Steve Jones

Courier Journal

With Louisville's football season set to kick off on Sept. 2, here's our ranking of the Cardinals' 10 best players in 2017:

10. Reggie Bonnafon, RB, Sr.

Bonnafon, who has gone from quarterback to running back to receiver to running back, has had modest production during his U of L career, including 12 catches for 141 yards and four touchdowns in 2016, but coach Bobby Petrino has said that's due in part to the Cards failing to get Bonnafon enough touches. He's a speedster with good hands who knows the offense inside and out. Though he'll split time with Jeremy Smith and Malik Williams, Bonnafon will likely get ample chances to be U of L's featured back and make his senior season his most impactful.

9. Seth Dawkins, WR, So.

The 6-foot-3-inch, 214-pound Dawkins is ranked here more for his promise and potential than for his results. As the only true freshman to play on offense in 2016, Dawkins had only 11 catches for 191 yards and one TD last season, playing behind multiple upperclassmen. With some of those players now gone, Dawkins, a former four-star recruit with huge hands, is positioned to become the Cards' No. 2 receiver and one of the breakout players of the offense. He seems to be peaking at the right time in the preseason. Petrino said he was a standout of last Saturday's scrimmage, calling it Dawkins' best day of camp.

More:Alexander on first-team preseason All-American, Jackson second team

8. Drew Bailey, DT, Sr.

U of L's best interior defensive lineman is an accomplished run stopper and capable pass rusher with a quick get-off who can make an impact on every down. Bailey's 58 tackles were sixth-most on the team last season and the most by a D-lineman. His 11 tackles for loss, which included two sacks, ranked third on the team. Bailey led all players nationally in interior D-line stops, according to ProFootballFocus, and his 11 tackles against Duke and nine tackles against LSU were examples of his high-volume playmaking for a man of his size (6-3, 294).

7. James Hearns, DE/OLB, Sr.

An athletic pass rusher, Hearns established himself last season with a team-high eight sacks, including 4.5 through in the first four games. Hearns also has a talent for knocking the ball away from the quarterback, tying for No. 4 nationally and No. 2 all-time at U of L with five forced fumbles in 2016. The 6-3 Hearns is listed at 248 pounds, but he said he actually weighs between 238 and 244 on any given day, having shed weight in order to become even quicker off the edge.

More:Projecting Louisville football's depth chart as of Aug. 21

6. Jaylen Smith, WR, Jr.

A big, fast wideout at 6-4, 220, Smith has the opportunity to go from key player for U of L to ACC star in 2017 as he's in line to be Lamar Jackson's No. 1 wide receiver. Smith was a big-play specialist for Louisville last season, ranking No. 3 nationally in average yards per catch (22.2), but he'll have chances this year to greatly up his 2016 totals for receptions (27), yards (599) and touchdowns (six). Smith is ranked No. 100 among 2018 NFL draft prospects by CBSSports.com, third-best on the team behind No. 23 Jackson and No. 25 Jaire Alexander.

5. Stacy Thomas, LB, Sr.

A steady playmaker who can reliably defend the run, blitz and drop in coverage, Thomas was second on the team last season (and first among returning players) with 85 tackles, including 7.5 for losses. He also had an interception and two fumble recoveries. Thomas is the highest-graded returning linebacker in the country, according to ProFootballFocus.

4. Trevon Young, DE, Sr.

Here's assuming Young is back to peak form after his long recovery from a hip injury suffered in the Music City Bowl. For about a month during the 2015 season, Young was as dominant a pass rusher as anyone in college football. He had eight sacks in a three-game span that season and finished with 8 1/2 sacks in all. Looking like his old self by all accounts, the 6-4, 254-pound Young and Hearns will be a dangerous duo on the edges of the D-line.

More:Cards start the season ranked No. 16 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll

3. Chucky Williams, S, Sr.

Williams seems underrated in the ACC, reliably doubling as a ball hawk and a big hitter in the Cardinals' secondary. He had three interceptions and two fumble recoveries in 2016 and was third on the team in tackles (74), behind only inside linebackers Keith Kelsey and Thomas. It'll be no surprise if Williams, ideally sized at 6-2, 216, begins to earn more buzz this season as NFL prospect.

2. Jaire Alexander, CB, Jr.

A preseason AP All-American, Alexander is probably more unanimously regarded as a top NFL prospect than even the Heisman Trophy winner Jackson, with many analysts projecting him as a 2018 first-round pick. He plays the ball well — recording five interceptions, including an unbelievable one against Clemson star Mike Williams to save a touchdown, and nine other pass breakups last year — and he also plays a physical style in which he tackles well in open space and can press receivers at the line of scrimmage. He's also really fast, recording the best 40-yard dash time on the team in the spring (4.32 seconds on a track). And he's also an exceptional punt returner who ranked 15th nationally in 2017 in average return yards (10.5) and ran a touchdown back against Florida State.

1. Lamar Jackson, QB, Jr.

The easiest pick of the bunch. The best player in the country last year quite possibly deserves the No. 1 ranking for the greatest player in U of L history. Certainly, he had the best season in school history last year with more than 5,100 total yards and 51 total touchdowns. If he has a similar season in 2017, it's hard to imagine he won't be back in New York for the Heisman ceremony again.

Just outside the top 10: Jonathan Greenard, OLB/DE; Geron Christian, OT; Lukayus McNeil, OG/OT; Mekhi Becton, OT; Malik Williams, RB; Jeremy Smith RB; Dez Fitzpatrick, WR; C.J. Avery, OLB/S.