2019 Northside (LA) 3-star DE Billy Sonnier has slowly become one of the more feared football players in Louisiana, landing college scholarships from top programs all around the nation. However, it was the Miami Hurricanes that were his first big-time Power 5 offer, and Sonnier says it changed his life.
“I got it going into my sophomore year,” Sonnier said on his Miami offer. “It was big. Not too many kids from my school have D-I offers like that, so it was big for me, my family, and coaches.”
Sonnier, who lists himself at 6’8” 245 pounds, is also an avid basketball player, and has been hooping since the 7th grade, further proving his athleticism. More and more top programs are starting to see the potential in Sonnier as a jumbo athlete, and his offer sheet has expanded even more in the past year.
“I picked up a couple more offers my junior year,” Sonnier said. “I got LSU, Louisiana-Lafayette, Georgia Tech, Houston, Texas, TCU, and a few other big schools.”
Even though traffic has picked up and Sonnier is now jammed with more schools than ever, he still makes time to talk with the Canes every now and again. Sonnier recently snagged an invite to Paradise Camp in July as well, and he’s considering making the trip.
“Yeah, me and my mom talk to them from time to time,” Sonnier said of the Canes. “I just got an e-mail from the staff to go to Paradise Camp. I’d be interested in going.”
So, what is it about Miami that makes Sonnier interested in the UM program?
“I’ve talked to my mom about them a couple times, she said she just really felt good about me playing there,” Sonnier said. “Really, it’s the vibe there. I watched the Notre Dame game where that D-Lineman (Jon Garvin) made that big play and got the chain at the end. It was crazy.”
When talking visit plans, Sonnier says while he goes to his local college all the time, he’s looking forward to expanding his horizons a bit and seeing more schools this summer.
“I go to Louisiana-Lafayette almost every day,” Sonnier said. “I’ll be going to LSU, Georgia Tech, I’ll be trying to get a Miami visit in. I think I’m going to visit Clemson and Notre Dame in July.”
Previously, Sonnier had set leaders, but has since scrapped that once he began getting more attention from different programs.
“I had a set top group in the past, but I started getting more offers and I wanted everybody to feel like I was open,” Sonnier said.
However, he wasn’t shy giving the order of how things stand right now, even though Sonnier admits his list is open and could easily change soon.
“I’d say they’re my number 3,” Sonnier said on UM. “The list in order right now is LSU, Georgia, Miami, Clemson at number 4, Louisiana-Lafayette at number 5, and Louisville at number 6. Every time I get another offer, though, I look at it different.”
To focus on his senior season at Northside, Sonnier, who also plays tight end in high school, expects to have a decision ready and out of the way by the end of the summer.
“I think it will be before the beginning of the football season, so I’ll say August,” Sonnier said. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to see all the schools that I wanted to visit and talk to more coaches over the summer.”
When Sonnier is ready to narrow down his options, his says the comfortability of the surrounding environment will be a key factor in his decision.
“I’d say the vibe of the players and the coaches,” Sonnier said of what he wants in a program. “I want for everybody around the school to feel like a family. That’s about it.”
Sonnier has spent this past off-season recovering and rehabbing from a back injury. He says he’ll be more than ready to go when the Friday Night Lights go on in September, though, and anticipates taking on even more of a mentor role for the young players on his team.
“Just being a leader on the team,” Sonnier said of what he’s looking forward to about his last year in high school. “Of course we’re going to win states. It’s senior year, so I have to make it happen. We have a lot of new kids coming in, freshmen, that are looking up to me, sophomores, juniors too. Just trying to get healthy and trying to get back on the field this year and do my thing.”
“I got it going into my sophomore year,” Sonnier said on his Miami offer. “It was big. Not too many kids from my school have D-I offers like that, so it was big for me, my family, and coaches.”
Sonnier, who lists himself at 6’8” 245 pounds, is also an avid basketball player, and has been hooping since the 7th grade, further proving his athleticism. More and more top programs are starting to see the potential in Sonnier as a jumbo athlete, and his offer sheet has expanded even more in the past year.
“I picked up a couple more offers my junior year,” Sonnier said. “I got LSU, Louisiana-Lafayette, Georgia Tech, Houston, Texas, TCU, and a few other big schools.”
Even though traffic has picked up and Sonnier is now jammed with more schools than ever, he still makes time to talk with the Canes every now and again. Sonnier recently snagged an invite to Paradise Camp in July as well, and he’s considering making the trip.
“Yeah, me and my mom talk to them from time to time,” Sonnier said of the Canes. “I just got an e-mail from the staff to go to Paradise Camp. I’d be interested in going.”
So, what is it about Miami that makes Sonnier interested in the UM program?
“I’ve talked to my mom about them a couple times, she said she just really felt good about me playing there,” Sonnier said. “Really, it’s the vibe there. I watched the Notre Dame game where that D-Lineman (Jon Garvin) made that big play and got the chain at the end. It was crazy.”
When talking visit plans, Sonnier says while he goes to his local college all the time, he’s looking forward to expanding his horizons a bit and seeing more schools this summer.
“I go to Louisiana-Lafayette almost every day,” Sonnier said. “I’ll be going to LSU, Georgia Tech, I’ll be trying to get a Miami visit in. I think I’m going to visit Clemson and Notre Dame in July.”
Previously, Sonnier had set leaders, but has since scrapped that once he began getting more attention from different programs.
“I had a set top group in the past, but I started getting more offers and I wanted everybody to feel like I was open,” Sonnier said.
However, he wasn’t shy giving the order of how things stand right now, even though Sonnier admits his list is open and could easily change soon.
“I’d say they’re my number 3,” Sonnier said on UM. “The list in order right now is LSU, Georgia, Miami, Clemson at number 4, Louisiana-Lafayette at number 5, and Louisville at number 6. Every time I get another offer, though, I look at it different.”
To focus on his senior season at Northside, Sonnier, who also plays tight end in high school, expects to have a decision ready and out of the way by the end of the summer.
“I think it will be before the beginning of the football season, so I’ll say August,” Sonnier said. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to see all the schools that I wanted to visit and talk to more coaches over the summer.”
When Sonnier is ready to narrow down his options, his says the comfortability of the surrounding environment will be a key factor in his decision.
“I’d say the vibe of the players and the coaches,” Sonnier said of what he wants in a program. “I want for everybody around the school to feel like a family. That’s about it.”
Sonnier has spent this past off-season recovering and rehabbing from a back injury. He says he’ll be more than ready to go when the Friday Night Lights go on in September, though, and anticipates taking on even more of a mentor role for the young players on his team.
“Just being a leader on the team,” Sonnier said of what he’s looking forward to about his last year in high school. “Of course we’re going to win states. It’s senior year, so I have to make it happen. We have a lot of new kids coming in, freshmen, that are looking up to me, sophomores, juniors too. Just trying to get healthy and trying to get back on the field this year and do my thing.”
