Louisville football: Five offensive players with the most to prove

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CHAPEL HILL, NC – SEPTEMBER 09: Dez Fitzpatrick #87 of the Louisville Cardinals celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the game at Kenan Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Louisville won 47-35. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

Dez Fitzpatrick – WR

When you talk about players with a chip on their shoulders going into this season, it has to start with Louisville football star Dez Fitzpatrick.

After a breakout redshirt freshman season for the Cards, there was a lot of talk about Fitzpatrick heading to the NFL after the 2018 season. However, as fate would have it, the Cards had a ton of issues on the offensive line and with quarterback play throughout the year, and Fitzpatrick was never truly given the opportunity to excel last season.

In a Lamar Jackson high-powered offense in 2017, Fitzpatrick recorded 45 receptions for 699 yards and 9 touchdowns. When you average over 15 yards per catch, and 20 percent of your receptions are touchdowns, you are going to get a ton of hype in the offseason.

But in 2018, Fitzpatrick was limited to just 31 receptions for 422 yards and three scores. A sharp decline from the previous season.

Of course, there’s horrifying coaching and an overall regression of Louisville’s offense to blame. Still, Fitzpatrick failed to make some of the plays last season that he did during his first season. He struggled to get separation, and his timing with quarterbacks Jawon Pass and Malik Cunningham was seemingly off.

Entering 2019, it’s a chance for a fresh start for Fitzpatrick, who will be heavily relied upon as a veteran leader of a talented wide receiver unit. The Cards need him to be a play-maker in his redshirt junior season.

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