The fax machines are recuperating, the flips have been made, and the dotted lines have been signed. The hoorah of National Signing Day has come and gone (at least for now) and for the Louisville football program, 21 of the 22 prospects committed have signed.
Recruiting is never easy, in fact it is one of the biggest challenges coaches face at their respective programs. A global pandemic in 2020 has led to an “unprecedented” recruiting cycle
Yet, somehow in his third go-round as the head coach of the Louisville football program, Scott Satterfield has landed a top 35 recruiting class. Rattling off 20-plus commitments over a three month span, the pandemic did little to slow down the momentum of the Cards. While not every name comes with the allure of a four or five star recruit, this class could easily go down as one of the best in program history.
Getting beefier in the trenches, protecting the back end of the field on defense with playmakers, and getting skill players who will push the offense even further in growth were all accomplished. In a year where the unexpected has become the expected, having no decommitments (on NSD), no flips, and no surprises may have been the biggest win.
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Yet it’s not. The biggest win for Satterfield and company was landing players capable of stepping in and making an impact right away. Whether that be in starting roles or complimentary positions, this crop of recruits have the skill and the fit to begin making plays from day one.
Who is the best suited to do that? That’s the question I think we all have now. So without further ado, here are the five players I see making the biggest impact as Cardinals in 2021.
Ben Perry – S/LB
The growth the secondary experienced in year two of the Bryan Brown coached defense has to encourage every Louisville football fan. Jumping from the 96th best pass defense in 2019 to the 19th best in 2020, the secondary proved capable of doing what Brown asked of them. Even with most not being recruited to play in his system.
With a promising crop of secondary players coming in, I expect those numbers to get even better and it starts with four-star safety Ben Perry. Choosing Louisville football over the likes of Notre Dame, Michigan State, Nebraska, Missouri, and Oregon, Perry has the star potential the defense is missing.
Whether it’s at linebacker (the outside CARD position) or at safety, Perry is the most likely in my eyes to be on the field as a starter come September of 2021. At 6’3, 190-pounds, Perry has the size, athleticism, speed, and overall talent needed to make huge plays in both the running game and passing game. He’ll also benefit greatly from enrolling in January and spending time in the weight room with Strength Coach Mike Sirignano
Now that Russ Yeast and Isaiah Hayes (presumably) are gone, Perry will most likely compete with Jack Fagot and Josh Minkins as well as other incoming freshmen for a starting spot at safety. What he’ll bring to the defense is something that’s been desperately needed; a weapon to protect the back of the field. He’s a big tackler who has great speed and is capable of pursuing ball carriers all over the field and also has the ball skills necessary to grab INTs.
Trevion Cooley – RB
Jalen Mitchell has been a great addition for Louisville football, but it’s clear that the coaching staff has yet to land their guy at the running back position. That is until now with four-star Trevion Cooley.
Cooley has a game similar to Javian Hawkins and fits the Scott Satterfield mold. He’s a very strong running back that combines great power with speed, giving him home run hitting ability. He’s a tackler breaker, who does a great job of finding open holes and exploding through them. And by no means does he shy away from contact.
Louisville football excels with the stretch running plays that are predicated on finding open holes, breaking tackles, and hitting another level of speed to breakaway. Cooley showed all of those things in his career at Knightdale High School.
Louisville got a gamer who is going to hands down be a star at the position. The question is whether or not it will happen sooner rather than later. Mitchell and Hall will be ahead of Cooley to start on the depth chart. Depending on whether he enrolls early and gets snaps in spring will likely play a role in his playing time as a freshman.
Starting from day one is a legit possibility but it is more than likely that he’ll play a key role as a change of pace running back.
Victoine Brown – DE
Louisville football needs help along the defensive line in a major way entering 2021 and it could be that they get that from their second commitment, Victoine Brown.
Though Satterfield will return key contributors like Yaya Diaby and Dayna Kinnaird, there’s a strong possibility that Brown could be in line for a big role from day one. There’s work to do in the weight room, but few players signed by Louisville recently have had the speed and raw ability of Brown. He’s a big guy at 6’4, 230-pounds who has extremely long arms and really nice bend. He’ll most definitely improve what was a mediocre pass-rush upfront.
The biggest issue for Louisville was finishing sacks this season. They only accumulated 22 total sacks on the season with just four of them coming from defensive lineman. That will be a big point of emphasis moving forward, which is why signing dynamic defensive ends was a priority in 2021.
There’s going to be a lot of young guys from the 2018, 2019, and now 2020 classes competing for snaps now that older players are gone. Diaby and Kinnaird are likely day one starters but the remaining roles will be up for grabs. Brown will have to live in the weight room (he won’t be enrolling early), be dedicated to learning the defense and show he can produce. Assuming he does those things at a high level, he has all of the skill needed to be an asset to the d line in 2021.
Ahmari Huggins-Bruce – WR
For the first time in a long time, there will be no proven commodites at the wide receiver position for Louisville football.
With all-time greats Tutu Atwell and Dez Fitzpatrick both leaving for the NFL, the Cards will turn to three-star’s Ahmari Huggins-Bruce and Demetrius Cannon to be the future.
Huggins-Bruce has the best chance to step into a starting or contributing role due to his speed that would replace what the Cards lost in Atwell. The ability to stretch the field with speedy receivers has made Louisville’s offense so successful over the past two seasons, as they’ve been near the top in explosive plays.
AHB is a dynamic slot receiver who shows great instincts and of course, possesses nice speed. Much like we’ve seen with Atwell, he’ll be a guy they utilize in a variety of ways. Whether it’s go routes, pop passes, or jet sweeps, Huggins-Bruce has the potential to score anytime he touches the football. Louisville will desperately need that next season as they work to get Malik Cunningham comfortable with a new crop of receivers.
There will be a ton of playing time available and Huggins-Bruce is a guy capable of winning a big role and suceeding early on in his career.
Vic Mullen – TE
Losing Ean Pfeifer is going to be tough for tight ends coach Stu Holt and the Louisville football program, probably tougher than many may expect. Acting like a sixth offensive lineman in the running and even passing game, Pfeifer has become one of the best blockers on the team and a big asset to the offense.
Replacing him won’t be easy but it could give Holt and company the chance to elevate the position. The ability to block will always come first with this Louisville staff but an opportunity exists to put someone in who can block and pass catch.
Enter Vic Mullen.
The 6’6, 255 pound tight end out of Ottowa, Illinois, will arrive at Louisville with the size necessary to compete right away. With time spent working under Coach Sirignano, I expect Mullen to be capable of winning a starting role. Here’s why.
Highlights can be deceiving at times, and maybe I’ve fallen victim here, but the blocking ability on the line of scrimmage immediately stands out. Mullen shows fierce blocking ability, mostly in the running game, and a willingness to put his body on the line each play. If you get in his way, or even near him, this dude is going to try and pancake you. While Pfeifer never got the credit he deserved, his blocking was a huge part of the success Louisville experienced with Hawkins in the run game. Mullen has the potential to do the same long-term.
There’s still room to grow as a receiver, especially with route running, but Mullen looks like a guy who has natural pass catching skills. His size makes him an attractive option next season as he presents a big down field target for the passing game. He moves well with the ball and while he won’t be a run after the catch specialist, he’s capable of wiggling free in the middle of the field. I expect him to be a nice red zone target as well for Cunningham.
Next season Louisville football will be young on offense so experience shouldn’t be an issue for Mullen. If he can get into college football shape and develop his blocking technique further, I’d expect him to be the starter from day one.
