Louisville Cardinals wide receiver Javonte Bagley (88) runs the ball down the field during an open practice on August 11, 2015. Photo by Adam Creech

Spring Football Practice Report: 4/4/17

Mark BlankenbakerApril 4, 2017

It was a windy start to Louisville Football practice. The ball visibly was altered by the wind in the early part of the session making even small completions a challenge. As the practice went on the wind began to settle down and the passing and catching began to improve.

There has been an emphasis on the short to intermediate passing game. Seth Dawkins & Dez Fitzpatrick continue to be the top prospects out there while Javonte Bagley & Emonee Spence also have a few moments that leave you wondering if they will finally crack the lineup. Spence & Bagley both run great routes and have speed…… it’s the difficult catch in traffic that is sometimes the challenge. Personally I really want to see Reggie Bonnafon & Traveon Samuel get more targets.

Micky Crum was the starting tight end today but drew the ire of Bobby Petrino during the session. Crum wasn’t the only player that found himself on the wrong end of a coaches critique however, with Dae Williams also receiving some hard coaching from Bobby. Linwood Foy also got an earful from Mike Summers during the session.

The offensive line seems to have mostly settled with Geron Christian & Linwood Foy at Tackle, Lukayus McNeil & Kenny Thomas at Guard but there is still some rotation with Nathan Scheler & Robbie Bell at Center.

Notably absent today were Running Back Jeremy Smith & Chucky Williams. It isn’t yet clear about Chucky or Jeremy’s status at the moment but Dae Williams & PJ Blue stepped into place to replace the pair. It’s difficult to evaluate running backs without a lot of contact so we’ll wait to really evaluate Dae. With Jeremy out, however, he’s clearly the #1 back. PJ Blue also filled in admirably as well and has a physical presence similar to Chucky’s. Rotating in some with a yellow jersey was Khane Pass who had a Pick 6 vs. Lamar Jackson in an skill session.

CJ Avery is everywhere and it’s hard to believe that Tuesday was his 8th collegiate practice ever. It’s clear that CJ is going to play A LOT at UofL and right away. It’s possible he plays some linebacker/nickel type role this year. Zykiesis Cannon is STEADY out there, so much so that you don’t notice him at times. That’s a good thing for a player in the secondary. Dee Smith also has made some strides and had a few really nice breaks on the ball.

Trumaine Washington & Jaire Alexander are exactly what you might expect….. Jaire is a super star and Tru is tougher than a $2 steak. Cornelius Sturghill also continues to progress as does Chris Taylor-Yamanoha. Newcomer Lyn Strange also looks the part and just needs to adjust to the college game.

Trevon Young worked out some with the #1 group, but there was little change on the defense from last week with the exception with Chucky being absent.