2021 Football Recruiting: Louisville's Class Now Up to 20 Commits
Despite heavy restrictions due to the NCAA mandated dead period, the Louisville Football program has shown their resiliency out on the recruiting trail. In-person recruiting might not be allowed until August 30 because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but Scott Satterfield and the rest of his coaching staff have been blazing hot in his first full recruiting cycle as the head coach of the Cardinals.
As a result of the latest pledge from ILB Jaylin Alderman, Louisville has now landed 20 verbal commitments in the 2021 recruiting cycle. On top of that, Satterfield and Co. have been landing high quality recruits. Louisville's 2021 recruiting class is now the 13th-ranked class in the nation and the fourth-best in the Atlantic Coast Conference according to Rivals - on pace to be the best recruiting class on paper in school history.
The recruiting trail is till active as five more scholarship spot are still up for grabs, but for now get to know the current crop of future Cards:
Aaron Gunn
Position: Offensive Guard
Height/Weight: 6-3, 308
School: New Castle (PA) Union Area
Note: Louisville's first '21 commitment. He is primarily an offensive guard but can play either the guard or center position.
More: Class of 2021 OL Aaron Gunn commits to Louisville
Victoine Brown
Position: Defensive End
Height/Weight: 6-4, 227
School: Loganville (GA) Grayson
Note: Committing just three days after Gunn, Brown has been one of the more vocal prospects recruiting for Louisville on social media. It also doesn't hurt to be a Top 35 player in the football-rich state of Georgia.
More: Class of 2021 DE Victoine Brown commits to Louisville
Bralyn Oliver
Position: Safety
Height/Weight: 6-2, 195
School: Cornelius (NC) William Amos Hough
Note: A former Georgia commit, he was also the No. 1 player in the state of South Carolina (Rivals) before he made the move to North Carolina. He is a safety on paper, but excellent at any level of the secondary in both man and zone coverage.
More: Class of 2021 safety Bralyn Oliver commits to Louisville
Zen Michalski
Position: Offensive Tackle
Height/Weight: 6-6, 280
School: Floyds Knob (IN) Floyd Central
Note: He has incredible range and versatility for an offensive tackle, and is effective in both the running and passing game. Recruitment has exploded since his commitment to Louisville
Note: Class of 2021 OL Zen Michalski commits to Louisville
Vic Mullen
Position: Tight End
Height/Weight: 6-6, 255
School: Ottawa (IL) Marquette
Note: Mullen is a physically imposing blocker and is especially useful in the running game. However he is not just a blocker, as he is a go-to target in the redzone & on inside curl routes for Marquette HS.
More: Class of 2021 TE Victor Mullen commits to Louisville
Benjamin Perry
Position: Safety
Height/Weight: 6-3, 190
School: Chicago (IL) Mount Carmel
Note: The first four-star prospect to commit to Louisville in this cycle. Perry is a versatile defender with great anticipatory skills and a frame that also make him deadly in run support. Was invited to the Under Armour All-American Game.
More: Class of 2021 safety Benjamin Perry commits to Louisville
Ryheem Craig
Position: Defensive End
Height/Weight: 6-3, 212
School: Taylorsville (NC) Alexander Central
Note: Craig is solid pass rusher as he is able to shed blocks incredibly quickly, has a good swim move, and is able to diagnose the play before the snap to shoot the gap and pursue the quarterback. He is more of a hybrid DE/OLB when you look at the film.
More: Class of 2021 DE Ryheem Craig commits to Louisville
Ashton Gillotte
Position: Defensive End
Height/Weight: 6-4, 220
School: Boca Raton (FL) High
Note: Gillotte committed to Louisville just five days after announcing his top five schools, and like Brown has been one of the more vocal player-recruiters on social media. Listed as both a weak-side and strong-side defensive end by various recruiting services. Also has a background in both track and field and weightlifting.
More: Class of 2021 DE Ashton Gillotte commits to Louisville
RJ Sorensen
Position: Defensive End
Height/Weight: 6-4, 240
School: Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas
Note: Previously a Nebraska commit, Sorensen was the third defensive lineman to commit to Louisville in a six day period, and the fourth in the class. His game is slightly different than the other defensive end commits in the class, but his frame makes him little more ready for the college game and could allow him to play on the interior.
More: Class of 2021 DE RJ Sorenson commits to Louisville
Rance Conner
Position: Cornerback
Height/Weight: 5-10, 173
School: Miami (FL) Booker T. Washington
Note: Conner is a versatile defender who can compete on the outside and in turn play physical and support the run. SI All-American Director of Football Recruiting John Garcia, Jr says that "there’s a fiestiness about him that resonates no matter the scheme or alignment."
