Landry impressed in preseason, leading the Panthers to a small school division win at the STM Air It Out 7-on-7 tournament. 

All signs point towards a special season for Catholic High quarterback Luke Landry.

The senior, a three-year starter, has a year under his belt getting acclimated to coach Matt Desormeaux’s system. The Panthers were a run-oriented team under coach Scott Wattigny in Landry’s sophomore season.

“Luke has grown a lot as a leader over the past year,” Desormeaux said. “His knowledge, not only of the passing game, but protection has grown so much. Not many high school kids can change calls (at the line of scrimmage) like that.”

Landry spent the offseason working hand in hand with quarterback whisperer Cole Delcambre of QB Impact. He met with Delcambre, Acadiana Renaissance’s offensive coordinator, in Broussard, Youngsville and Baton Rouge to sharpen his skills.

“I’ll have improved footwork and pocket movement, and my deep ball has gotten a lot better,” said Landry, who passed for nearly 2,000 yards with 23 TDs in 2023. “I feel very confident.”

The CHS receiving room is loaded. Jaiden Mitchell, the Best of the Teche Offensive MVP, is back for his senior season. Mitchell, Gavin Roy and Layton Mitchell combined to catch 17 TD passes from Landry. Joseph LeBlanc moves from wide receiver to tight end.

“We have all our receivers back,” Desormeaux said. “Chris Green and Tristan Lewis will catch passes, too.”

Lewis and Green are defensive standouts. Lewis is slated to get carries at running back with Owen Morris, who is also an above-average receiver. Green, an excellent all-around athlete, is a matchup problem for defenses at 6-foot-1, 195 lbs. Jake Wyman is another experienced hand.

“We’re going to spread it around a lot more,” said Landry, who has a goal of passing for 3,000 yards with 30 touchdowns and a 70% completion percentage.

“It’s possible,” Desormeaux said of Landry’s goal of 3,000 yards. “We have a very talented skill group. It has to happen the right way. If we’re in a bunch of close games, it could happen. We’re not going to throw the ball if we have a big lead late in games.”

Arkansas-Monticello and Millsaps College have offered scholarships to Landry, a 6-foot-0, 180-pound left-hander who was 4-1 as a pitcher with a 1.56 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 31.1 innings.

“We’re really excited to play against another team,” Landry said of the Panthers’ upcoming scrimmage against Centerville and preseason jamboree against Opelousas Catholic. “We’ve looked really good in 7-on-7. Some have said the offensive line is our weak spot, but they’ve been putting in work all summer.”