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It was a hectic off-season that included a coaching change at the head spot for the University of Louisville football team. New coach Steve Kragthorpe and the Cardinals started their spring season on March 30 and haven’t looked back yet. The Cardinals return eight starters on the offensive side of the ball, but lost seven on defense. Kragthorpe has stressed that there is open competition for all positions except quarterback, making the spring especially important. Here is a look at some of the happenings of spring practices and scrimmages and what fans can expect to see at the spring game.
QuarterbacksLouisville has arguably the deepest and most talented quarterback group in the country. Senior-to-be Brian Brohm passed up a likely first round draft to try to bring a championship to U of L. Kragthorpe said that quarterback is the one uncontested position. Brohm has shown a good long ball in spring so far and a willingness to check to his second and third receivers. Behind Brohm is junior-to-be Hunter Cantwell who ESPN the magazine touted as the top back-up in the country last year. Cantwell gained experience in both his red-shirt freshman and sophomore seasons when Brohm suffered injuries. Red shirt freshman Tyler Wolfe, a scholarship player from Louisiana, has seen more snaps and may trump junior Bill Ashburn for the third spot.
The star – Brian BrohmThe sleeper – Tyler Wolfe
Running BacksThe Cards lose 2006 leading rusher Kolby Smith to graduation. While Smith carried a great deal of the load last year, other running backs began to emerge. Anthony Allen, who burst onto the scene scoring 14 touchdowns in his freshman campaign, is seeing the bulk of the carries. Allen has been utilized as a receiver recently, showing the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.Splitting carries with Allen will be junior Brock Bolen. The University of Illinois transfer showed bursts of brilliance last year, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. He thinned down in the off-season and has shown the speed to get to the outside. With a quick start he could become the backfield starter and make Allen a goal line reserve. Junior-to-be George Stripling was Louisville’s second leading rusher last year, but has been hampered by injuries recently. Stripling’s misfortune has opened the door for Louisville Male product, junior Sergio Spencer. Spencer has seen the ball a lot more in practice and scored two touchdowns in the first intersquad scrimmage.
The Star – Anthony AllenThe Sleeper – Sergio Spencer
Wide ReceiversLouisville is home to one of the fastest and most talented wide receiving cores in the country. Four receivers, senior Harry Douglass, senior Patrick Carter, sophomore JaJuan Spillman and junior Scott Long ran under a 4.4 forty in spring drills. Douglass, who had 1,265 receiving yards last year, had the fastest average time at 4.34. He has been unguardable at spring practice, torching the secondary on nearly every route. On top of speed, the Cardinal receivers also have height. Junior Mario Urrutia, who averaged 16.4 yards per catch last year, stands at 6-foot-6. Junior Chris Vaughn, who transferred from Notre Dame, stands at 6-foot-3 with blazing speed. Junior college transfer, Josh Chichester stands at 6-foot-8. Chichester was useful in the red zone during junior college and continues to do so in spring practice for U of L. Carter, who played alongside Calvin Johnson at Georgia Tech before transferring to U of L, stands at 6-foot-3. The fact of the matter is the Cardinals have seven different players who could be the number one receiver for a D-I team.
The star – Harry DouglassThe sleeper – Josh Chichester
Tight EndsKragthorpe has shown a willingness to utilize the tight end position. In 2005, the University of Tulsa tight end Garrett Mills set an NCAA record for tight ends with 1,235 receiving yards. The Cardinals have a talented bunch of tight ends, headed by senior Gary Barnidge. He was the Cards third leading receiver last year and has unique speed and catching ability at the position. He still needs to work on his blocking, but he has been seeing the ball a lot in the spring, and has taken on a leadership role.Senior Scott Kuhn, who only tallied seven receptions last year, looks to see the ball more. Kuhn grabbed a 35-yard touchdown at the intersquad scrimmage. Transfer Sam Gardner and freshman Zach Meagher will also see time on the field. Meagher was scheduled to come to Louisville last year but was delayed due to a lingering injury.
