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And here are my extra comments on each position. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have below!
The Skinny on UofL QB Targets
As of now Louisville will likely only return Jawon Pass and Malik Cunningham for the 2018 season. With 3-star QB Jordan Travis committed, I still feel as though the Cards would really like to add another in the class. That is where 3-star dual threat QB Gerry Bohanon comes in. The Louisville staff thinks very highly of Bohanon and have recruited him as such. In fact, during the Light up the Ville event, Bohanon received plenty of 1 on 1 time with Bobby Petrino as well as multiple assistants. At this point schools such as Baylor and Ole Miss appear to be some of the top competition for his services but there are some question marks in his recruitment. Recently I had been hearing that Louisville's chances to land Bohanon were improving and even he himself said that he felt better and better about Louisville every time he visited. While that doesn't sound like much of a problem the sense I get is that other schools are backing off recruiting him to a certain extent which is causing his increased interest in Louisville. If this is truly the case there would have to be some sort of reason. We need to watch his recruitment closely because there are indications that Louisville can land Bohanon, although we will do so at a safe distance as who knows what will happen at this point.
The Skinny on UofL RB Targets
One of the more talked about positions in the 2018 recruiting class, Louisville has a VERY underrated prospect committed in 2-star Javian Hawkins. Just recently JUCO RB Greg Bell backed out of his short-lived commitment to Louisville which came as little surprise to those I spoke with about him on Louisville's end.
One running back I would definitely keep an eye on is Hassan Hall who recently backed out of a Syracuse commitment. Hall was apparently leaning heavily toward Louisville before his change of heart and decision to commit to the Orange. I spoke with one source recently regarding Hall and it appears the Cards are still in good shape, in fact great shape. At this point, though, I don't believe Hall is a take for Louisville. Interesting, right?
From there our focus would turn to James Cook. Most know at this point that Georgia is the leader, at least publicly. Other legitimate options appear to be schools like Florida St., Baylor, and Louisville. Out of those 3, I feel Louisville is definitely the dark horse. As I've stated before, I like Louisville's position with this one. That doesn't mean I think they will land him but I do feel they have a great shot at it.
From my talks with those around the program it appears Louisville has a couple (2) running backs that they feel VERY good amount besides Hawkins, although their names were never mentioned. Is Cook one of those? How about someone like Kristian Pechac or Andrew Cunningham? What about someone under the radar like Ty Thompson? Honestly, I'm not sure at this point but when they keep things close to the vest it's for good reason.
The Skinny on UofL WR Targets
The commitment of 4-star WR Manny Allen changed the landscape of WR recruiting for Louisville, now the goal will be attempting to hold onto him. While I haven't heard anything indicating he is considering decommitting, his previous recruitment indicates that a decommitment would not be surprising. Besides Allen the Cards have 2-star athlete Tutu Atwell and 4-star athlete Marcus Riley committed which means if Louisville does take another receiver it would likely have to be a game changer.
Speaking of game changer, Joseph Scates is just that. I've mentioned his name before but recently Louisville has really made some major advances in his recruitment. So much so, in fact, that the Cards are now 50/50 with Alabama according to Scates himself. At this point he would almost certainly be the top target. The only other WR's I would seriously watch at this point would be Tyler Harrell, Dominick Watt and Jatavious Harris. Specifically, Harrell seems to be an interesting one because the Louisville staff really like his speed and from what I've heard the Cards feel they are in a good position to land him. Both Watt and Harris are unknowns at this point, not because of their lack of interest, but because their recruitment still seems to be wide open.
At one point I believed CJ Bolar was going to join the Louisville recruiting class and was under the impression that when he visited Louisville a couple weeks ago he would publicly announce his commitment. But that didn't happen, and he has laid low since the visit. Likely, Louisville did not end up accepting his commitment which I believe would have to do with Allen & Scates more than anything.
The Skinny on UofL TE Targets
This position is the most difficult to assess at this point, most likely because Louisville is still in the process of assessing prospects. At one point I thought that Tyneil Hopper was a top target for the Cards but with little buzz around his recruitment I don’t think that is the case anymore. Jacob Kainer, who was offered at a camp this summer, has not heard much from Louisville either. So who is left? Kory Taylor (kind of), Leonard Taylor, and guys we have not yet learned the names of…
Kory Taylor is an interesting prospect (in a good way). At 6’5” 200lbs he figures to be a large WR or an athletic TE. I’ve said it before but Louisville envisioned Taylor as a Cole Hikutini type tight end. Oh, did I mention he has 4.4 speed? Regardless, Taylor’s preference is to play wide receiver at the college level, at least initially as he doesn’t want to bulk up and lose the speed. Louisville has told him that they still want him just as much and will take him at WR but I placed him with the tight end group because I believe he would eventually move over to that position.
As far as Leonard Taylor is concerned, the 4-star TE is expected to visit Louisville this weekend unofficially and may end up getting an official visit. Right now I think the Cardinals are on the outside looking in but are close enough to become a factor in his recruitment if the visit goes well.
