/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46544554/usa-today-8096200.0.jpg)
Louisville received its 12th commitment for the 2016 class today when Malik Staples of Peachtree Ridge HS (Suwanee, GA) pledged to Bobby Petrino and staff. Staples recently attended a camp at Louisville and had previously said the Cardinals stood out to him. Staples is also a teammate of Louisville commitment Baylen Buchanan. He announced his commitment on Twitter today.
I'm a Cardinal ‼️‼️‼️ ◾️ ◾️ ◻️ #L1C4 #CardNation pic.twitter.com/vdQ03ulXHE
— Malik Staples (@MalikStaples_1) June 16, 2015
Staples is a composite three-star running athlete according to 247Sports. They also rate him as the #95 athlete in the country. He's a big back with very good size and strength as you can see in his video below. He's comfortable running in between the tackles and while he's not a burner, he's adept at playing in I-formation, pistol formations, and in the shotgun (all of which are going to be integral parts of the Louisville offense going forward whether Tylin Oden is the class' final commitment or they also land Jawon Pass). He boasts offers from Georgia Tech, Iowa, Oregon State, Wake Forest, and other Power 5 programs.
Petrino and his staff continue to show recruiting won't be anywhere near the issue many (including yours truly) feared it would be.