Louisville football: One of the nation’s top schools after Cards commit

If you needed a reminder that Louisville football’s 2021 class is special.

We’ve talked ad nauseam about the success on the recruiting trail of Scott Satterfield and the entire Louisville football staff for nearly two years now. After putting together the sixth best recruiting class in the ACC last season, the staff is off to an incredible start in 2021 with 22 committed players.That includes three consensus four-star players in Jaraye Williams, Ben Perry, Trevion Cooley and countless other high profile three star players.

The run of commitments over the summer was something special as day in and day out Louisville was landing multiple commitments and now they sit just needing one or two players to finish out the class with almost four months to the early signing period.

There were questions early in the tenure of Satterfield about whether or not he’d be able to recruit at a high enough level in the ACC to compete against the Clemson’s and Florida State’s of the world but those have all but been answers while doubts have disappeared.

We’ve seen Louisville land numerous players through Satterfield’s first two seasons who possess big time power five offers. From Tim Lawson to Greedy Vance to Lovie Jenkins to Perry to Cooley and plenty of others in between, these players had the ability to go play for a powerhouse football program like Florida, USC, Notre Dame, LSU, etc. and yet decided to come to Louisville.

That in itself is huge considering that Louisville football nearly stopped playing in the 1980s and here we are so many years later landing big time players over schools who have been playing for nearly a hundred years.

However, as my good friend and former Louisville athlete DJ Bien-Aime recently pointed out, you can’t congratulate a fish for swimming. But in case you needed further proof of how special the Louisville coaching staff  has been at evaluating and recruiting talented players, look no further than the offer that rising three-star offensive tackle Zen Michalski picked up this week.

Prior to committing to Louisville, Michalski held offers from multiple big time schools including Michigan State, Boston College, Syracuse, Cincinnati, and others.

Rated as the 678th best prospect in the country according to 247 Sports and the 56th best tackle in the class of 2021, Michalski committed to Louisville back in May as a little known recruit hailing from Floyds Knobs, IN. He quickly became a fan favorite and a player that national outlets were talking about due to his size, athleticism, and high-ceiling.

Michalski is set to take another big leap in the rankings and while that hasn’t happened yet it didn’t stop THE Ohio State from officially extending a scholarship offer to the 6’7, 290-pound offensive tackle.

I don’t mean to sound like the small fish swimming in the big pond but when you’re recruiting players that are somewhat considered “under the radar” having elite schools come calling is never a good thing. Especially when it comes with the allure of a brand like Ohio State.

Ohio State currently holds the no. 2 spot in 247 Sports team rankings for the class of 2021, which includes four five-stars, 12 four-stars, and no player ranked outside of the top 400. Michalski would be considered a “reach” in most cases for Ohio State, but when you read the scouting evaluation and watch the tape it’s beyond obvious to see the rankings don’t match the talent.

Allen Trieu of 247 Sports scouted Michalski recently and this to say about his game:

"“Tall with above-average arm length. Has filled in a lot and bulked up into a Power Five prospect after looking very thin and lean initially. A very good athlete who has quickness and coordination. Has good change of direction and bend. Fires out of his stance quickly and with good pad level. Has all the tools to be a great pass blocker, but needs reps against top-level competition and technical polishing there. Added 35 pounds after his junior season so we still need to see how he plays with the added weight and strength. Trajectory is headed upwards. Works very hard. Should develop into a starting left tackle and has the upside to potentially project as an NFL prospect.”"

That last part is what has programs like Ohio State and Ole Miss attempting to pull the rug out from underneath Louisville and land a commitment from one of the most underrated players at one of the most important positions. Michalski is still relatively new to the position and is just beginning to scratch the surface of what he can do on the field.

Ohio State has had some success coming into Louisville and picking out the players they want, and because of how many offensive linemen have gone on to have big time NFL careers, Michalski very well could be the next to follow that pipeline.

Louisville still seems to be in a good spot to keep Michalski in the fold and eventually put pen to paper when the time comes, but as more elite programs come calling that commitment is going to feel less and less sturdy.

Michalski has shown already in his first few weeks on the field for Floyd Central that he is every bit the part of a consensus four-star player, especially with his improving physique and comfort with the offensive tackle position.