Besides those names I don’t have much else to offer, unfortunately. Louisville loses Charles Standberry following the 2017 season and with Micky Crum’s inconsistencies I would think Louisville chooses to take 2 at this position. In fact, given Crum’s ups and downs as well as Averett’s inexperience, it would make sense for Louisville to take a JUCO TE. Could someone like Texas commit Dominick Anderson still be an option for Louisville? We’ll just have to wait and see.
The Skinny on UofL OL Targets
Louisville is mostly done at the offensive line position with the recent commitments of Adonis Boone and Tyler Steen. If NSD came and went with only two guys committed I think the Cards would be alright with that, but would still gladly welcome Tank Jenkins as a third OL commit with open arms. The question at this point is whether he is still much of an option. Louisville was in GREAT position to land the 4-star and he told me he expected to make a decision in a few weeks (that was over a month ago). He visited Louisville following Light up the Ville. He visited Louisville for the Clemson game. It’s my understanding he was encouraged several times to commit but wanted to hold off. I think for this reason Louisville has in a sense moved on from him, not worrying whether he commits or not, because they do feel comfortable with the two they have. That being said, if Jenkins does want to go to Louisville I’m almost positive they would find a spot for him to make that happen. Yes, I still have my prediction for Jenkins with the Cards and will keep it as such because I feel the relationships he and the assistant coaches have are very strong although if smoke starts emerging that he is interested in another school specifically, my prediction would probably change fairly quickly.
The Skinny on UofL DL Targets
UofL has a very impressive defensive line class committed as it stands right now with at least several (Boykin, Goldwire, and Thompson) being able to enroll early. At this point I think the staff is happy with the number of guys committed as well as the talent of those committed, although if the right prospect came along it wouldn’t surprise me to see them take 1 more defensive lineman.
While his name has been mentioned for quite a while now, I am still seriously watching Tennessee commit Dorian Gerald. I know that Louisville really likes his ability and given that he is a JUCO player, he would also be able to provide an immediate impact. Most have heard and realize that Tennessee’s coaching situation looks unstable at best, so especially if something happens look for Louisville to make a run at the 3-star DL. In fact, even if no coaching change is made I still would be watching this closely.
The Skinny on UofL LB Targets
Linebacker is one of the most straightforward and known units as it relates to the Louisville 2018 recruiting class. The staff is very happy with who they have committed and the only major target remaining is Nikolas Bonitto. For those wondering what his status currently is, one source told me recently Bonitto will assuredly end up at Louisville despite a major push from schools such as Texas and Oklahoma. Pretty safe to assume UofL ends up with Hicks, Abdullah, Geathers, and Bonitto at this point.
Cont...
And here are my extra comments on each position. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have below!
The Skinny on UofL QB Targets
As of now Louisville will likely only return Jawon Pass and Malik Cunningham for the 2018 season. With 3-star QB Jordan Travis committed, I still feel as though the Cards would really like to add another in the class. That is where 3-star dual threat QB Gerry Bohanon comes in. The Louisville staff thinks very highly of Bohanon and have recruited him as such. In fact, during the Light up the Ville event, Bohanon received plenty of 1 on 1 time with Bobby Petrino as well as multiple assistants. At this point schools such as Baylor and Ole Miss appear to be some of the top competition for his services but there are some question marks in his recruitment. Recently I had been hearing that Louisville's chances to land Bohanon were improving and even he himself said that he felt better and better about Louisville every time he visited. While that doesn't sound like much of a problem the sense I get is that other schools are backing off recruiting him to a certain extent which is causing his increased interest in Louisville. If this is truly the case there would have to be some sort of reason. We need to watch his recruitment closely because there are indications that Louisville can land Bohanon, although we will do so at a safe distance as who knows what will happen at this point.
The Skinny on UofL RB Targets
One of the more talked about positions in the 2018 recruiting class, Louisville has a VERY underrated prospect committed in 2-star Javian Hawkins. Just recently JUCO RB Greg Bell backed out of his short-lived commitment to Louisville which came as little surprise to those I spoke with about him on Louisville's end.
One running back I would definitely keep an eye on is Hassan Hall who recently backed out of a Syracuse commitment. Hall was apparently leaning heavily toward Louisville before his change of heart and decision to commit to the Orange. I spoke with one source recently regarding Hall and it appears the Cards are still in good shape, in fact great shape. At this point, though, I don't believe Hall is a take for Louisville. Interesting, right?
From there our focus would turn to James Cook. Most know at this point that Georgia is the leader, at least publicly. Other legitimate options appear to be schools like Florida St., Baylor, and Louisville. Out of those 3, I feel Louisville is definitely the dark horse. As I've stated before, I like Louisville's position with this one. That doesn't mean I think they will land him but I do feel they have a great shot at it.
From my talks with those around the program it appears Louisville has a couple (2) running backs that they feel VERY good amount besides Hawkins, although their names were never mentioned. Is Cook one of those? How about someone like Kristian Pechac or Andrew Cunningham? What about someone under the radar like Ty Thompson? Honestly, I'm not sure at this point but when they keep things close to the vest it's for good reason.
