Louisville football: Four sophomores on the verge of break out in 2019
Tutu Atwell – WR
2018 statistics: 24 receptions, 406 yards, 2 touchdowns
Tutu Atwell had a nice first year under Bobby Petrino’s offense, even considering the struggles the Cards offense faced throughout the 2018 season.
His speed and elusiveness were on full display when out on the field, but often times the staff used him in the exact opposite way of what you thought they would.
Being just 5’9″ 165 pounds, many expected Petrino to have Atwell be the safety valve for Jawon Pass and Malik Cunningham over the middle of the field, especially considering his speed and elusiveness.
However, more times than not, you saw Petrino draw up plays to send Atwell deep in one-on-one coverage, typically against a bigger receiver, only to see him struggle to go up and make a play on the ball.
With the way that Satterfield’s offense is predicated on running the football and then utilizing the middle of the field in play action, I expect to see Atwell’s numbers go through the roof in 2019. Heck, don’t be surprised to see the former quarterback to lineup there in wildcat or run, pass, option formations and maybe even receive some handoffs out of the backfield.
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Atwell is a special talent who will make a living with breaking off big plays and making something out of nothing, no matter who is at the quarterback spot in 2019. While Dez Fitzpatrick will without question be the number one receiver for the Cards, because of Atwell’s speed and ability to bust open big plays, don’t be shocked if he has similar or even better numbers than Fitzpatrick.