More: Class of 2021 CB Rance Conner commits to Louisville
Jaraye Williams
Position: Outside Linebacker
Height/Weight: 6-3, 197
School: Burien (WA) Kennedy Catholic
Note: To say that the Williams clan is familiar with Louisville would be an understatement, as Jaraye is the son of former Louisville men's basketball star Terrence Williams. Though pegged as an outside linebacker, his athleticism and ability to move in space allows him to play the safety position as well.
More: Class of 2021 OLB Jaraye Williams commits to Louisville
Trevion Cooley
Position: Running Back
Height/Weight: 5-11, 208
School: Knightdale (NC) High
Note: Cooley was a bit of a surprise commitment, but he seems to be a perfect fit for Scott Satterfield's inside/outside zone run system. He has above average agility, is very adept at shedding would-be tacklers, and at times shows how physical he can be as a runner. It also helps that he runs a 4.40 40-yard dash.
More: Class of 2021 RB Trevion Cooley commits to Louisville
Kani Walker
Position: Cornerback
Height/Weight: 6-2, 194
School: Douglasville (GA) Douglas County
Note: Originally committed to BC back on March 31, but decommitted from the Eagles when the calendar flipped to June and committed to Louisville sixteen days later. He took reps at corner, free & strong safety, and even some at wide receiver in his junior year.
More: Class of 2021 CB Kani Walker commits to Louisville
Derrick Edwards III
Position: Safety
Height/Weight: 5-11, 175
School: Miami (FL) Miami Palmetto
Note: Committed two hours after Walker, after previously stating that both were a "package deal". Whether at safety or cornerback, he stays on the hip of the receiver while in man coverage and has good play recognition while in zone.
More: Class of 2021 S Derrick Edwards commits to Louisville
TJ Quinn
Position: Safety
Height/Weight: 6-1, 200
School: Valdosta (GA) Lowndes
Note: He is a legacy commit, as his father Terry played at Louisville as a running back and defensive back in the early 90's. Committed just one day after Kani Walker & Derrick Edwards. He has great anticipatory skills, especially while in zone coverage.
More: Class of 2021 S TJ Quinn commits to Louisville
Michael Gonzalez
Position: Offensive Guard
Height/Weight: 6-4, 280
School: Monroe (NC) Sun Valley
Note: Gonzalez was the fourth commitment in a two day span; following Walker, Edwards & Quinn. He is adept at imposing his will to create lanes for his running back, possessing a solid combination of agility and strength, allowing him to shift from side to side while still being a proverbial brick wall.
More: Class of 2021 OL Michael Gonzalez commits to Louisville
Demetrius Cannon
Position: Wide Receiver
Height/Weight: 6-3, 185
School: St. Louis (MO) Trinity Catholic
Note: The first wide receiver commit in the class. Cannon is a big & physical receiver who could also take reps as a tight end if he wanted. During his junior year in HS, he was the go-to goal-line fade receiver and had a very high success rate in that department. He also has enough agility and route running ability to be a threat in the short-intermediate game, particularly on comeback routes and screens.
More: Class of 2021 WR Demetrius Cannon commits to Louisville
Jackson Hamilton
Position: Outside Linebacker
Height/Weight: 6-0, 202
School: Roswell (GA) Blessed Trinity Catholic
Note: Listed as an OLB and S by various recruiting services, he has the physicality to support the run and the coverage skills to defend the pass. What sticks out the most on film is his patience and play recognition. Very rarely does he seem to make rash decisions that put him out of place to make the play.
More: Class of 2021 OLB Jackson Hamilton commits to Louisville
Ahmari Huggins-Bruce
Position: Wide Receiver
Height/Weight: 6-1, 163
School: Dillon (SC) High
Note: Huggins-Bruce is a run-after-catch specialist, as he uses his speed & agility to turn screen passes, slants and other underneath routes into six points with ease. His shiftiness also allows him to create solid separation from defenders at the line of scrimmage.
More: Class of 2021 WR Ahmari Huggins-Bruce commits to Louisville
Jaylin Alderman
Position: Inside Linebacker
Height/Weight: 6-1, 215
School: Valdosta (GA) High
Note: Chosen as a Class 6-A First Team All-State selection, and was also named Valdosta's Defensive MVP. Has great lateral movement, and is an incredibly sound tackler. On top of being a "nose for the football" type of player, he also fits the typical "quarterback or the defense" moniker very well.
More: Class of 2021 ILB Jaylin Alderman commits to Louisville
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top righthand corner of the page. Also be sure to like us on Facebook & Twitter:
Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI
Twitter - @LouisvilleOnSI and Matthew McGavic at @GeneralWasp
