By Andrew Krumme
As the Cardinals come off of a dream season and prepare to enter the Big East conference, Coach Bobby Petrino and his staff are locking down a very impressive recruiting class for the upcoming year. Petrino has proven that not only is he dedicated to coaching at U of L, but he can also recruit top-notch players.
Ballard High School’s Earl Hymen will most likely join the starting defensive rotation. The Louisville native is a stout 6’4" and 260 pounds with a sub-5.40 time and will likely work well with returning players Elvis Dumervil, Amobi Okoye and Montavious Stanley. Hymen shot up in the recruiting ranks late in the season after giving several impressive performances on the field, and is ranked among the top 20 defensive linemen in the country.
Tight end Careg Bonner, who has been ranked as high as 13th in the nation at his position, is another interesting youngster slated to join the Cards next season. With the absence of Rhonnie Ghent next year who leaves Louisville with a legacy of several terrific performances, Bonner is expected to pick up where his predecessor leaves off.
Bonner will bring a unique presence of size, speed and athleticism to the position for the Cards. He is an imposing target at 6’3" and has good speed and a freakish ability to jump with a nearly 40-inch vertical. If he lives up to the hype surrounding him, he will give Brian Brohm a nice target in the middle of the field, taking pressure off of what will be a depleted wide receiver corps, considering the loss of J.R. Russell, Joshua Tinch and Tiger Jones.
While the addition of Bonner will help compensate for losing several of last year’s receivers, newcomer Craig James should also make a sizable impact. James stands at only 5’10", but he makes up for it with his blazing speed. He has been clocked at a startling 4.30 seconds in the 40-yard dash and will definitely play a key role in Petrino’s offense. While his speed is his best asset, his versatility will also come in handy for the Cardinals. James played numerous positions as a star at Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, Fla., where he showed versitility as a receiver, running back, corner and kick-returner.
Several other Louisville recruits are also expected to bolster next year’s squad. Linebacker/safety Nate Harris is an interesting player. He was originally recruited by Miami, Fla. after high school but eligibility issues forced him to play at Dodge City Community College for two years. He was ranked among the top 70 overall high school senior players and is currently rated as the number two linebacker among junior college players. With the losses of Kerry Rhodes and Robert McCune, Harris will most likely find a place in the starting lineup for defensive coordinator.
New Jersey native Darius Mann is expected to play a lot of defense for the Cards. He turned down Alabama, Iowa, Wisconsin and Notre Dame to play for Petrino. He was ranked in the top 50 among safety prospects, and led his team to a top-5 national ranking and state championship appearance.
Brian Roche shows a bit more promise than his fellow statesman, Mann. In what was probably the Cards’ biggest acquisition from the 2005 class, Roche was snagged from the north as he snubbed east coast powerhouse football programs such as Florida, Notre Dame and NC State to come to U of L. Listed at 6’5" and 285 pounds, he is more athletic than traditional offensive linemen.
With four seniors on the offensive line next year, Roche, recruit Marcel Benson and Renardo Foster, who is returning from a knee injury, will be entrusted to protect quarterback Brian Brohm.
Altogether, the class of 2005 is expected to have about 25 new recruits, hailing from New Jersey, Florida and several points in between. This will be a pivotal year for the Cards as they enter Big East play and a chance for an automatic birth into the BCS system.
With the new and returning talent and a strong preseason ranking, the Cardinals have a team assembled that could be strong enough to bring home a national championship.
