Javian Hawkins builds on his freshman output
Coming off of a “bridge year,” a great litmus test for a team is how they finish the year. For Louisville football, and particularly in the case of its running back Javian Hawkins, the performance in the 2019 Music City Bowl was telling as to where the Cardinals head entering Scott Sattefield’s second year.
Among all the surprises on offense, the emergence of Hawkins may have been the most pleasant. We’ve discussed the storyline around Micale Cunningham and his improvements in the passing game. Everyone knows about the breakout of tight end Marshon Ford and the surprising play of the offensive line. But there’s something about the spectacular play from Hawkins that feels like the most reliable thing this Louisville team has entering the 2020 season.
It quickly became abundantly clear that Satterfield and company were going to run the ball on offense as much as opponent and personnel would allow. That bodes well for Hawkins in his redshirt sophomore year where he will be looked at as a breakout star.
What will also help Hawkins is that although he was the nation’s 8th-leading rusher in 2019, he will continue to get help from the pieces around him.
Cunningham is a prolific runner in his own right, making Hawkins a particularly dangerous threat with Cunningham and Ford often sharing the same backfield in read option and RPO situations. Add into the mix backup Hassan Hall, who was the presumed starter in the preseason, and Hawkins just becomes one of many worries for opposing defenses.
Hawkins ran for 1.525 yards on 5.8 yards per carry in 2019. Where he can take his game to the next level this year is getting into the endzone. Among the top 20 rushers in 2019, Hawkins was the only player without double-digit touchdowns on the ground.
When “Playstation” learns how to make those final cut back when he gets into the open field, he could double his house calls in 2020.