Louisville football: Three Virginia players to watch for

Charles Snowden, Outside Linebacker

This is Virginia’s best player on either side of the ball. Snowden is a chess piece on defense for the Cavaliers and they use him as such.

Snowden will be one of (if not) the best athletes on the field when the game kicks off at 3:30 pm Saturday.

He is a ridiculous specimen on the field standing at 6’7″ 235-pounds. He moves like a safety at 6’7″. If you have watched Virginia the past couple of seasons, you know what I am talking about.

Snowden has ridiculous closing speed and traits for days at his outside linebacker spot. He has the ability to drop into zones or run with a team’s running back or tight end in man coverage.

He also rushes the passer. He is raw as a pass rusher right now in his development, but he has made massive leaps to get to where he is. His incredible length allows himself to get free on his rush despite needing to add muscle.

Snowden fits in well with this Bronco Mendenhall defense as a 3-4 outside linebacker that will rush the passer and drop into coverage in fair amounts.

Along with Poljan, Snowden also received his invite to the Reese’s Senior Bowl just yesterday.

Snowden is a player I could see some NFL teams falling in love with. His athleticism is unbelievable and while he may have a wiry frame, he has some room to put some more muscle on his 6’7″ frame.

For any NFL fans, I compared him to current Los Angeles Rams outside linebacker Leonard Floyd. Floyd was a first round pick back in 2016.

Snowden is a playmaker and a disruptor. He has 40 tackles and five sacks this year including four sacks in their most recent game against North Carolina. Game. Wrecker.