Scott Satterfield hasn’t coached a game at Louisville, but he’s already answered skeptics’ biggest question.

Could he recruit?

That seemed a reasonable query for a coach moving up from tiny Appalachian State to the Atlantic Coast Conference, where he’d battle Clemson and Florida State for top recruits, not Georgia State.

After a slow start on the trail, Satterfield’s Cardinals have been riding an impressive streak the past few weeks. Louisville has risen from obscurity all the way to No. 19 nationally in the 247Sports team rankings.

Louisville has landed fourteen recruits since the start of June and Satterfield has proven that he’s capable of attracting the type of prospects that will help the Cardinals quickly compete again in the ACC.

“It’s extremely impressive how the Louisville coaching staff has recruited so far,” said former Louisville and NFL center Eric Wood. “They’ve landed a ton of commitments this summer from guys they were really high on internally. Great sign for this staff and the future of the program!”

Satterfield isn’t riding a lucky streak. This month’s success has been in the works since he arrived from Boone, NC. Satterfield, and an able staff of assistants, have been building relationships with prospects, parents and high school coaches. They lined up visits, positioned Louisville with recruits and decision-makers and closed the deal on campus.

Like other successful coaches at Louisville, including Howard Schnellenberger and Bobby Petrino, Satterfield has placed heavy recruiting focus in the southeast. Six of Louisville’s 18 commitments hail from Georgia; Four call Florida home. Recruiting those talent-rich states has been the recipe for success at Louisville for decades. Satterfield clearly has the recruiting chops to get it done where it counts most.

Satterfield’s other eight recruits show that he’s capable of casting a wide net, with one commitment coming from each of the following states: Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee. Those states produce lots of talent, too, and Satterfield’s has assembled a staff that can open doors across the map.

Perhaps most important, Satterfield is reestablishing Louisville as a factor in the Bluegrass. After losing several top targets to chief rival Kentucky during Petrino’s final season, including local stars Jared Casey and JJ Weaver, Satterfield has landed a pair of top local prospects this recruiting cycle: DB Josh Minkins and OL Austin Collins.

After fielding one of the worst defenses in the country last season, Satterfield’s first full class at Louisville has been defense-heavy. The current class including a trio of defensive linemen: Henry Bryant, Jared Dawson and Dezmond Tell; three linebackers, including Marvin Dallas, the No. 1 junior college outside linebacker by 247Sports; and several promising defensive backs, including safeties Josh Minkins and Zay Peterson. That positive local momentum could help with a few top recruits still on the board, including talented Male wide receiver Izayah Cummings.

Louisville’s 2020 class already includes a quarterback — Tee Webb — but the Cardinals are actively recruiting another to join the class, including 4-star Chubba Purdy, who made an official visit last month. Most of Louisville’s recruiting focus offensively, however, has been rebuilding a subpar offensive line. Timothy Lawson, Kobe Baynes, Luke Kandra and Austin Collins will help do just that.

“I’m impressed with Scott,” Louisville athletic director Vince Tyra told ESPN 680. “He has stayed the course. I’ll be watching closely how well the staff works together (this season) and what that creates from here. He wanted to have a staff that would be here for more than a year and I think we addressed that.”

With the 2019 season around the corner, Louisville faces a sizable rebuilding job following a two win campaign last year. Fortunately, the Cardinals have a proven head coach who knows how to build programs, develop talent and win. Now, Louisville fans know beyond doubt that Scott Satterfield can attract the type of recruits he'll need to compete and win against ACC rivals where it counts -- on the field.