Three offseason priorities for Louisville football heading into 2020

Truly cultivate depth

We’ve talked about it for almost an entire year, and the fact that it’s still being talked about as the most important priority heading into the offseason shows just how big of a challenge it’s been.

I’m referring to depth, which was without question was the root of a lot of the issues we saw on the field throughout the majority of the season. From nearly day one, Satterfield talked about the challenges of inheriting a roster that wasn’t appropriately balanced and left a lot of holes in key spots. Whether it was having too many receivers and not enough offensive linemen or not having anywhere near enough defensive linemen to rotate out, Satterfield cautioned the media it existed but yet in the same breath refused to use it as an excuse.

The lack of depth was never as apparent as it was in contests against Notre Dame, Clemson, Miami, and Kentucky, where the offenses of Louisville’s opponents, were able to withstand the early push back before ultimately opposing their will on the short-handed bunch.

No matter how talented guys like Russ Yeast, Khane Pass, Dorian Etheridge, and Rodjay Burns they didn’ have enough gas to carry Louisville defensively against the top offenses in the country.

But we saw a glimpse of what it could look like in the Mississippi State game. While Satterfield and company didn’t dip into the pool of available freshmen or redshirts, which he easily could have done. Instead, he played a bevy of seniors who only played in small chunks throughout the 2019 season and they were able to come up with big plays in big moments.

The challenge of building depth will be crucial in 2019 as Louisville has the starting group and core stars needed at key positions to make a run at the Orange Bowl (assuming Clemson heads back to the CFB Playoff) – and it starts primarily on the defensive side of the ball in the trenches. That was the main focus of recruiting in 2020 and it should hopefully soon pay off.

Louisville will only lose only six primary starters from 2019, but the majority of them will come from positions were depth was a big issue. As I wrote last month the biggest immediate challenge will be replacing the key cogs on both lines, including Mekhi Becton, Tyler Haycraft, G.G. Robinson, and Amonte Caban while finding someone to fill the production of both Khane Pass and Seth Dawkins will be crucial as well.

Satterfield and company will have to get guys like Jared Goldwire, Isaiah Hayes, and Danya Kinnard ready to play at the highest level possible, something we saw them do with other fringe starters this season, as well as the 11 freshmen who didn’t play in 2019 and the 25 newcomers from the 2020 class.

The decision of spring practice being in late February was rather head-scratching last season, but in Satterfield’s second year the timing couldn’t be better. After the bowl win, Louisville will have roughly six to eight weeks off before they get back on the field for an additional 14ish practices.

Those practices and time spent in meeting rooms with coaches will be absolutely critical in getting the younger and less-experienced players ready to contribute at an ACC level. Upwards of 15-18 players from the class of 2020 have already arrived on campus and should be able to give Louisville a huge lift.

This offseason will be important for a number reasons, but to me, if Louisville is going to take the next step in competing with Clemson and the other mid-tier ACC teams for New Year’s Six Bowls, they have to take advantage of the quick turnaround and influx of talent coming in.