Louisville’s triumvirate of JUCO transfers compete for starting spots
In my opinion, there are two critical matters that should dominate any discussion surrounding Louisville football during this offseason: the continued health of Louisville’s 2019 stars, and who will emerge as the next critical pieces on the 2020 squad.
Louisville football is likely to see serious contributions from freshmen Christian Fitzpatrick, Luke Kandra, Ja’Darien Boykin, and Jamel Starks among others, but it’s a trio of JUCO transfers who I believe will be the instant-impact starters from day one for the cardinals.
Trevor Reid OT
Let’s start on offense because the only true positions of need for Louisville next season are going to be at the tackle spots.
Louisville has big shoes to fill literally and figuratively in superstar Mekhi Becton, who currently rates as a high first-round selection in the upcoming NFL draft. On the other side, right tackle Tyler Haycraft brought and intensity and leadership that will be hard to match.
The Cardinals seem most likely to insert Adonis Boone once again at left tackle after he performed admirably in relief of Becton last season. The aforementioned Kandra feels like he will be in the mix as a starter as well, so perhaps another one of the Cardinals’ entrenched starters will slide over to right tackle to solidify a spot for the freshman.
But maybe the most seamless transition of all would be to plug Reid in for Becton and see what the rising junior can do.
Nobody is ever going to be Becton, but if there’s a lineman that will be on this roster that’s even remotely close, it’s Reid. He possesses great size and his athleticism to move his feet in pass protection and get downfield in order to finish off run plays reminds one of Becton coming off the left side.
On tape, you never see Reid pushed back or look overwhelmed by an opponent regardless of what is thrown at him.
Yaya Diaby DE
Turning the attention to the defensive side of the ball, there isn’t a recruit on this team that it feels like the coaching staff was more excited to land than Yaya Diaby. When they secured Reid and teammate Marvin Dallas, that was a win for the Cards, but Diaby felt like the big fish Louisville was trying to reel in.
What will stand out to Cards fans right away is Diaby’s size and speed. He is built on a solid frame and is a lanky 6’4.” As a high schooler, he played two ways and starred as a wide receiver and H back as well as a smooth, agile defensive end that was nearly impossible to stop.
However, Diaby received little to no attention out of high school and that’s how he ended up at nearby Georgia Military College.
Diaby is going to compete for a starting spot from day one, and once he gets into the Louisville strength and conditioning program, it feels like he will make a massive impact on a defensive line desperate for some edge rushers.
Marvin Dallas LB
Among Louisville’s entire recruiting class, Marvin Dallas feels like the diamond in the rough. He was a bit of an afterthought after Louisville snagged his teammates Diaby and Reid.
However, it’s Dallas who has the added benefit of enrolling early, and it’s the inside linebacker’s speed and motor that will have the Cardinals coaching staff excited.
The added semester of preparation is what is intriguing about Dallas. He isn’t a super polished player in any aspect of his game. He isn’t a great tackler and seems out of position on a lot of plays at GMC.
With that said, Dallas has never had the benefit of working in a true college weight program, he has never gotten the attention he will get from the Louisville football coaching staff, and he has never played for coaches of the caliber of Bryan Brown and Derek Nicholson.
Dallas has great speed. In fact, one could argue that he has the best in-game speed of any front seven player on Louisville’s roster. That alone is going to turn some heads. If he can add some weight and prove that he could be a commodity as a tackler, he is going to find his way into the rotation.
If Dallas can turn the corner on his skills and instinct overall, the sky is the limit given his size and speed. He is the prototypical Bryan Brown linebacker and could potentially become a lot more than what we expect of him.