All eyes are on this local high school quarterback

To his friends and family, The Dunham School‘s junior quarterback Elijah Haven is a fun-loving, sometimes goofy guy who enjoys movies, dining out at Umami Japanese Bistro and Walk-On’s, and tossing the pigskin with his dad, Kwame, and younger siblings, Edyn and Manny.

To anyone else paying attention, he’s the Class of 2027’s top college football recruit across the country. By early January, Haven, 17, had received offers from LSU, Georgia, Alabama, Miami, Ole Miss, Florida and other programs. His decision was imminent.

The dream offers were the icing on a cake that has also included a state championship, broken records and awards. In November, Haven led the Dunham Tigers to a Division III state championship title, the school’s first since 2004 and second in its history. Haven and his teammates took down Shreveport’s Calvary Baptist Academy in a 34-17 battle in the Caesars Superdome. Haven saw 410 offensive yards and broke state records in both single season and career total passing touchdowns.

He was also named the 2025 Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year.

“When I told the team he’d won the Gatorade award, they cheered like they’d won it,” says Dunham head football coach Neil Weiner. “They were so excited for him.”

Despite the pressure young athletes face, Weiner says Haven has stayed grounded. “We’ve had some talented players come through here, but one of the great things about Elijah is that the more attention and accolades he gets, the more humble he becomes,” he says. “I think that’s kind of unique in this day and age.”

This month, Haven has traded his cleats for high-tops as a forward on the Dunham basketball team. But he plays down the significance of being a multi-sport athlete.

“There are tons of us, really,” Haven says of his football teammates who also take to the court, adding, “Basketball’s really fun. It’s my second passion.”

In the future, Haven says he plans to major in finance and eventually get into wealth management. But for now, he’s got plenty of time to be a teenager.

“I really just like spending time with my friends and family,” he says.

This article was originally published in the February 2026 issue of 225 Magazine.