The star – Gary BarnidgeThe sleeper – Zach Meagher Offensive LineThe Cardinals have some holes to fill at the offensive line after losing first team All Big East linemen Kurt Quarterman and Renardo Foster to graduation. Two of the players have been showing an intense passion to fill the void. Junior Eric Wood and senior Danny Barlowe have, on numerous occasions, stayed after practice to work with new offensive line coach Brent Myers. The undersized junior George Bussey started out spring practice slow, but shows signs of improvement. Junior Breno Giacomini, a converted tight end, plays the game with a lot of emotion and has been very vocal on the field the first few weeks of practice. Two young linemen fighting for starting spots are red shirt freshman Jeff Adams and sophomore Mike Donoghue. Donoghue, in particular, has received a lot of praise from coaches, and it appears there is no way he will stay off the field.
The star – Eric WoodThe sleeper – Mike Donoghue
Defensive LineLouisville will look to fill the void left by graduates Amobi Okoye and Zach Anderson with a group of very young and talented linemen. The most impressive so far has been junior Adrian Grady. Grady, a defensive tackle, plays with a killer instinct and has been mentoring some of the younger players. Sophomore defensive end Peanut Whitehead has been unstoppable at times during practice. He appears poised to be a pain to quarterbacks all over the country. Opposite of Whitehead will likely be senior Brandon Cox. Cox is very quick off the end and is soling on the run as well as the pass rush. Filling up the other defensive tackle spot will be junior Earl Heyman. Heyman saw increased playing time as the season went on last year and is ready for a full-time starting role.
The star – Adrian GradyThe sleeper – L.T. Walker
LinebackersThe linebackers lost senior leader Abe Brown and Nate Harris to graduation, but return second team All Big East performer Malik Jackson. Jackson came into spring practice in the best shape of his life and has taken on a leadership role as a senior. He will likely play in the middle as a ball hawk.The linebacker who has shown the most improvement is junior Lamar Myles. He ran a 4.43 average in spring drills and appears to be a lock for one of the starting outside linebacker spots. The other likely starter is senior Preston Smith, who rotated in on a regular basis last season.
The star – Malik JacksonThe sleeper – Eugene Sowell
D-SecondarySophomore Latarrius Thomas easily made the switch from wide receiver to safety last season. This year it appears he is ready to make the transition from a good to a great safety. Thomas will be joined by senior safety Jon Russell. Russell put on a great deal of muscle in the off-season and has the size to be the big hitting safety that makes wide receivers afraid to go across the middle.The cornerbacks got torched in one-on-one coverage early on in the spring, but have slowly caught up to the skill and speed of the wide receivers. Senior Rod Council is the leader of the secondary and will be put on the opposing teams’ number one receiver. Juniors Lamar Alston, Bobby Buchanan and Travis Norton have seen a lot of time in coverage packages this spring.The star – Rod CouncilThe sleeper – Brandon Heath
Special TeamsThe Cardinals boast one of the most proven returning special teams in the country. Senior kicker Art Carmody brought in the Lou Groza award last season and looks to make ground on Louisville and NCAA records all season. He is one of the most accurate kickers in the nation and can hit from up to 50 yards. The punting duties have been split between senior Todd Flannery and sophomore Cory Goettsche. Goettsche took over the reigns late last year and appears to have a slight advantage.Spillman solidified himself as one of the most dangerous kick returners in the nation last year. The 5-10 sophomore who posted a 4.36 in the 40-yard dash ran back a punt for a touchdown to help lead the Cardinals to an Orange Bowl victory. Also returning kicks are Carter and sophomore Trent Guy. Both men are currently running track at U of L.
The star – Art CarmodyThe sleeper – Patrick Carter
Expect to see a great deal of offense at the spring game, especially through the air. Kragthorpe has shown a willingness to air it out in practices and scrimmages to date. The defense has a lot of holes to fill after losing seven starters. They are a very talented group that is gaining the experience of going against one of the best offenses in the country every day.
