Louisville offensive standouts that Notre Dame football must be very aware of this weekend
Notre Dame football has arguably their biggest test of the entire 2024 season this weekend when they welcome the Louisville Cardinals to South Bend. The Louisville program has a reenergized spirit under head coach Jeff Brohm, and are coming off of an ACC championship game appearance last fall. As a part of that season, the […]
Notre Dame football has arguably their biggest test of the entire 2024 season this weekend when they welcome the Louisville Cardinals to South Bend. The Louisville program has a reenergized spirit under head coach Jeff Brohm, and are coming off of an ACC championship game appearance last fall. As a part of that season, the Cardinals defeated the Irish 33 to 20, which was not nearly as close as that final score indicates.
It shouldn’t be much of a surprise but the Cardinals boast a very talented offense under Brohm. Notre Dame will need to be ready for a potent offensive attack, with revenge on their mind. Here are the top players on that side of the football to know.
QB Tyler Shough
It has been a wild ride for Shough, who is in his seventh year of college. It was a once promising career for Shough at Oregon as a highly recruited quarterback, although injuries have derailed his career there and at Texas Tech. From a talent perspective, there is a lot to like about Shough. He has a big frame, has a strong arm and is a good athlete as well. That should give him a chance to stick on the next level with former recruiting classmate Trevor Lawrence, who has already secured his second contract.
Wide receiver group
There are some talented pass catchers who are flocking to Louisville to play for Coach Brohm. That included former South Alabama star Caullin Lacy, who has been limited so far due to injury. It’s uncertain if we will see him against Notre Dame this weekend.
Even without him, this unit is deep and talented. One player to keep a close eye on is former Alabama transfer Ja'Corey Brooks. He is the outside winner of the wide receiver unit, possessing good straight line speed and body control to make catches down the field. There might not be anything overly dynamic about him but he’s probably the team’s best bet to make some explosive plays outside.
Perhaps the most intriguing wide receiver on the team is junior Chris Bell. He doesn’t get as big of a volume as some other pass catchers but he makes them count, averaging well over 24 yards per reception so far. A big body at 6-2 and 220 pounds, the Cardinals do their best to get Bell the ball in space and allow his explosiveness to take over. He is the big YAC threat on this team.
TE Jamari Johnson
Louisville also has a couple very talented tight ends that they like to feature in the run and pass game. That includes former San Diego State transfer Mark Redman, who does a little bit of everything for the offense. Perhaps the biggest mismatch weapon they have on offense is redshirt freshman Jamari Johnson. At 6-5 and 265 pounds, he possesses a huge frame. Johnson also boasts impressive speed for a player his size. Keeping eyes on No. 11 should be very much a part of the game plan this week.
