Several Transfers Having Standout Fall Camp for Louisville
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Heading into the 2022 college football season, Louisville boasts several returning impact playmakers from last season. From quarterback Malik Cunningham to outside linebacker Yasir Abdullah, the Cardinals sport a healthy amount of veteran talent that could help them make some noise in year four of the Scott Satterfield era.
But what really could put them over the edge, and potentially challenge teams like Clemson, NC State and Wake Forest for the Atlantic Division, is the crop of talent that Louisville was able to land in the transfer portal. Even with the amount of returning starters, there were still a handful of areas that the program needed to address through the portal.
So far through Louisville's preseason fall camp, which is roughly halfway through their 15 scheduled practices, several of these transfers - on both sides of the ball - have been having standout performances.
On offense, arguably the biggest standout transfer has been former Tennessee running back Tiyon Evans.
"Tiyon's really stood out in this camp. Every day, I feel like he's been making plays," Satterfield said to reporters Thursday ahead of Louisville football's annual kickoff event. "He had a big, long run on the day we tackled, right up the middle. It was a big, powerful run for about 60 (yards). I think he's really stood out."
Evans was the Volunteers' leading rusher through most of the 2021 season, rushing for over 100 yards in three of the first six games of the season until suffering a season-ending ankle injury.
Over at wide receiver, a position where Louisville saw a lot of turnover from last year, Central Arkansas transfer Tyler Hudson is who has drawn a bulk of the headlines due to his status as an FCS All-American last year and a strong spring. But so far through fall camp, it has been Miami transfer Dee Wiggins who has been showing out.
"Wiggins has had a great camp for us. He had a really good summer too," Satterfield said. "He's one of the more improved guys from the spring until now when you think about guys that are newcomers."
Wiggins didn't see much time last season with the Canes, only logging four receptions for 25 yards in four games, although he had amassed 58 catches for 766 yards and seven touchdowns over his previous two seasons. Satterfield says Wiggins "lost confidence towards the end of his tenure" at Miami, and that a fresh start has benefitted him.
On the defensive side of the ball, Louisville made a huge splash in the portal when they landed defensive tackle Jermayne Lole from Arizona State. While it took him some time to get going over the summer due to his injury suffered last preseason, he is starting to flash was made him an NFL prospect.
"The last three or four practices, he's really shown up," Satterfield said. "He's a big, physical presence up front at the nose (tackle) position, and is really showing a lot of quickness. I'm excited about him, and what he's gonna bring to the defense."
Like the wide receiver room over on offense, Louisville had to hit the transfer portal hard in the secondary after losing some key pieces there. They ended up landing Jarvis Brownlee Jr. and Quincy Riley from Florida State and Middle Tennesse State, respectively, and both have made their presence known in the first half of fall camp.
"Brownlee has had a tremendous camp so far," Satterfield said. "He brings a great deal of confidence. He's just a very aggressive corner. We knew that coming in, but he's really shown that but he's a great teammate. He brings a great attitude, and we love having them around.
"Quincy had two picks in practice yesterday. He's probably got the best ball skills of anybody in the secondary, and couple that was some great speed. He really had some nice play yesterday that really stood out."
Riley was one of the top defensive backs in the Group of Five last season, with his five interceptions was tying for fourth in all of FBS. Brownlee was tied for second on FSU in interceptions with two, and was second in the secondary in tackles with 51 - both behind First Team All-ACC safety Jammie Robinson.
Satterfield also had complimentary things to say about Ole Miss transfer linebacker MoMo Sanogo's leadership abilities, calling him a "tremendous leader" not only for the defense, but for the team as a whole.
"He's fun to be around. I love being around him," Satterfield said. "He's the type of guy that anybody wants on their business. He just brings an infectious energy, and every single day is positive. It's just really fun to be around him."
Louisville is set to conduct their first scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday. The Cardinals will begin the 2022 season when they travel to upstate New York to face Syracuse on Saturday, Sept. 3.
(Photo of Quincy Riley via University of Louisville Athletics)
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