Louisville football: How tight ends could be game-changers for the Cards

Louisville football lost a lot of firepower at tight end in the offseason, but Scott Satterfield’s system could help the Cards get their big pass catchers involved.

When he arrived on campus, one of the first comments new Louisville football head coach Scott Satterfield made about the roster he inherited was the lack of balance.

There were a plethora of skill position players- more than the new staff really knew what to do with- and a real lack of depth in the trenches. The Cards had only eight scholarship offensive linemen, two scholarship quarterbacks, and, perhaps most notably, one scholarship tight end.

It obviously wasn’t purposely constructed in this manner. In 2016 and 2017, the Cards were loaded at tight end. Stand out Cole Hikutini was instrumental in Lamar Jackson’s Heisman year, and directly following his graduation Charles Stanberry, Micky Crum, transfer Jordan Davis, and upcoming stud Kamari Averrett were waiting in the wings.

Two years later, Standberry and Crum are gone due to graduation, and after some unsettling allegations, Averett- one of the team’s most promising young players- was dismissed from the team.

The Cards were left with only one scholarship tight end in the Texas A&M transfer Davis, who caught a short touchdown pass in the first game of his first season with the Cards but has rarely had his name called since.

That’s a huge concern for Satterfield and new offensive coordinator Dwayne Ledford, who have utilized tight ends heavily in the past, sometimes putting two on the field at once.

Thankfully, help is on the way. The Cards had a handfull of walk-ons on the roster, one of whom- local product Marshon Ford- has earned a scholarship in the offseason. Louisville will also bring in athletic Dez Melton and hybrid offensive lineman/ tight end Ean Pfeifer.

It’s good to hear that the Cards are establishing depth at a position that was in a critical situation following last season, but if they are hoping for a successful year out of this position group, the Cards are going to need big lifts from their two veterans Davis and Pfeifer.

The staff was really impressed with Davis in spring ball.

“He’s a big body and he’s stronger than he appears,” Stu Holt told Cardinal Authority. “I wasn’t sure what we would get out of him in that aspect. I thought he had good hands and could move well in space and could be a matchup problem for an inside backer or safety, but I was impressed with the way he blocked on the line of scrimmage and the way he moved guys off the ball. He has a nice skillset and has coupled that with a good work ethic since we have been here.”

Those are some impressive words for a player who has had his share of struggles finding the field since his arrival at Louisville. Davis always appeared a step or two behind during his time on the field and appeared to be more of a blocking tight end. However, with the limited number of players at his position, he’s had to shed some weight in 2019 in hopes of becoming much more of a pass-catcher.

“(Davis) really took off in the weight room when we first got here and has continued to change his body,” Hold says. “(Strength coach) Mike Sirignano does a great job with our guys in the weight room and it’s made a difference with Jordan. He’s moving faster and playing faster.”

Pfeifer is likely to be a run-blocking specialist who is looking to grow into his role at tight end. In four years at Vanderbilt, Pfeifer actually sat out his first year as a redshirt, earned Freshman All-American honors in year two along the interior of the Commodores offensive line, and then was a key piece during his third year before sitting out due to an injury. In 2018, Pfeifer opted to sit out a year and graduate before transferring to Louisville with two years of eligibility remaining.

Pfeifer was listed at 6’4,” 300-pounds during his time at Vandy, but he enrolled at Louisville at 245-pounds. The transformation isn’t unheard of as it’s common practice for offensive linemen to want to keep their weight up, but a 55-pound loss in less than a year is a really encouraging sign of what the Cards could be getting with Pfeifer.

Being an All-American type of blocker on the line gives Pfeifer a leg up on the competition because he will have one key aspect of his position nailed down from the jump. Now, he will work to become a respectable route-runner and pass-catcher as a Cardinal.

Look for Louisville to utilize some of their smaller, quicker tight ends like Ford, freshman Dez Melton, or walk-on Isaac Matin in more of an H-back role where they act as a more versatile blocker who may line up on the line or in the backfield.

If the Cards can get some solid contributions from their tight ends in 2019, it could go a long way towards improving some of the troubles that have plagued them in the past.