Three Saturdays from game day in Orlando, some confidence is spilling over from Alabama's first opponent.

Louisville receiver Dez Fitzpatrick didn't hesitate meeting with local media on the matchup he anticipates with the Crimson Tide secondary Sept. 1 in Orlando.

"Every receiver in our receiver corps can honestly beat every one of their DBs one-on-one in coverage," Fitzpatrick said in a video tweeted by WLKY-TV. "It ties into the other stuff, if the blocks are right, if the quarterback's drop is right, we ran eight-yard routes instead of a 10-yard route, that's the kind of stuff I feel like we need to sharpen up.

"But I feel like straight talent-wise, I feel like we have the upper edge against their secondary, 1,000 percent."

Notes from UofL Media Day (a thread): @dezfitz8 on @AlabamaFTBL's secondary: "Every receiver in our receiver core can honestly beat every one of their DB's in 1on1 coverage"...#L1C4 #RollTide @WLKY pic.twitter.com/JAR5V4OmHz — Dan Koob (@DanKoob) August 11, 2018

Fitzpatrick caught 45 passes for 699 yards as a redshirt freshman and Lamar Jackson at quarterback. Now that Jackson is with the Baltimore Ravens, Jawon Pass is the Cardinal passer. Coming out of high school, Fitzpatrick was a four-star recruit ranked 53rd among receivers in the 247Sports composite.

Jaylen Smith, Louisville's top returning receiver, had an emergency appendectomy in the first week of practice. Coach Bobby Petrino said he expects him to play against Alabama, 247Sports reported.

Alabama is replacing practically the entire secondary including both starting cornerbacks. Safety Deionte Thompson, who started both playoff games, is the most experienced player in the defensive backfield that lost NFL draft picks Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ronnie Harrison and Anthony Averett.

Alabama hasn't played Louisville since the 1991 Fiesta Bowl when the Cardinals won, 34-7.

Michael Casagrande is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.