Louisville Football: 2017 season preview, predictions

Offense

The Cardinals offense begins and ends with junior quarterback Lamar Jackson. As a sophomore, he accounted for 51 touchdowns and over 4,000 yards through the air and on the ground on the way to winning the Heisman. He would have had nearly 2,000 yards rushing had 381 yards not been wiped out from sacks and other tackles for loss.

However, this season we might see a different Lamar Jackson. Head Coach Bobby Petrino talked at some length at the ACC Kickoff about having Jackson take more snaps under center this year. They worked extensively on his footwork and reading of progressions this spring. Petrino gave two reasons for the change in focus. First, he wanted Jackson to be exposed to and get experience in a more pro-style offense he will almost certainly need at the next level. Second, Petrino likes the options in the running game and play action those formations can give him.

For those worried Petrino is handcuffing the most dynamic quarterback college football has seen since Michael Vick, fear not. Here are Petrino‘s exact words:

"Now, we do have a philosophy at the University of Louisville that we call FTS, which means feed the studs. Obviously, Lamar is one of our studs. So don’t think that we’re not going to call quarterback run plays or zone read plays or option plays, because we’re going to give him his opportunities to make big plays and his opportunities to handle things that he did so well last year."

Will Lamar Jackson get any help?

The offensive line betrayed Jackson at the end of the season. He was sacked 11 times in a loss at Houston and eight times in the Citrus Bowl. The good news is Petrino didn’t sit on his hands.

He hired back his old buddy Mike Summers to be the new offensive line coach. Summers previously worked under Petrino the last time he was with Louisville and then followed him to his subsequent stops with the Atlanta Falcons and Arkansas Razorbacks. Since then Summers has worked for Kentucky, USC, and, most recently, Florida.

Summers will be able to shape the line how he sees fit with all of the starting interior linemen from last year gone. Their left and right tackles Geron Christian and Lukayus McNeil are juniors who played in every game last season. McNeil was the only one to miss a start.

More: 5 Louisville position battles to watch

The Cardinals have also lost their top rusher not named Lamar Jackson and their top three receivers. Senior Reggie Bonnafon, who played receiver last year, was touted at the ACC Kickoff as a man who would be moving into the backfield and could carry some of the load left behind by Brandon Radcliff. Senior Jeremy Smith is coming off a Jones fracture but should be ready to go by the start of fall practice.

Junior Jaylen Smith, who is coming off his own Jones fracture, is the Cardinals’ best returning receiver. He caught six touchdowns and led the team in yards per catch at 22.2.