The Skinny on UofL WR Targets
The commitment of 4-star WR Manny Allen changed the landscape of WR recruiting for Louisville, now the goal will be attempting to hold onto him. While I haven't heard anything indicating he is considering decommitting, his previous recruitment indicates that a decommitment would not be surprising. Besides Allen the Cards have 2-star athlete Tutu Atwell and 4-star athlete Marcus Riley committed which means if Louisville does take another receiver it would likely have to be a game changer.
Speaking of game changer, Joseph Scates is just that. I've mentioned his name before but recently Louisville has really made some major advances in his recruitment. So much so, in fact, that the Cards are now 50/50 with Alabama according to Scates himself. At this point he would almost certainly be the top target. The only other WR's I would seriously watch at this point would be Tyler Harrell, Dominick Watt and Jatavious Harris. Specifically, Harrell seems to be an interesting one because the Louisville staff really like his speed and from what I've heard the Cards feel they are in a good position to land him. Both Watt and Harris are unknowns at this point, not because of their lack of interest, but because their recruitment still seems to be wide open.
At one point I believed CJ Bolar was going to join the Louisville recruiting class and was under the impression that when he visited Louisville a couple weeks ago he would publicly announce his commitment. But that didn't happen, and he has laid low since the visit. Likely, Louisville did not end up accepting his commitment which I believe would have to do with Allen & Scates more than anything.
The Skinny on UofL TE Targets
This position is the most difficult to assess at this point, most likely because Louisville is still in the process of assessing prospects. At one point I thought that Tyneil Hopper was a top target for the Cards but with little buzz around his recruitment I don’t think that is the case anymore. Jacob Kainer, who was offered at a camp this summer, has not heard much from Louisville either. So who is left? Kory Taylor (kind of), Leonard Taylor, and guys we have not yet learned the names of…
Kory Taylor is an interesting prospect (in a good way). At 6’5” 200lbs he figures to be a large WR or an athletic TE. I’ve said it before but Louisville envisioned Taylor as a Cole Hikutini type tight end. Oh, did I mention he has 4.4 speed? Regardless, Taylor’s preference is to play wide receiver at the college level, at least initially as he doesn’t want to bulk up and lose the speed. Louisville has told him that they still want him just as much and will take him at WR but I placed him with the tight end group because I believe he would eventually move over to that position.
As far as Leonard Taylor is concerned, the 4-star TE is expected to visit Louisville this weekend unofficially and may end up getting an official visit. Right now I think the Cardinals are on the outside looking in but are close enough to become a factor in his recruitment if the visit goes well.
Besides those names I don’t have much else to offer, unfortunately. Louisville loses Charles Standberry following the 2017 season and with Micky Crum’s inconsistencies I would think Louisville chooses to take 2 at this position. In fact, given Crum’s ups and downs as well as Averett’s inexperience, it would make sense for Louisville to take a JUCO TE. Could someone like Texas commit Dominick Anderson still be an option for Louisville? We’ll just have to wait and see.
The Skinny on UofL OL Targets
Louisville is mostly done at the offensive line position with the recent commitments of Adonis Boone and Tyler Steen. If NSD came and went with only two guys committed I think the Cards would be alright with that, but would still gladly welcome Tank Jenkins as a third OL commit with open arms. The question at this point is whether he is still much of an option. Louisville was in GREAT position to land the 4-star and he told me he expected to make a decision in a few weeks (that was over a month ago). He visited Louisville following Light up the Ville. He visited Louisville for the Clemson game. It’s my understanding he was encouraged several times to commit but wanted to hold off. I think for this reason Louisville has in a sense moved on from him, not worrying whether he commits or not, because they do feel comfortable with the two they have. That being said, if Jenkins does want to go to Louisville I’m almost positive they would find a spot for him to make that happen. Yes, I still have my prediction for Jenkins with the Cards and will keep it as such because I feel the relationships he and the assistant coaches have are very strong although if smoke starts emerging that he is interested in another school specifically, my prediction would probably change fairly quickly.
The Skinny on UofL DL Targets
UofL has a very impressive defensive line class committed as it stands right now with at least several (Boykin, Goldwire, and Thompson) being able to enroll early. At this point I think the staff is happy with the number of guys committed as well as the talent of those committed, although if the right prospect came along it wouldn’t surprise me to see them take 1 more defensive lineman.
While his name has been mentioned for quite a while now, I am still seriously watching Tennessee commit Dorian Gerald. I know that Louisville really likes his ability and given that he is a JUCO player, he would also be able to provide an immediate impact. Most have heard and realize that Tennessee’s coaching situation looks unstable at best, so especially if something happens look for Louisville to make a run at the 3-star DL. In fact, even if no coaching change is made I still would be watching this closely.
The Skinny on UofL LB Targets
Linebacker is one of the most straightforward and known units as it relates to the Louisville 2018 recruiting class. The staff is very happy with who they have committed and the only major target remaining is Nikolas Bonitto. For those wondering what his status currently is, one source told me recently Bonitto will assuredly end up at Louisville despite a major push from schools such as Texas and Oklahoma. Pretty safe to assume UofL ends up with Hicks, Abdullah, Geathers, and Bonitto at this point.
Cont...
