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Louisville football: The 25 most important players for 2020

By Presley Meyer

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - OCTOBER 05: Javian Hawkins #10 of the Louisville Cardinals runs the ball in the game against the Boston College Eagles at Cardinal Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - OCTOBER 05: Javian Hawkins #10 of the Louisville Cardinals runs the ball in the game against the Boston College Eagles at Cardinal Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
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SYRACUSE, NY – NOVEMBER 09: Hassan Hall #19 of the Louisville Cardinals carries the ball for a touchdown during the third quarter against the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome on November 9, 2018 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
SYRACUSE, NY – NOVEMBER 09: Hassan Hall #19 of the Louisville Cardinals carries the ball for a touchdown during the third quarter against the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome on November 9, 2018 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /

No 13: Hassan Hall – All-purpose back

Junior

Hassan Hall took the top spot in our preseason impact player rankings prior to the 2019 season, and with good reason.

Hall showed flashes of brilliance during his freshman year as one of the lone bright spots amid the Bobby Petrino meltdown in 2018, so heading into last year with a run-heavy coaching staff taking the reins it was presumed that he would be the benefactor of a ton of carries.

Instead, an injury in the fall was enough to put him behind redshirt freshman Javian Hawkins on the depth chart.

This isn’t to say that Hall doesn’t have what it takes to be Louisville’s feature back, but instead to suggest that if he were to get the bulk of the carries in 2019 that he very well may have been worthy of the No. 1 ranking.

Jody Demling of Cardinal Authority joined Nick Coffey on the Red Zone back in March, and said the player he is highest on this year is Hall:

"To me, Hassan Hall will probably make the biggest jump of anybody next year, just because, remember, he was the starting running back last year until he got hurt in fall camp… When he gets more opportunities this year, holy cow, it’s going to be unbelievable."

Demling is correct in his assessment that Hall could be a player to make a massive jump. At times last season, he wasn’t put into the best situations to succeed. However, in 2020, as Louisville’s playbook opens up more, Hall should have an abundance of chances to have an impact on this squad.

Louisville would be wise to look to Hall as a receiver out of the backfield much more often and continue to use him situationally as a do-it-all guy.

Don’t forget as well that Hall was nominated for the Paul Hornung Award watch-list, which is given to the most versatile player in college football. He ranked 3rd in the nation last year in kickoff return yardage and took a return 100 yards to the crib against Wake Forest.

Hall could be in for a big-time season in 2020, even as a back-up.

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