Louisville football: Three underrated players heading into fall camp

Trenell Troutman- CARD

The Louisville football roster is full of players that could perhaps be seen as poor fits at other school due to their size. However, that’s what the Cardinals staff loves about guys like Robert Hicks, Monty Montgomery, Russ Yeast, and Rodjay Burns.

The next player among this group of tweeners is Trenell Troutman.

Listed as 5’11,” 197-pounds, Troutman is up 10 pounds from last season, and his position has moved from defensive back to linebacker on the Louisville roster.

Last year, Troutman felt a bit overlooked by fans, but he played in all 13 games, recording 26 tackles and a forced fumble.

Troutman’s game seems to fit more as a downhill, hard-hitting defensive back than an outside linebacker. To me, this position change would indicate that the Louisville staff values him for his positional versatility, and they are beefing him up to groom him as Rodjay Burns’ back-up and eventual replacement at CARD linebacker.

The CARD position is a roving position that operates effectively as a fifth secondary player in certain situations.

Troutman is extremely talented as an open field tackler and excels in coverage. He was one of the more highly rated players in his class, and his speed and athleticism stand out when he’s on the field.

If there’s a player that you could see all over the field in 2020 and a potential head-turning name that you didn’t expect, it has to be Troutman.

Look for No. 20 on your TV screen next season.