Way too early Louisville football depth chart preview: Pass catchers

Editor’s note: A few weeks ago, Ean Pfeifer appeared to announce he had been granted a sixth year of eligibility and would be returning for another season. However, that report has not been confirmed anywhere that I could find and the tweet has since been deleted. Therefore, we are writing this piece as if he won’t be on the roster in 2020.

Starter: Tobias Little

RS senior

With the departure of both Louisville football starting tight ends Jordan Davis and Ean Pfeifer, tight end’s coach Stu Holt and head coach Scott Satterfield will have a big decision to make next season on who will fill two of the most important roles on the field.

There won’t be a shortage of options for the coaching staff when it comes to who will start, and to me, the best fit may be Tobias Little. The former running back turned tight end, who at one point was a hot name in the backfield for the Cards, spent some time last season playing the H-Back position but was mostly relegated to a backup role as he learned this new position.

With strong blocking abilities and great size at 6’0, 242, Little would bring athleticism and playmaking position to an offense that seemingly has endless options across the field.

Backup: Isaac Martin

RS junior

For depth chart purposes we’ll highlight as Isaac Martin as a “backup” for Louisville in 2020, but much like with Ean Pfeifer behind Jordan Davis last season, this role could easily be a starting role in terms of number of snaps on the field.

As one of the many walk-on’s who earned playing time last season, Martin spent most of the year playing as the backup h-back behind breakout star Marshon Ford. Used mostly in a blocking role, Martin proved to be more than capable of holding his own against opposing defensive players in the ACC.

Considering his ability to block and the number of weapons Louisville will have at h-back, Martin should easily be able to slide over to the tight end role on the line of scrimmage serving as a primary blocker. Martin is a violent player who should thrive next season in a new role.

Others: Dez Melton

RS Freshman

While some have pegged former three-star recruit, Dez Melton, as the starter for next season, I’m not quite ready to go to that point just yet.

Melton brings the most upside to the tight end position without question, but with Louisville needing more blocking than playmaking I gave the nod to the more experienced Martin and Little. However, that doesn’t mean that I don’t think the redshirt freshman could provide a spark as a vertical threat in passing situations.

Sitting out last season, Melton bulked up in a major way, going from 210 pounds to 240 pounds which should help him see the field this season. It may take time, but Melton will be a valuable weapon for the Cards long-term.