Louisville football: Five must-have offensive recruits for 2021

Demetrius Cannon – WR

6’3, 205-pounds – Saint Louis, MO 

National ranking: 508

Position ranking: 82

Being 100 percent fully-transparent, I can say that I was not even aware of Demetrius Cannon until a weeks back when he named Louisville football as a finalist in his top 10 schools. In my defense, all focus up until that point at receiver mostly had been focused on Ahmari Huggins-Bruce and Jordyn Williams, who has since committed to Indiana, but it’s Cannon who may be the top priority on the board as of today.

Up until this point, most of the receivers that the staff has targeted on the recruiting trail have been on the smaller and speedier side as the slot position was a priority in the offense and needed depth. However, this cycle we’ve seen Gunter Brewer and Scott Satterfield target a few bigger receivers, none bigger than 6’3, 205-pound Cannon.

Much like Sanders and multiple other players on this list, Cannon picked up a crystal ball prediction from Allen Trieu of 247 Sports, and with a commitment date already set it looks like Louisville is in a great place to land the 508th best player in the country and the 10th best player in the state of Missouri.

Satterfield and the Cards have had to battle plenty of other great programs for Cannon including Penn State, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee and by the sounds of it, it’ll be a close battle right up until the very end.

What he would bring to the program could be game-changing. 247 Sports’ Trieu detailed the scouting report for Cannon, writing:

"“Great size. Built like a linebacker. Thicker, muscular build and has arm length. Has really worked on his craft and improved on areas that did not necessarily come natural to him. Can use his size and strength to catch contested passes. Great option in the red-zone. Has improved ball tracking and catching away from his body. Shows more after the catch as well. Suddenness is above average for a player at his size. Still not a speed demon, but coupled with his size, his straight line ability is more than adequate. Must continue the trajectory he has been on as far as craft. Also has to guard against out-growing the position. Projects as a true outside receiver and floor is that of a possession guy and red-zone weapon at the Power 5 level.”"

With Dez Fitzpatrick departing after the 2020 season, Louisville will need a new possession receiver to step up. Cannon is a big target who has really good size and strength who could play at both spots outside and is more than capable of owning the outside or middle of the field. He would also give Louisville its first true red-zone threat, which is crucial for any offense and quarterback playing in short space.

These players are considered “must-have” for a reason, and Cannon is a guy who fills a big need for Louisville and has the potential to develop into a special talent long-term.