SI's PreSeason Top 10 Heisman

[Jake_Ryan]

I think "mop up duty" is generally recognized as when someone plays when the outcome of the game has already been decided. I've got to agree, though, that to have a soph in the Top 10 of the Heisman watch after only seeing limited action the previous is unusual but I think it boils down what ET said, weak proven offensive talent returning .....

I generally agree, but some of it also has to do with Brohm's hype out of high school and a lot has to do with how well he played as a true Freshman.  I think he'll prove he belongs on the list this year.

[smazza]

and that he is guaranteed to play

[TripleB]

I generally agree, but some of it also has to do with Brohm's hype out of high school and a lot has to do with how well he played as a true Freshman.  I think he'll prove he belongs on the list this year.

Just curious,but was Leak on preseason Heisman watches in his soph year?

[E.T.]

Sure Leak was also . . . he had a very good FR year and started many games that he played great.

[Apis Bull]

from leinhart to brohm is a big drop off

I'm not sure you can say that with any certainty.  Leinhart has had a lot more weapons around him and Brohm hasn't played a full season yet.

[BullDoug]

Brohm would not of got the reps he did at UL if it wasn't for "family" on the coaching staff.  He's an excellent QB but he never beat out LeFors who was a darn good college QB.  Does he belong on that list?  Well there are probably more deserving players, even on the defensive side of the ball, but if Brohm plays to his potential this season he'll be Top 5 next season so mignt as well get the ball started.  And if the writer is wrong, no big deal.  If Brohm gets invited to NY in Dec, its a great call.

[CardHack]

For the sake of clarification regarding the Miami game, Brian Brohm entered the game with 12:00 to go in the game when Lefors had sustained a concussion prior to fumbling a snap on 3rd and 1 at the Louisville 22 yard line. Upon entering, Louisville's drive stalled due to consecutive holding penalties (one of which was on a 3rd and 7 conversion by Brohm). Louisville punted away with the lead, and by the time Devin Hester blistered the punter Miami was up. Brohm then lead Louisville on an 80 yard drive that gave Louisville the lead back with four minutes left.

Generally at the Spring Game at UofL, the first teamers go against the second teamers. During UofL's Spring Game this season that happened again.

Defensively, Louisville returns three of it's four DL starters...DE Elvis Dumervil (6"1, 255 Sr), Montavious Stanley (6"3, 320 Sr.) and Amobi Okoye (6"1, 317 Jr.) as DTs. By season's end, Dumervil might well have been Louisville's most productive lineman, but I attribute alot of that to Stanley's commanding alot of double teams from the tackle. Last season Louisville was relatively thin at not only DE and DT, playing only one reserve at each position virtually all season, but also was that way at LB. They do lose all-conference middle linebacker Hammer McCune to the NFL, but do return Brandon Johnson (6"5, 225 Sr) and Abe Brown (6"4, 230 Jr.). Louisville is probably going to be deeper than in '04 in the front seven and had the benefit of not only a good redshirt freshman class to draw from at linebacker (with Floridians Johnnie Burns of Jacksonville, Lamar Myles of Lakeland and Mozell Axson of Miami) and DL, but two notable JUCOs DE Zach Anderson (6"4, 265) and former Miami signee LB Nate Harris (6"1, 210) are being looked at to press for first team reps as well as Army All-American Bowl participant DE Earl Heyman (6"3, 260).

Louisville's one noticeable gap from 2004 is at the safeties, where Kerry Rhodes takes his wares to the Jets as a fourth rounder, and Brent Johnson and JT Haskins graduated. The Sharp brothers from Jacksonville Bolles, Antoine who was a part-time starter at corner and Brandon, are the lead candidates from the Spring. Safety is the one position where it's likely you'll see true freshman in the two deep.