#46 Lamar Atkins

Class: Freshman Ht/Wt: 5-11/223 Position: Linebacker Hometown: Miami, Fla

Louisville’s Take: Played for Daryle Heidelburg at Miami Norland High School... rated a two-star prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com... brother of fellow signee Keith Brown... an attack style, stand-up end with the ability to rush from depth or drop into coverage... has great athletic ability but needs to bulk up... can cover from sideline-to-sideline and is effective in reading the run... ranked 131st at linebacker by ESPN.com... rated as the 276th-best prospect in Florida by ESPN.com... helped lead Norland to a perfect 15-0 record and Class 5A Florida state championship as a senior... added over 60 tackles as a senior.

Thoughts: Unfortunately for Lamar, the buzz around his recruitment had little to do with his skill set, and more to do with his kinfolk. From early on, highly touted Keith Brown seemed to make it clear that he and his brother Lamar were a package deal, hence their early commitment to Illinois. As the recruiting process opened back up people viewed Lamar as simply being along for the ride with wherever Keith decided was a good fit. Let me say this….what a crock of sh*t!

Am I naïve enough to think that Keith had nothing to do with us going after Lamar, of course not, but let’s give credit where it’s due. Lamar isn’t exactly Wayne Brady in football pads. The guy was the 131st best linebacker in the country last year! Hopefully for Lamar he’ll make a name for himself and step out of the shadows of his very talented brother. With his smaller size I wouldn’t be shocked to see a move to corner or possibly even safety depending upon where he fits best. I’m sure Charlie has a few tricks up his sleeve on how to use Lamar the next few years. Welcome aboard Mr. Atkins, the train is preparing to leave.

Potential Nicknames: "LA"