Bicknell: Louisville's OL Can Be 'Best I've Ever Coached in College'
(Photo via Michelle Hutchins/Special to Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville offensive line coach Jack Bicknell has seen his fair share of competent line play. In his nearly 30 years of coaching experience, he has been an offensive line coach at five different collegiate programs, including three at the Power Five level.
During his stint at Boston College, the Eagles had the top offensive line in the ACC in 2007, with Bicknell overseeing the development of eventual first-round NFL draft pick Anthony Castonzo. Ole Miss boasted either a top 15 passing or rushing attack during his time with the Rebels from 2017-19, and Auburn allowed just 1.82 sacks and 4.82 tackles for loss per game during his lone year with the Tigers in 2020.
Couple his stint in the NFL with the New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins, and Bicknell has mounds of experience around upper echelon offensive line talent. So comparatively speaking, how do the Cardinals stack up against previous lines that have been under his wing?
"I'll tell you what, they're right up there. They really are," he said after the third day of fall camp. "I feel like this could be one of the best offensive lines I've ever coached in college."
Now, this does come with a bit of a caveat. He says this mainly in regards to the unit's potential, not necessarily where they are currently in their progression. When he first was hired by the university back in February, he watched film of every lineman on the roster. One of the first things he noticed was how loose they were playing.
"If I'm supposed to put my head on the play side armpit, it's not on the play side numbers. It's not two inches off, it's precise," he said. "If I'm supposed to finish, I finish every single play. That to me is taking it to the next level. That's how you win these close games. You're talking about inches off."
Precision is the name of the game for Bicknell, and it's something that partially comes from his time in the NFL. He believes that it's the toughness and the precision of their technique is what will elevate the overall play of the offensive line, and that this meticulous focus will help Louisville cut down on their sacks and tackles for loss allowed.
"That's the whole key to this thing," he said. "The higher level you get, the more precise you have to be with your technique. If you're not, you're going to get beat."
So far through the first few days of fall camp, Bicknell's efforts to get Louisville to play with more precision is starting to materialize. He has been very impressed with the unit's effort, in part due to the amount of experience with the five starters.
"We went third down today, they kind of threw a lot at us. They're going from even to odd (fronts), bear looks, and twists and everything else," he said. "It was just such a luxury to have guys that have seen that before, and they're able to pick it up. That's a huge, huge deal."
While Bicknell admits there is still work to be done throughout the remainder of the preseason, if everything comes together, he believes the current Louisville offensive can ascend to the top.
"If we can play with precise technique, and strain on every play, and finish on every play, we can be right up there with the best," Bicknell said "Now we're not there yet, of course, and that remains to be seen whether we do that or not. But I think we're well on our way, and I'm excited about it."
You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:
Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI
Twitter - @LouisvilleOnSI
Instagram - @louisville_report
You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @GeneralWasp on Twitter
