Scott Satterfield and the Louisville football program could soon close the deal with another Georgia product. Who is it and how could he impact as a Card?
Louisville football picked up a win last weekend on the road against UCF, giving us a break from the “Sky is falling, all the recruits are going to decommit” talk. Ahead of Louisville’s matchup with Florida State, let’s take a look at a prospect the staff have had their eye on for a while now: three-star linebacker, Everett Roussaw.
The Cedar Grove, Georgia native was previously committed to Arkansas until June of this year. The Cards figure to be a frontrunner in his recruitment going forward, although he mentioned that Mississippi State and UConn have been recruiting him hard, according to On3. He also currently holds offers from Virginia Tech, UCF, Missouri, among others.
Check out previous editions of Target Thursday:
- Louisville football after another Bosco Brave?
- A flip brewing in South Florida for Louisville football?
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What the film says
Roussaw has a good size profile for the position at 6’2 and 215lb with plenty of room on his frame to add weight. He plays inside linebacker at Cedar Grove and it’s likely the position he fits most with the Cards as well. Roussaw is at his best when used as a blitzer and his ability to shoot gaps to make a big tackle for loss or pressure the quarterback is the calling card of his game.
Before transitioning to linebacker full time, he also spent time at defensive end, which is evident when watching him deconstruct blocks and get into the backfield. He has good instincts and diagnoses where plays are going quickly. The rising senior has shown the ability to read the eyes of the quarterback and make a play on the ball in zone coverage. On top of that, he’s showcased his value on special teams, as he blocked multiple punts during his junior season.
While Roussaw certainly has some exciting traits, he still has some work to do in becoming an every-down linebacker at the next level. As he transitioned from defensive end, he still has to develop his ability to work in space. Though he is excellent coming downhill, he will have to become less rigid in coverage and react faster to plays run outside of the box. He is a good athlete, but he does not possess elite speed or change of direction and will have to rely on instincts, effort, and technique to compensate. I look forward to seeing his development and comfort with the position during his senior season.
Keys to his recruitment:
In the Satterfield Era, Georgia has been home to the highest number of Cardinal commitments and signees with eighteen from 2020-2022 and three already committed for the class of ’23. Recruiting the peach state has been a priority for the staff and it has paid dividends.
Coach Derek Nicholson is one of the staff’s primary recruiters for Georgia and would also serve as his position coach should he choose Louisville. Roussaw’s relationship with Coach Nicholson will keep Louisville heavily in contention for his eventual commitment.
The biggest asset in recruiting Roussaw is not a coach on staff, but current #FlyVillle23 commit and Cedar Grove teammate, Adonijah Green. Green was the Card’s first commit in the class of ’23 and has undoubtedly been recruiting Roussaw to join him.
Cedar Grove has produced many high-caliber recruits in the school’s history and establishing a pipeline would likely serve the Cards well.
