ST. MARTINVILLE – Jaylin Clay is the latest football prospect from St. Martinville Senior High to get an opportunity to continue his career on the next level.

Clay, a 6-foot-0, 175-pound defensive back, committed to Louisiana Christian University after receiving a scholarship offer following an official visit in early December.

“They liked my size and how physical I am,” said Clay, who announced his commitment on Dec. 27. “I feel extremely blessed to be in this situation.”

Clay was recruited by Tyson Andrus, who coaches defensive backs and also serves as the strength and conditioning coordinator.

“He’s a funny and cool dude,” Clay said of Andrus, who prepped at Northside High before playing at Nicholls State. “When I surprised him with my commitment, he was happy I’m on board.

“He said that if I work hard enough and gain some weight, that I’ll potentially get some early playing time.”

Clay, who also competes in track and field for the Tigers, didn’t allow a touchdown in coverage this past season.

Louisiana Christian, which changed its name from Louisiana College in 2021, is a Baptist school in Pineville with an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students. The Wildcats are an NAIA program that competes in the Sooner Athletic Conference.

The Wildcats regrouped after losing four of their first five games last season to reel off six straight wins to finish with a 7-4 record (6-3 in conference). The Wildcats went 5-0 at home.

“I like the campus,” Clay said. “It’s a quiet place where it will be easy to focus and not get distracted.”

At St. Martinville, Clay was a three-year starter and a first-team all-district selection as a senior. He broke up nine passes last season and returned an interception for a touchdown in a win over Breaux Bridge.

“He’s a real aggressive kid who will come up and hit you,” SMSH defensive coordinator Damon DeRouen said. “He played both free and strong safety at times. We moved him to strong safety where he came up in run support and made a gang-load of tackles.

“He has tremendous upside and raw talent. It feels really good to see a good kid like him get this chance.”

Clay helped the Tigers reach the 2021 Class 3A semifinals and the non-select Division II quarterfinals this past season. He maintains a 3.5 grade point average and plans to major in psychology.

He plans to train with close friend Laterrance Welch, an LSU cornerback and Acadiana High product, to prepare for his freshman year in college.