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Louisville Football: 3-Star Offensive Lineman DeShawn Richardson Commits to Cards

By Presley Meyer

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 10: Head coach Bobby Petrino of the Louisville Cardinals addresses the media after Lamar Jackson was named the 82nd Heisman Memorial Trophy Award winner during the 2016 Heisman Trophy Presentation at the Marriott Marquis on December 10, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 10: Head coach Bobby Petrino of the Louisville Cardinals addresses the media after Lamar Jackson was named the 82nd Heisman Memorial Trophy Award winner during the 2016 Heisman Trophy Presentation at the Marriott Marquis on December 10, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Louisville football filled another position of need on Sunday when Florida offensive lineman Deshawn Richardson pledged to the Cards.

Louisville football has been patient with the 2019 recruiting class. At the end of the season, the Cards will lose 13 players to seniority and out of those leaving, only a handful will have a serious impact on the 2018 season.

With that in mind, Bobby Petrino and staff will likely fill this smaller class strategically.

That is exactly what they are doing with the offensive line for the 2019 class. Louisville loses Lukayas McNeil- who is a lock to start this season- as well as key reserves Kenny Thomas, Linwood Foy, and Toriano Roundtree.

Incoming will be Jamari Williams, who projects to compete for a starting position in the next couple of years, and in-state guard Jack Randolph.

On Sunday, the Cards landed their third offensive lineman in guard Deshawn Richardson.

https://twitter.com/Deshawn305/status/1013535359219720192

Richardson is not a guy who was on most people’s radar. Louisville is the only DI program that had offered him to date, when he and three of his Pahokee High School teammates received offers from Bobby Petrino and staff in January.

Standing at 6’4,” 290, he certainly has the size and frame to grow into a consistent high-level offensive lineman.

Many people will question the staff’s decision to offer Richardson when he doesn’t have any other offers, but this is a story we have seen from Petrino teams before. It is rare that coach Petrino even goes after highly sought-after offensive linemen, opting to find raw talents with solid frames and athleticism, and mold them into players who can have meaningful careers in college and beyond.

Take Eric Wood for example. Wood was a 2-star recruit in 2004 that ended up being one of the best offensive linemen in school history. He went on to have a stellar NFL career, starting for the Buffalo Bills at center for 10 seasons. More recently, Geron Christian came to Louisville as a 3-star player with not many serious offers. He went on to start almost immediately for the Cards, and was drafted by the Redskins this spring after only 3 seasons in college.

Richardson stands out on film. Not just his sheer size for a 17-year-old, but his quickness and strength to create holes on the line. He is still raw fundamentally, but shows he has the ability to get it done on the next level.

Don’t overlook Bobby Petrino and offensive line coach Mike Summers’s ability to find players with tremendous potential.

Richardson should be no different. If history is any indicator, Louisville is doing an excellent job shoring up the offensive line for years to come.

Next: Which Grad Transfer Will Impact Louisville the Most in 2018?

Check out Richardson’s Junior highlights here:

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7585476/5a29b108e97a4308b8fe9cec

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