Louisville football: 3 second-year players who'll become stars in 2023

Louisville football: 3 second-year players who’ll become stars in 2023

Nov 19, 2022; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals running back Maurice Turner (20) runs the ball against the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the second half at Cardinal Stadium. Louisville defeated North Carolina State 25-10. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports /

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Westfield Shamrocks Popeye Williams (2) jumps to celebrate after sacking Zionsville Eagles quarter back at Westfield High School, Westfield, Ind., Friday, September 4, 2020. Westfield Shamrocks defeated the Zionsville Eagles, 49-16.Ini Hs Football Zionville Vs Westfield /

We didn’t see a ton of Popeye Williams last season for Louisville, but you can bet Jeff Brohm is going to utilize the former top-200 edge rusher more than Scott Satterfield did before he left. Brohm is going to utilize all of the top talent on the roster that he can to get Louisville turned back in the right direction.

Williams fits that bill.

Coming to Louisville as the No. 180 recruit in the country as well as the 17th-best edge rusher, Williams probably expected to contribute right away but he played in just six games and had three total tackles. He didn’t quite have the impact that he, or anyone else, expected, but it’s not easy for freshmen to become stars.

With another year in the program and with a new coaching staff getting fresh eyes on the depth chart, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Williams crack that starting lineup or, at the very least, the two-deep.

He’s just far too talented to keep off the field for too long. And we’ll see that in 2023.

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