Louisville football lands 2021 rising offensive lineman Zen Michalski
By Dalton Pence
Louisville football landed their fourth commitment of the 2021 class and second in two days when a rising local offensive lineman pledged to the Cards.
Coronavirus limitations have caused the current state of recruiting to be unpredictable; there is no telling when things will begin to return to what they were. Recruits are not being able to visit coaches in person or come to campus. However, that didn’t stop Louisville football from landing a commitment from three-star offensive tackle Zen Michalski. The Floyd Knobs, Indiana native is ranked as the 80th-best OT and the 14th-best prospect in Indiana in the 2021 class (247Sports).
Michalski also held offers from Michigan State, Kansas State, Indiana, Duke, Cincinnati, Syracuse, Boston College, and others. In the end, the lure of playing for his hometown school influenced the pledge for the Cardinals.
His high school football journey has been anything but traditional; the quickly-rising offensive lineman spent time playing various positions like tight end and defensive tackle over the past couple seasons at Floyd Central High School. After exploring fits, he found his calling in the trenches.
The 6-foot-6, 265-pound tackle has seen his recruitment explode in the past year, with his stock continuing to trend upward. Despite having not played the position for long, Michalski has excelled with a combination of quality footwork, IQ, strength, and speed. His enthusiasm and intensity will match of the system ran by Louisville offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford. He still has plenty of room for improvement and will likely need to add some more weight, but his explosive burst and good hands could have him competing for playing time early on.
Head coach Scott Satterfield and company have made it clear that one of their main focuses is bolstering the trenches. In his first two classes, Satterfield has signed five tackles; combined with two pre-existing players and Michalski, the Cardinals will project to have at least eight tackles in the 2021-22 season.
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Michalski and 3-star safety Bralyn Oliver, who committed on Friday, have brought the Cardinal recruiting class to up to four. They join rising 3-stars in offensive guard Aaron Gunn and outside linebacker Victoine Brown. Louisville is currently ranked 53rd in the 247Sports’ team recruiting standings, but Satterfield and company are just getting started.