Louisville football: One player to watch at every position during spring

DL

Jarrett Jackson – Sophomore

Physically, there may not be a more impressive player on the Louisville football roster than Jarrett Jackson. Last season as a freshman Jackson was expected to get playing time right away due to his college ready build, but after the injury to Jon Greenard in the Alabama game, Jackson was forced into a semi-starting role for the Cards defense.

More from Louisville Football

• Boston College vs. Louisville Prediction, Odds, Trends and Key Players for College Football Week 4
• How to Get $615 in Kentucky Pre-Registration Bonuses with DraftKings + Bet365 Promos!
• Kentucky Sign-Up Promo: Win up to $415 in Bet365 Bonuses on Launch Day!
• How Louisville Fans Can Claim up to $415 in Bonuses with Bet365 Sign-Up Promo!
• FanDuel Kentucky Sign-Up Promo: Get $100 Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket GUARANTEED!

Like any freshman, Jackson struggled to get things going in the Brian VanGorder defense (if that’s what you want to call it) but as the season went on he began to look like he could be a solid starter as a sophomore and beyond, even registering the first sack by true freshman since 2014.

Now under co-defensive coordinators, Bryan Brown & Cort Dennison, Jackson will likely be tasked with starting in either the NT or DE role for the Cards in 2019. Jackson has the size and power to be able to play the NT position for Satterfield, coming in at 6’6, 285, but also has the speed and athleticism to play at either of the defensive end positions.

It’ll be interesting to see how the defensive line rounds into shape with not much experience present on the current roster. But competition throughout spring practice should help the coaching staff get a better idea of what they’ll need to do in the summer and fall to improve upon the 2018 season, in which the Louisville defense finished dead last in the ACC in total sacks.

Whatever happens, expect Jarrett Jackson to be one of the starters come September 1st.

LB

Yassir Abdullah – Sophomore

There’s not a player on the Louisville defense I am more excited to watch develop under Scott Satterfield than Yassir Abdullah, who I declared last season would be a star at Louisville.

The thing that I believe makes Yassir Abdullah so special and the perfect fit for the new defense is his speed. Whether it’s chasing down running backs from the opposite of the field, getting into the backfield, covering a tight end or running back in space, or even making big plays on special teams, Abdullah has a special ability to do it all; a trait that Scott Satterfield & company will no doubt get the best out of in 2019 and beyond.

As you might imagine (probably sensing a theme here) Abdullah is another guy that the previous staff under utilized in 2018, amidst all of their problems of tackling and pursuing the ball. The freshman linebacker had just 8 total tackles (3 solo) and 1 pass deflection in 12 games. It seemed at one point that staff was going to use a redshirt on Abdullah, with the new 4 game rule in tact, but for some reason they continued to put him out in games for 1-2 snaps at a time – essentially wasting a season of eligibility (IMO).

During spring ball we’ll likely get a better understanding of how Brown & Dennison will use Abdullah during the 2019 season. Abdullah is a bit undersized at 6’1, 218 pounds to play in inside and while he fits the size mold of last year’s OLB at App State (212 & 208 pounds) he doesn’t necessarily have the skills (yet) to rush the passer at a high level. However, I still believe Abdullah will be top 5 breakout player for Louisville in 2019.

DB

Russ Yeast – Junior

After headlining the class of 2017 and putting together a solid showing as a true freshman (23 tackles, 2 pass deflections, 10 punts returned) Russ Yeast looked prime to be a breakout player in the Cardinals secondary in 2018.

But – much like the rest of the players on this list, the sophomore corner/safety was under utilized and put into situations where success was limited. After 9 games, Yeast had-had enough and announced his intent to transfer, but leaving the option to return should Bobby Petrino be fired after the season.

We know how the story went, Petrino was fired a week later and Yeast eventually returned to the program and now is preparing for his junior season this spring. The junior corner is without a doubt one of the most talented players in the secondary for Louisville and with the expertise of Bryan Brown, Yeast could be a huge breakout performer in 2019.

Yeast will have competition though, which is why he’s so intriguing to me this spring, as he’ll face Anthony Johnson, Chandler Jones, Marlon Character, Rodjay Burns, and PJ Mbanasor for reps at corner. Speed and athleticism should set Yeast apart from the other corners, and in my opinion makes him a sure fire starter come September.

There are a lot of reasons for optimism this spring and I expect the energy and new culture in the Louisville football program to only build excitement amongst fans as we get closer to the opening game in September.

We’ve named just a few players to watch this spring, but in all honesty this new coaching staff has inherited a team with a lot of talent that was never put in the right places/positions to succeed. With attention to detail, solid fundamental coaching/teaching, and a new found joy for football – I expect a big turnaround season this year for Louisville football.

As always, Go Cards!