5 Louisville football players who could have breakout seasons in 2018

Jake Lourim | Courier Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Football's Petrino talks recruiting & summer preview U of L football head coach Bobby Petrino discusses summer recruiting and some of what he's seen this summer as he looks ahead to football season.

The Louisville football team will use lots of new faces early this season.

The Cards need their young newcomers to step up, especially on defense.

This football season will thrust a number of Louisville’s unknown players into big roles, which provides many of them with opportunities to have career years.

The Cardinals recruited well in 2016 and 2017, so they have some talented players with which to plug those holes. It’s just a matter of how many they can prepare and keep healthy for a grueling season that begins with the Sept. 1 opener against Alabama.

Here are some players to watch as they try to make names for themselves this fall:

C.J. Avery, linebacker

Last season, Avery was one of just four true freshmen to play in all 13 games. He played mostly on special teams, which is often a path for young players to reach playing time on offense or defense. It seemed like Louisville never found a perfect position for Avery last season, which is why he never played consistently.

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But new defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder brings a new scheme, and part of VanGorder’s challenge will be to discover the best ways to use players like Avery, who was Louisville’s highest-rated recruit in the class of 2017. He was ranked as the No. 20 safety in the class, but Louisville has since moved the 5-foot-11, 213-pound athlete to linebacker.

Defenses have different ways of using tweeners with Avery’s build, as a hybrid linebacker-safety. Count on VanGorder to use Avery as a sort of third linebacker or fifth safety, depending on down, distance and opponent. Avery can play in the box to stop the run or cover a slot receiver or tight end, and he’ll probably play a lot.

P.J. Mbanasor, cornerback

Everything’s setting up well for Mbanasor, the Oklahoma transfer who sat out during the 2017 season and is now poised to start for Louisville.

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He was a consensus four-star recruit from just outside Austin, Texas, in 2015, and would have been Louisville’s highest-rated signee in that class. Now in his fourth year removed from high school, he’s one of the older players on Louisville’s defense. Teammates and coaches have praised his leadership ability.

Mbanasor played in 10 games and started two as a true freshman in 2015. He took a redshirt season in 2016. It may take him a few weeks to knock the rust off after two years with no game action, but Mbanasor will have plenty of responsibility in the coverage game for Louisville.

Kemari Averett, tight end

Louisville only has three scholarship tight ends on its roster. Some offensive packages have the potential to deploy three tight ends on one play. Averett will have his chances, and at 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, he might have the best combination of pass-catching and blocking ability in the position group.

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Averett caught seven passes for 79 yards and a touchdown last season, and Charles Standberry’s departure creates playing time for the rest of the group. Micky Crum struggled to stay healthy, and Averett seemed to pass Jordan Davis on the depth chart toward the end of the year. Expect to see him on the field for the first snap against Alabama.

After that, as a true sophomore, Averett is a big part of this team’s future. Louisville fans will be excited about a 2019 team quarterbacked by an experienced Jawon Pass. Averett is going to be a top target for Pass as long as he’s here.

Jarrett Jackson, defensive end

It was only the spring game, but the surprise of the night was Jackson, who started at defensive end for the Red team and blew up a rushing play in the backfield for a five-yard loss. He wasn’t one of the higher-profile players Louisville brought in last winter, but the coaching staff likes his size (6-foot-6, 277 pounds).

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With James Hearns and Trevon Young gone, there’s playing time available at defensive end opposite Jonathan Greenard. Jackson enters camp at one of the candidates to start there, and as he picks up the defense he should play more.

Plus, Louisville has a good recent history with guys named Jackson who wear No. 8.

Anthony Johnson, cornerback

If this is true, credit Greenard for the tip. Asked to name a player who wasn’t generating publicity but should be, Greenard said Johnson. A 6-foot-1 redshirt freshman, Johnson hasn’t played a snap in college, but he had the opportunity to sit out because Louisville was set at cornerback with Jaire Alexander and Trumaine Washington.

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If last year taught the Cards anything, it should be that they need depth at cornerback, and Johnson provides that behind Mbanasor, Rodjay Burns and Russ Yeast. He should get some looks on special teams and maybe as a slot cornerback, with a chance to move up the rotation quickly.

Jake Lourim: 502-582-4168; jlourim@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @jakelourim. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/jakel.