Louisville football: Where the ACC went right and wrong with All-Conference Teams

Tutu Atwell, WR

How he got here: Everyone knew that Tutu Atwell had the talent and potential to one day be an All-ACC type of receiver but I’m not sure many thought it would come this soon.

Last season Atwell showed his dynamic speed and playmaking ability in small doses under Bobby Petrino but struggled to be consistent due to the inconsistent play at quarterback. All offseason Louisville fans salivated over what new head coach Scott Satterfield would be able to do with Atwell, citing his explosive offense at App State that used players like him in a variety of unique ways. They wasted no time proving that unlike Petrino, they could put the 5’8 receiver in the right positions to make big plays and ultimately land on the All-ACC First team.

In 2019 Atwell just needed a quarterback who could step up and hit him downfield, utilizing his incredible, game-changing speed, which is exactly what Micale Cunningham did. Wake Forest, North Carolina State, Western Kentucky and plenty of others come to mind when you talk about just how dominant Atwell was this season.

Atwell became the top vertical threat for Louisville, giving them one of the most explosive and game-changing offenses in not only the ACC but in America. Just about anytime Cunningham looked Atwell’s way there was a potential for a big home-run play, whether it was deep down the field or via a short shovel pass that went for 50-plus yards.

Why the ACC got it right: How could you not put Tutu Atwell on the first team? He finished first in receiving yards in the ACC with 1,129 yards, first in touchdowns with 12, he tied for eighth in total receptions with 61 and had more 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90-yard plays than any other receiver in the conference.

It keeps going. Atwell had six games where he totaled over 100-plus yards (four games with over 125-plus yards) eight games with at least one touchdown (two games with two touchdowns) and 12 games with at least two or more catches.

It’s also worth mentioning that Atwell is just a sophomore. The Louisville offense was one of the most explosive in the country as mentioned, a lot of which came from the big playmaking ability of Atwell, and they did it in just one year. With at least one more year remaining (and potentially two) with Atwell in the fold, Louisville’s offense has nowhere to go but up.

Mekhi Becton, OT

How he got here: Have you seen Mekhi Becton? If he walked into the room and I saw him for the first time, without any context, I’d probably guess that he was First-Team All-ACC at whatever position he wanted to be.

In all seriousness, there’s a reason why they call Becton the “Big Ticket.” Yes, he’s huge at 6’8, 370 pounds. But he’s nimble, athletic, and most importantly powerful.

Thanks to the coaching and tutelage of Dwayne Ledford and the run friendly scheme of Scott Satterfield, the ACC and the rest of the country got to see Becton develop into one of the most dangerous and lethal blocking tackles in America. Not only did Becton make the First Team All-ACC team for the first time in his career, but he was also awarded the 2019 Jacobs Blocking Trophy, given to the ACC’s most outstanding blocker.

It seemed like weekly we saw a big outside zone run, where either Javian Hawkins, Hassan Hall, or Micale Cunningham ran behind their school bus (Becton) on way to a huge play.

All season long, outside of the one game he missed due to injury, Becton was arguably the most important player on the Louisville offense and was a huge part of the five-game turnaround in 2019.

Becton was a force that could always be counted upon to block the fiercest opposing pass-rusher and do so at an NFL level, regardless of who it was, which makes him a more than a deserving member of the coveted All-ACC First Team. Plus, even if Becton wasn’t one of the top blockers in all of college football who would want to be the one to tell him he didn’t make First Team?

Why the ACC got it right: Again, you want to be the one to tell Becton he wasn’t First-Team ACC?

Besides becoming a viral sensation due to his size and ability to throw grown-ass men out of the way, Becton improved mightily in pass protection, blocking at the first and second levels, as well as being able to move nimbly in the zone blocking schemes.

Time and time again, Becton made huge blocks (that often times went unnoticed by most fans) that opened up massive holes for Hawkins and Hall and allowed for Micale Cunningham and Evan Conley to move freely about the pocket and extend plays for big chunks of yardage downfield.

Without the elite blocking of Becton in both inside and outside zone runs, which were beyond crucial to the offense, there’s no chance Louisville has a 1,000-yard rusher in 2019 (the first time since 2010 – Bilal Powell), a quarterback who leads the ACC in quarterback efficiency, and an offense that finishes inside the 25 in total rushing.