Competition Heating Up at 'DOG' OLB Position for Louisville
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - We're roughly a week into fall camp for the Louisville football program, and the competition has been stout across the board. Whether that be on the offensive side of the ball or over on defense, several positions are showcasing their depth.
One such position is over at 'DOG', which is the outside linebacker position focused primarily on the pass rush. The Cardinals already have an All-American candidate at this position in Yasir Abdullah, but behind him are a trio players who add to the position's overall strength.
"I think the guys had a heck of an offseason," Louisville outside linebackers coach Greg Gasparato said Monday. "They took it upon themselves to do a little bit extra. I think it started with attitude, and I got a great room just coming into it."
Gasparato joined the Louisville staff last season as the safeties coach, and made the move to outside linebackers coach following the addition of co-defensive coordinator and secondaries coach Wes McGriff. Gasparato is inheriting a position group with an incredible amount of potential in 2022.
Abdullah had a breakout 2021, and opted to return to the Cardinals for one final season. Last season, the 6-foot-1, 242-pound edge rusher had the most productive season from a Louisville pass rusher in in nearly a decade, and is one of the top returning sack artists in the ACC.
He tallied 10.0 sacks, the most by a Cardinal defender since Devonte Fields had 10.5 in 2015, while also logging 17.5 tackles for loss, which was good for seventh-most in a single season in Louisville history. His sack total placed 19th nationally while his tackle for loss total was 12th. Adding in his career-high 61 total tackles and three pass deflections, he was voted as a Second-Team All-ACC selection.
"Yasir, he's got all the tools in the world, and he's had a tremendous offseason. He's put on close to 10 pounds, and he's moving around really, really well," Gasparato said. He also noted that Abdullah's decision to come back was great from a camaraderie and leadership standpoint has been "tremendous."
But while Abdullah unquestionably garners all the headlines at DOG, the remaining three - Kam Wilson, Allen Smith and Popeye Williams - have had good showings in fall camp as well. The two returners of this group, Wilson and Smith, are a little light on overall on-field experience, but Gasparato has liked what he's seen out of those two in camp.
"Kam Wilson has been really good," he said. "He's made a lot of strides. Just playing fast, he understands what to do, he's competing ... Allen Smith showed flashes as well."
Wilson only appeared in four games last year, logging a pair of tackles in the process, but that's because he had to miss most of the season with an injury. Smith played in all 13 games last year, almost exclusively on special teams, and also tallied two tackles.
Williams is heading into the upcoming season as a true freshman, but he is teeming with potential. Not only was he Louisville's highest-ranked prospect in the Class of 2022, but he is the 16th-highest rated prospect to ever commit to the Cardinals. He might be the young pup of the group, but he has made an early impact in fall camp.
"(Popeye) has done a tremendous job just learning the defense," Gasparato said. "The first few days, just want to make sure that in his mind, he was getting things right. Lining up and doing what he needed to do. The last couple practices, he's starting to flash that speed and athleticism that you saw watching him in high school. He knows he can let loose, and he knows what to do within the scheme."
Collectively, Gasparato has been pleased so with the position group that he has. Despite the fact that DOG is anchored by one of the best pass rushers in the ACC, if not all of FBS, he knows that everyone is going to compete like their job is on the line.
"(Inside linebackers) Coach D-Nic (Derek Nicholson) says all the time that as a starter, you're guaranteed one play," Gasparato said. "There's always that next man up mentality, and we saw that last year at several positions for whatever reason. Someone getting injured, banged up, whatever it is. Next guy's got to be up, and you're expected to produce at that same level. These guys have been working their butts off trying to get ready, and it's starting to show on the grass."
Louisville is set to begin the 2022 season when they travel to upstate New York to face Syracuse on Saturday, Sept. 3.
(Photo of Yasir Abdullah via University of Louisville Athletics)
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