and it worked out for the better.”
Forbes, in his 14th season as a head coach, said Montgomery has the perfect temperament for a high-profiled player headed into his senior season where MLB scouts and cross-checkers will be a fixture at all of his games.
“He’s a humble kid,” he said. “If it’s bothered him, I can’t tell. He just goes about his business every day. He’s not as talkative as everybody would think he is. He’s very down to earth, very quiet kid that leads by example. He’s equipped to be able to handle this.
“This is a first to have such a high profiled type of player in the state and the country,” he said. “It’s pretty cool. It’s fun to have him on my team. All the physical tools are there and that’s what has gotten him all of these rankings. He’s a high character kid, his grades are impeccable, he’s very respectful. He’s the total package whenever it comes to what you want in a No. 1 player in the state.”
Montgomery said there wasn’t much rhyme or reason to the game when he played T-Ball as a 5-year-old.
“I didn’t know what I was doing,” he said with a smile. “I was just running around, having fun.”
The sport continued dominating his life the more he became accustomed to it.
Montgomery’s first travel team at the age of 10-11 – the Louisiana Cannons of Central – played outside of Louisiana, venturing to Mississippi and Alabama. That led to additional challenges, playing for the Louisiana Knights and USA Prime, a feeder system for USA Baseball.
“As you get older, the game gets really serious, but you’ve still got to find joy in the game you love, you appreciate for the game and it will show it back to you,” Montgomery said. “I’ve enjoyed learning and growing up. It’s always been hard on the mental side.
“I had to learn that throughout my life,” Montgomery said. “It’s been a journey, and I love every bit of the game. It’s always been a joy for me to play. I had to find a way to compete, get in the lab and work my tail off.”
The exposure to elite competition has helped Montgomery learn to deal with the failures the game presents. He’s become stronger mentally to deal with the valleys that are commonplace and remain a player his coaches and teammates can rely on.
“The game is always going to move forward,” he said. “You can’t dwell on the bad things that happen. If you find a way to find a positive like an at bat and didn’t find the results you wanted, that’s why you have to move forward. Moving through a game, you know it’s not going to be the end of the world if you have a bad swing or miss a ball. In baseball the ball’s going to come back right to you, and you have to make the most of it.”
Montgomery’s ability to shake off a subpar plate appearance has been one of his strengths, Forbes said.
“That’s a preparation thing,” he said. “He takes every fly ball rep seriously. He takes every rep in the (batting) cage seriously. When the game comes around it’s just his athletic ability and talents taking over. He knows he’s not always going to be perfect. He’s pretty close to it in a game of failure. He knows he’s going to have his struggles, his times of where he might not feel his best, but at the same time he knows he’s just got to take care of business.”
Montgomery enjoyed a productive summer that included his participation in three of the nation’s top showcase events. He created momentum during a successful showing at the PBR’s Louisiana State Games of Tulane that included a 2-for-4 performance with a homer and double.
Montgomery found himself in the crosshairs of college coaches and scouts, taking part in the Perfect Game All-America Classic, Dick’s All-America Classic and Area Code Games
Not only were players subjected to scrutiny in practices, but also during game competition where the invitation-only events brought the top players together from across the country in August with the Perfect Game and Dick’s All-America showcases taking place at Petco Park – home of the San Diego Padres. The week-long Area Code Games were staged in Long Beach, Calif.
“I realized that not everything’s going to go my way,” Montgomery said. “I had to figure that out through the summer and find a routine to stick to. I got off to a slow start. I was still hitting and making good contact. I had to find a way to get better, making consistent contact throughout the game to get better.
“In the middle of the summer I had to make a change and stopped striding toward the plate and it worked out for the better,” Montgomery said. “It felt good and it’s been consistent. I found a really good swing.”
He also found a home in Oklahoma.
Butler, a native of Sulphur, had taken a particular interest in Montgomery’s rare skill set for a player with his size.
The Sooners of head coach Skip Johnson were 38-22 in ’25, losing to North Carolina in the championship game of NCAA Regional in Chapel Hill, N.C.
“Coach Butler reached out after a tournament in Jupiter (Fla.),” Montgomery said. “I had a decent tournament, and he wanted to build a connection going forward. He was a really cool guy and was about business. He told me what he needed, and I was that guy.
“I’m very excited,” said Montgomery, whose also took an official visit to Southeastern Louisiana. “The process has been good for me. I enjoyed every moment of it. I’m very excited to put the work moving forward.”
Forbes doesn’t hesitate to find a place for Montgomery amongst the best top players he’s coached.
“Athletically, he’s by far the best athlete I’ve had on a roster,” he said. “I’ve had some good athletes, but as far as total package, tools, arm strength, power, speed, defense, hitting for average, it’s a coach’s dream to have a guy with tools like that and the athleticism. He’s No. 1”