Louisville football: An underrated player at each position for the Cards

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LOUISVILLE, KY – OCTOBER 05: Malik Cunningham #3 of the Louisville Cardinals runs the ball in the first half of the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Cardinal Stadium on October 5, 2018 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Quarterback

Malik Cunningham

We begin with the quarterback, which is the toughest position to call anyone “underrated.” With that said, Louisville’s coaching staff is extremely high on Malik Cunningham regardless of if he wins the starting quarterback job.

In similar fashion to Lamar Jackson, Cunningham is a player that just has to be on the field every game for the Cards. Scott Satterfield praised Cunningham individually earlier this spring, telling 939 The Ville’s Mark Ennis,

"“Malik Cunningham has been one of the best athletes on our team. He’s incredible what he can do. I don’t want him standing on the sideline. He’s too good of a player. We’ll try to get him in the game wherever that may be.”"

The main criticism of Cunningham is his lack of arm strength. However, in 2018 Cunningham led the Cards in both completion percentage and rushing yards. With the ball in his hands, Cunningham is one of the most electric players on the Louisville football roster. Additionally, the coaching staff may find ways to incorporate Cunningham in the passing game regardless of if he starts or not.

In a run-heavy offense, Cunningham could thrive on quick play-action calls that don’t require him to take too many risks downfield.

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