Two-Sport Standout: Dunham’s Elijah Haven drawing plenty of interest after freshman season

by: William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor

During the spring recruiting period The Dunham School football coach Neil Weiner spent time with several college recruiters.

The Tigers have one of the Baton Rouge-area’s more successful programs, having reached the Division III select state championship game in 2022, and are usually a target school when college coaches spread out to recruit.

Texas Tech, the first school to offer Class of 2027 standout quarterback Elijah Haven, was on hand to get a look at the 6-foot-4, 180-pounder in the spring, coming away impressed with both his stature and skill set.

“Their coach jokingly said, ‘you’ve got a cheat code, you’re going to automatically win with that guy,” Weiner said of Haven. “It’s not quite like that. We did get knocked out of the (2023) playoffs. He’s got some great intangibles. He’s mature beyond his years. You can watch the way he handles himself and talks. Most 15-year-olds aren’t going to look you in the eye with complete thoughts and sentences coming out. He’s really polished in a lot of areas before he should be.”

Weiner’s accustomed to coaching football prodigies.

It’s been a decade since cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. stepped onto a varsity field as an eighth grader for Dunham and became the nation’s top prospect at his position. He was a five-star recruit that signed with LSU, became a national champion a year later, and after three years, was the NFL’s No. 3 overall draft choice of the Houston Texans. 

“Neither was going to be the rah-rah cheerleader-type,” Weiner said of Stingley and Haven. “The difference is at cornerback, you’re on an island, you get your job and everyone’s motivated by that. At quarterback, all eyes are on you on every play. So, you have to be vocal. Those are things he’s (Haven) working on. He’s just never had to do that.”

Haven didn’t entirely master his freshman season, but made it look that way at times.

The Class 2A All-State honorable mention selection led Dunham to the state playoffs in both football and basketball. The Tigers went 8-3 and reached the state regionals in football, while they were 27-7 in basketball and reached the state semifinalists.

“Having that postseason experience is very helpful because once you get there you’re not as nervous,” Haven said. “It’s win or lose once you get to the postseason. Having that experience early is definitely helpful.”

Haven was a little-used reserve quarterback in ’22, watching then senior Jackson House lead Dunham to the state championship game against St. Charles Catholic. 

With an opportunity to become the team’s starter last season, Haven completed 67.8% (122 of 180) of his passes for 2,205 yards with 35 touchdowns (a single-season school record) and three interceptions. He also proved adept running the ball with 107 rushing attempts for 641 yards and 12 touchdowns for 2,846 total yards and 47 combined touchdowns.

“Jackson set a great example for me,” Haven said. “He was a great leader and great player. I took that and ran with it during the spring, worked my tail off and it all came full throttle. Our coaches trusted me, and I took that very well. I didn’t feel any pressure. The team relied on me, I relied on them. It came together really well during the season.

“I was just ready for the moment,” Haven said. “Just cool, calm and collected going into games. I didn’t want to think about it too much. Just calmed my nerves before the game and let it rip, let it happen.”

Weiner said Haven checked off most of the boxes imaginable from his first varsity season.

“He didn’t have a lot to improve on,” he said going into the offseason. “He was so poised, cool and collected which was the most impressive thing last year. He never panicked and he played that way the whole year.”

It’s hard to forget about Haven’s debut.

With Dunham locked in a tense battle with Class 3A Parkview Baptist, Haven put on a show for the ages in a 52-46 defeat that produced a combined 1,147 total yards of offense. 

Haven, who was 14 years old when the season kicked off, accounted for 539 yards and seven touchdowns – passing for 365 yards and 5 TDs.

“The atmosphere was great,” Haven said. “I was in the zone. My teammates relied on me, and I was able to make some great plays for the team. We fell short, but it was a great game overall.

“I feel like the more games you have the more experience you have, and the more comfortable you feel,” Haven said. “That definitely applied to my year. After the Parkview game. I didn’t feel any pressure. I went out to have fun and just play. Don’t let my nerves get to me. Just relax, calm down and just play.”

Weiner credited Haven’s previous national AAU basketball experience for enabling him to flourish at such a high level and maintain the composure of a veteran player.

“He’s gone to national tournaments; he’s facing guys who are supposed to be the next LeBron (James),” he said. “That was nothing for him. He was ready to play. He’s always kind of thrived in the big game.”

Dunham went 8-1 over the remainder of the regular season, including a key 55-28 victory over arch-rival Episcopal that helped the Tigers go on to win the District 6-2A championship.

Haven delivered another scintillating performance that contradicted his years.

“He didn’t play like a freshman,” Episcopal coach Travis Bourgeois said. “First time he’s in the Episcopal-Dunham rivalry game; they actually showcased his running ability more and he became more of a polished runner. It was just how poised he was as a freshman. His ability to run and throw, just things you normally don’t see a freshman do. I thought he played with unbelievable poise and composure. He’s got the tools. You can see the physical, but it looks like he also has the mentality to be the guy. Unfortunately, we’re going to have to face him for the next three years.”

Parkview put up another roadblock for Dunham in the state playoffs, overcoming another outstanding effort from Haven in a 39-32 victory. 

Haven rallied the Tigers with two of his three rushing touchdowns in the second half. He threw for another score for a one-point lead early in the fourth quarter, when the Eagles drove for the winning score with more than eight minutes to play.

“It was pretty good season,” Haven said. “We did well but came short in the end. I feel like we worked very hard, and I put in the work. It came together really well.”

Haven was also a standout in basketball where Dunham advanced to the state semifinals against University High, dropping a 44-41 decision. He was selected the district MVP, All-Metro and second team Class 2A All-State, averaging 12.7 points, 9.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists.

“It was a great season, a great team to be a part of,” Haven said. “We made it all the way to the semifinals and fell short, but we worked hard throughout the season.”

Haven brought a different element to his game – a decisiveness – during the state semifinal game that Weiner hopes will become the norm rather than the exception.

“U-High was up eight with two minutes to go,” Weiner said. “Elijah just took over and tied the game. He’s starting to understand that he can take over a game. I don’t think he’s played with the mindset that he needs to.”

One of the more noticeable adjustments Haven’s had to work on this offseason has been developing chemistry with a new set of receivers, a group of hopefuls attempting to replace departed starters Jac Comeaux and Drew Bourgeois. 

Chris Thomas and Madison Prep transfer Jarvis Washington are two such options, Weiner said.

“We have to figure out who are those people this year,” he said.

Texas Tech set off a chain of scholarship offers that Haven, considered one of the nation’s best in his class, has added to with overtures from Ole Miss, Baylor, Florida and Miami (Fla.). He also got his first glimpse of national competition in June during his participation in the OT 7 (on 7) in Tampa where he was among the event’s top quarterbacks.

“I’m just taking it in,” Haven said of the recruiting process. “I’m appreciative to all of the coaches that have shown interest in me, and I wanted to keep working for it to be even more. I’m thankful to God for putting me in this position because some people aren’t as fortunate. I’m trying to enjoy the moment.”