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Louisville football: Five most important players returning for 2020 campaign

By Presley Meyer

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - OCTOBER 05: Micale Cunningham #3 of the Louisville Cardinals in action in the game against the Boston College Eagles at Cardinal Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - OCTOBER 05: Micale Cunningham #3 of the Louisville Cardinals in action in the game against the Boston College Eagles at Cardinal Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
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LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – OCTOBER 05: Javian Hawkins #10 of the Louisville Cardinals runs the ball in the game against the Boston College Eagles at Cardinal Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – OCTOBER 05: Javian Hawkins #10 of the Louisville Cardinals runs the ball in the game against the Boston College Eagles at Cardinal Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

Javian Hawkins

Louisville football returns the running back with the most single-season rushing yards in school history. Why are more people not talking about that?

Perhaps nationally it’s because Louisville’s record was indicative of having electric weapons on offense, or maybe locally because we are already spoiled by the Lamar Jackson effect.

Whatever the case, I’ll say it again. Most yards. By a running back. In school history. Oh, and he’s only entering his redshirt sophomore year.

Hawkins was simply electric in 2019, especially in the back half of the season when he went for 172 against Boston College, 129 against Clemson, 136 vs Virginia, 233 against Syracuse, 142 at Kentucky, and 105 vs. Mississippi State.

Hawkins was the first running back in over two years to hit the 100-yard mark against Clemson. He is the first player since Lamar Jackson and first running back since Bilal Powell to go over 1,000 yards for the Cards on the ground.

And he will only get better.

Hawkins was rarely used as a receiver out of the backfield in 2019- something that is likely to change as he and Micale Cunningham grow and progress. He is only beginning to learn to read defenses and he has barely scraped his potential as a polished power five running back.

Hawkins is crucial to the Cards sustaining success in 2020 and beyond.

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