We are 10 days away from Louisville football kicking off the 2022 season...
I wanted to summarize some insights I've gathered from people around the program as we near kickoff.
RUNNING BACK:
- I'm sure everyone is aware by now, but Tennessee transfer Tiyon Evans is the real deal. I was told that so far, he has been doing everything the right way, especially in the classroom. Keeping Evans focused and keeping is head in the right place was always going to be a big deal, and so far so good. On the field, he's a game-changer. Low-center of gravity, huge legs, but has home-run capabilities and can take it to the house on any given play.
- The name that just keeps coming up: Jawhar Jordan. I expect Jawhar Jordan to play a major role on this team, and I wouldn't be surprised if Evans-Jordan is the early rotation. With that said, Mitchell is very reliable, is great in pass prottection, but just doesn't have breakaway speed. Cooley is a huge threat in the passing game. All four will play. I also expect Jawhar Jordan to play a major role in the kick-return game.
WIDE RECEIVER:
- Tyler Hudson. I sound like a broken record, but everyone in the program expects him to be an early round NFL Draft pick. He's that good.
TIGHT END:
- Louisville believes they have the best tight end in the country in Marshon Ford. I would venture to say he will line up just about everywhere, which doesn't let defenses predict whether it's going to be a run or a pass.
OFFENSIVE LINE:
- The praise around this offensive line is abundant. Louisville loves what they have up front, and more than anything they think the experience of this group will be a massive benefit. I was told Michael Gonzalez and Luke Kandra are essentially starters and are making it hard for the staff to keep them off the field.
DEFENSIVE LINE:
- Diaby and Gillotte are both up to 280 pounds, and are MUCH bigger than they were a year ago. Jermayne Lole has come into his own the last several weeks, and he is as good as advertised. The staff still really likes Dez Tell at that spot as well.
LINEBACKERS:
- The duo of Monty and Momo has the defensive staff extremely excited. Monty is all the way back, and is poised to pick up right where he left off. The compliments about Momo are plentiful. His leadership is above all. He's only been here since January and the whole team respects him.
- Yasir Abdullah is better than he was last year, and he couldn't be blocked throughout fall camp. The staff feels like he will win any 1 on 1 matchup, but they expect at least a chip-block every time he's on the field.
SECONDARY:
- Jarvis Brownlee is an absolute dog. That's the way he was described to me. Quincy Riley is a ballhawk, and just finds ways to create turnovers. Major upgrades at corner.
- At safety, Kenderick Duncan, Josh Minkins, and Nicario Harper are getting the most buzz, but the staff feels like they have the versatility to play a number of guys in different spots, including Chandler Jones.
- As a whole, I would expect a lot tighter coverage, way more press coverage, and more pressure up front. Louisville has the DBs to do that now.
The vibes around the program are really high. I will put out my game by game predictions next week, but I am leaning towards a minimum of 8-4.
Enjoy.
I wanted to summarize some insights I've gathered from people around the program as we near kickoff.
RUNNING BACK:
- I'm sure everyone is aware by now, but Tennessee transfer Tiyon Evans is the real deal. I was told that so far, he has been doing everything the right way, especially in the classroom. Keeping Evans focused and keeping is head in the right place was always going to be a big deal, and so far so good. On the field, he's a game-changer. Low-center of gravity, huge legs, but has home-run capabilities and can take it to the house on any given play.
- The name that just keeps coming up: Jawhar Jordan. I expect Jawhar Jordan to play a major role on this team, and I wouldn't be surprised if Evans-Jordan is the early rotation. With that said, Mitchell is very reliable, is great in pass prottection, but just doesn't have breakaway speed. Cooley is a huge threat in the passing game. All four will play. I also expect Jawhar Jordan to play a major role in the kick-return game.
WIDE RECEIVER:
- Tyler Hudson. I sound like a broken record, but everyone in the program expects him to be an early round NFL Draft pick. He's that good.
TIGHT END:
- Louisville believes they have the best tight end in the country in Marshon Ford. I would venture to say he will line up just about everywhere, which doesn't let defenses predict whether it's going to be a run or a pass.
OFFENSIVE LINE:
- The praise around this offensive line is abundant. Louisville loves what they have up front, and more than anything they think the experience of this group will be a massive benefit. I was told Michael Gonzalez and Luke Kandra are essentially starters and are making it hard for the staff to keep them off the field.
DEFENSIVE LINE:
- Diaby and Gillotte are both up to 280 pounds, and are MUCH bigger than they were a year ago. Jermayne Lole has come into his own the last several weeks, and he is as good as advertised. The staff still really likes Dez Tell at that spot as well.
LINEBACKERS:
- The duo of Monty and Momo has the defensive staff extremely excited. Monty is all the way back, and is poised to pick up right where he left off. The compliments about Momo are plentiful. His leadership is above all. He's only been here since January and the whole team respects him.
- Yasir Abdullah is better than he was last year, and he couldn't be blocked throughout fall camp. The staff feels like he will win any 1 on 1 matchup, but they expect at least a chip-block every time he's on the field.
SECONDARY:
- Jarvis Brownlee is an absolute dog. That's the way he was described to me. Quincy Riley is a ballhawk, and just finds ways to create turnovers. Major upgrades at corner.
- At safety, Kenderick Duncan, Josh Minkins, and Nicario Harper are getting the most buzz, but the staff feels like they have the versatility to play a number of guys in different spots, including Chandler Jones.
- As a whole, I would expect a lot tighter coverage, way more press coverage, and more pressure up front. Louisville has the DBs to do that now.
The vibes around the program are really high. I will put out my game by game predictions next week, but I am leaning towards a minimum of 8-4.
Enjoy.
