Friday Morning Notebook | Preseason Camp 2015
August 07, 2015 | Football
Quarterback Reggie Bonnafon during the first day of preseason training camp on Thursday.
Preseason Camp Photo Gallery | Thursday, Aug. 6
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football team's 2015 preseason training camp is underway and here is a look at the latest news and notes on the Cardinals.
Rain Pushes Cardinals Indoors on Day One of Camp
Morning and afternoon rain showers forced both sessions of Louisville's first day of preseason training camp to be moved inside the Trager Center but the weather did not limit the team's movements. The Cardinals conducted a morning practice session for the newcomers and an afternoon session with the veterans and the results were encouraging for the coaches.
"We brought the young guys out early this morning and I thought it was good work. I like the talent that we have. We have some size on the defensive front. We got a lot of good work in with the young guys," said head coach Bobby Petrino during the Thursday evening media session. "We've got some talent at receiver and I like (QB) Lamar Jackson. He's a really good athlete. He's got a live arm. He just has a lot to learn, but I was impressed with his ability. I like our young safeties and I thought they did a really good job this morning. It looks like they're quick learners and they're very athletic, with the kind of size that we need.
During the afternoon practice, the defense held an advantage over the offense, which came as no surprise to Petrino. Despite that defensive edge, Petrino was encouraged by what he saw from Louisville's three veteran quarterbacks.
"In the vets' practice this afternoon, what normally happens, happened again today. When you're in just helmets, the defense always has the upper hand. It's always a little harder for the offense to run block without shoulder pads on and in pass protection, the defense always has a little upper hand, so we were inconsistent on offense," Petrino explained. "All three quarterbacks (Reggie Bonnafon, Kyle Bolin, Will Gardner) took a lot of reps. We'll have to watch the video and grade it out and see where they're at, but they all showed some good signs. They all had some plays that you would like to see them do better, particularly being accurate with the ball. Overall, it was a good opening day."
Veterans Radcliff, Scott Lead Running Backs on Day One
"I like our running backs. I think before it's over with, they're going to be a really good group," Petrino said. "Brandon (Radcliff) is doing a really nice job running the ball. L.J. (Scott) can really catch the ball out of the backfield. He probably had more catches than anyone out there today and made a couple of really nice catches. I think it's going to be good competition and I like our running back group."
Radcliff, a junior from Miami, led the Cardinals in rushing in 2014 with 737 yards (5.1 yards per carry) and scored a team-high 12 touchdowns. He had three 100-yard performances, including rushing for 136 yards on 17 carries in the 31-28 win at Notre Dame. Scott, a sophomore from Marion, Ohio, played in all 13 games as a true freshman and ran for a career-best 126 yards in the win over Murray State.
Young Safeties Pass, Smith Have the Look
"I thought this morning that they showed a lot of ability and really broke on the ball well, and I like the way they look," said Petrino when describing freshman safeties Khane Pass and Dee Smith. "They look like what you want at safety out there. And I do like their quickness and speed."
Pass is a 6-1, 200-pounder from Columbus, Georgia, while Smith is another 6-1, 200-pounder hailing from Florence, Alabama. Pass was rated as the No. 29 safety nationally by both 247Sports and Rivals.com and was ranked as a top 50 prospect in the talent rich state of Georgia. Smith was a 4-star recruit who was also tabbed as the No. 16 player in the state of Alabama by Rivals.com and was ranked as the No. 11 safety in the country by Scout.com.
Freshmen Offensive Linemen Christian, Thomas Display Eagerness to Learn
"They're big and they're talented. They did a pretty good job in pass protection. They are guys that are really eager to learn," Petrino said of freshmen Geron Christian and Kenny Thomas. "I came out of the building the other day and Geron and Kenny both had their playbooks, sitting on the steps studying and reading their playbooks. I think they're real eager to learn and they're both talented. We'll just have to see how quickly we can bring them along."
Christian is a 6-6, 320-pounder from Ocala, Florida and is the younger brother of former Louisville tight end Gerald Christian. Thomas is also listed at 6-6, 320 pounds and hails from Montgomery, Alabama. Christian was rated as a 3-star prospect out of Trinity Catholic High School, while Thomas was a 3-star talent from Prattville High School.
