Depth, Versatility Headline Louisville's Outside Linebacker Room
(Photo of Yasir Abdullah: Sam Upshaw Jr. - Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Heading into year three of the Scott Satterfield era, the Louisville football program has their fair share of standouts the defensive side of the ball.
Kei'Trel Clark, Kenderick Duncan and Qwynnterrio Cole anchor one of the best secondaries in the ACC, CJ Avery and Monty Montgomery are one fo the best inside linebacker tandems in the league, and defensive linemen like YaYa Diaby and Ashton Gillotte could be in store for breakout years in 2021
But one of the more under-appreciated units on the entire team is arguably the outside linebacker position. With the Cardinals heading into their second week of fall camp, and the season roughly three weeks away, outside linebackers coach Cort Dennison has a lot to like about his guys.
"The thing that sticks out about my position right now is quality of depth," he said Monday. "I've got guys who have a lot of experience in my position, and not just guys that are starters right now. Some of our twos and threes have played a lot of quality football for us as well."
Over at the DOG position, which in Louisville's 3-4 system is the outside linebacker focused primarily on the pass rush, Dennison is extremely high on both Yasir Abdullah and Nick Okeke. The praise is particularly lofty toward Abdullah.
"On the field, Yasir can do anything," Dennison said. "He's great against the run, he's great against the pass, he's one of the best pass rushers I've ever been around. He's 235 pounds runs a 4.5 40. Athletically, he's got it."
Athletically, Abdullah might be a complete package, but Dennison still found other ways to improve him. A soft-spoken kid by nature, Dennison challenged Abdullah to be a more vocal leader, to which Dennison said he has done an "outstanding job". he also challenged Okeke, wanting him to improve various aspects of his pass rush.
Speaking of Okeke, don't be surprised to see him all over the field, literally and figuratively. Dennison has spent the offseason giving Okeke not only reps at both DOG and CARD, but at inside linebacker as well. In fact, there is a very good chance both will be on the field at the same time on multiple occasions because of the versatility he brings.
"Looking at defense and schematics, and things you can do, it creates a whole bunch more versatility, "Dennison said. "You've got two guys who are capable of being legit pass rushers coming off the edge. They're both athletic enough to play in open space, so you can drop them in coverage, and they both have outstanding football IQs. If they line up at different places, and they're not going to freeze when they see a different formation."
But Okeke isn't the only backer where versatility could be his calling card. Over at the CARD position, which is a linebacker/safety hybrid in Louisville's system, Jack Fagot could arguably be the most versatile player on the team. A converted safety, not only does he bring the experience in coverage, but Dennison likes how he has approached adding the pass rush to his repertoire.
"One thing he lacked in experience was setting edges in pass rush, and he's really taken that to heart this offseason," Dennison said. "He's worked on his development - both fundamentals and techniques - with the pass rush and setting edges. Jack's done an outstanding job, and he's continued to gain weight as well."
Getting back on the subject of depth, Dennison believes Marvin Dallas will also be a significant contributor playing behind Fagot. he specifically praises his size and athleticism, and believes that that more he continues to grow on the mental side of things, that it's going to be "hard to keep him off the field".
Louisville will kick off against Ole Miss in the annual Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game, down at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. Kickoff is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 6 at 8:00 p.m. on ESPN.
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
