Louisville football: 3 players who could follow the same path as Javian Hawkins

Jackson Gregory – OL

Redshirt freshman

Career stats: Did not play in 2019

You may think I’m crazy thinking that a player whose only offer coming out of high school aside from Louisville was from D2 and D3 programs, but here we are.

From everything I’ve gathered through last season into the beginning of the 2020 season, Jackson Gregory is a player that brings a great deal of excitement to Dwayne Ledford due to his potential. Gregory probably would be playing college football for Findlay College, Notre Dame College, or Saginaw Valley State if it wasn’t for Ledford landing the job at Louisville.

Shortly after being named the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Louisville, Ledford brought Gregory on campus for an official visit (just days before National Signing Day) where he got to know the Ohio product. The Cards saw enough to extend him a scholarship which led to securing a commitment on just days later and Gregory ultimately enrolling at Louisville.

After sitting out the season in his first year at Louisville (despite being listed on most depth charts as a backup), Gregory now is in a spot to compete for a backup role on the interior of the offensive line and maybe even a starting job. You might ask, “how could a player whose best offer was from a D2 school start at Louisville?”

My answer to that would be, look at Tyler Haycraft. The former starting right tackle for Satterfield and Ledford in their first season was not only one of the many walk-ons who earned scholarships and moved into starting roles but also developed into probably the Cards third-best offensive linemen.

What made Haycraft such a great fit for Ledford was his work ethic and overall mentality. Schools overlooked a really good player as he was coming out of high school, and he kept that chip on his shoulder the entire time he was at Lousiville, never letting his walk-on “tag” change his attitude or effort.

Gregory is built much like Haycraft in that respect. Frank Costanzo, an offensive line trainer who worked with Gregory said, “He is self-made. From the ground up. He has an elite mindset and his foundation is as strong as anyone I have ever coached.”

Louisville had a ton of issues in the interior of their line last season, particularly at the center position with Cole Bentley and T.J. McCoy, as well as at right guard with Robbie Bell. That group allowed a lot of pressure up the middle which turned into a ton of lost yards and sacks.

Bentley and Bell are both back this season and both are odds on favorites to secure the C and RG positions, but who’s to say those positions can’t be taken considering how many issues there were last season? If Gregory is able to stand out in spring practice like Hawkins did last season, it wouldn’t be the least bit shocking to see him either beat out Bentley at center or move into the role should Bentley be moved to RG in place of Bell.

Ledford loves physical linemen who want to dominate the line of scrimmage every possession with skill and willpower, and folks, that’s what Gregory specializes in. Whether it’s this year or next, there’s no doubt that the redshirt freshman will be a starter at the center position for Louisville.