FanPost

The Cardinal Countdown...40 Days Till Kickoff

#40 Joshua Appleby

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Class: Freshman Ht/Wt: 6-3/225 Position: Kicker/Punter Hometown: Athens, Ala

Louisville’s Take: Played for Jeff Pugh at East Limestone High School... rated two-star prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com... has been mentored by Mike McCabe of One-On-One Kicking and former NFL kicker/punter Craig Hentrich... five-star prospect by Kohl's Kicking... selected to the play in the sixth annual Offense-Defense All-America Game at Cowboys Stadium... attended the Kohl's Spring National Showcase at the University of Alabama in 2010 and won the kickoff competition... rated as the 38th kicker and the eighth punter by the Kohl's Professional Kick Camp... ranked as the 13th-best kicker by Rivals.com...

Thoughts: The sky is the limit for Joshua at UofL. Having only been playing the game for a few years it’s impressive to see what he’s already accomplished. Appleby had an offer from Kentucky as well and was receiving interest from Alabama and Florida before committing to the Cards. In high school he became more of a kicker as he became comfortable with the position, but was actually rated as a better punter. I’m not sure how the starting roles for kicker and punter will play out, but after losing Philpott I’d say Josh has a chance in getting at least one of the roles if not both as the season continues.

Welcome to the long line of amazing specialists at Louisville Mr. Appleby. Maybe one day you will be mentioned with the likes of Akers, Smith, Philpott and of course, Lou Groza Award Winner Mr. Arthur Carmody.

Potential Nicknames: "Appleby, Your Neighborhood Kicker", "Goldenfoot"

#40 Chris Zelli

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Class: RS Senior Ht/Wt: 5-11/201 Position: Linebacker Hometown: Jeffersonville, Ind (Product of Jeffersonville High)

Louisville’s Take: Attended Franklin College ... played for Steve Cooley at Jeffersonville High School ... three-time all-state player and all-conference ... Indiana All-Star ... school record holder in career and season sacks ... fifth in school history in tackles.

Thoughts: Chris walked-on last year after spending some time up at Franklin College playing for the Grizzlies. Chris didn’t see any game action last year and I’m curious to see how he gets utilized this season. At 5-11 and 201lb he’s on the smaller side of being a D-I linebacker, but I could see him getting some reps there or possibly even the safety position. All I know is the kid can sack the quarterback. Setting the school record for career and season sack totals is pretty impressive, no matter who the competition. I’ll look for Chris to continue to be a solid practice player and grab some minutes when we appear to have the game in hand.

Potential Nicknames: "The Bagger" (Because he gets sacks)

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