The Cardinal Countdown: 88 Days Until Kickoff

Before we jump into it, I just wanted to give some love to the Cardinal Nine. I know this season may be viewed as coming up short, but setting records Year 1 in the ACC and returning a ton of talent next year is reason for hope moving forward. For the guys moving on, thank you for helping to continue the tradition and establishing Louisville as a premier baseball program. Proud to call you Cardinals. Moving on...

#88 Javonte Bagley

Class: Sophomore

Ht/Wt: 6-3/192

Position: Wide Receiver

Hometown: Vero Beach, FL

Twitter:@Javonte_bagley

Thoughts: This time last year Bagley was a mystery, as most freshmen are. We weren’t quite sure how he would fit into an extremely deep wide receiving core and most figured he was a role player at best in 2014 waiting on his chance to shine once Parker, Rogers, De La Cruz, Harris…you get the point, all moved on. Then, the fall started and Bagley was getting rave reviews from coaches and fans alike. He was picking up the system, making plays and some identified him as the 3^rd or 4^th best receiver on the team during camp. Well, fall camp is obviously much different than the actual games and it appeared that Bagley, as anticipated, would still need some polishing to compete at the D1 level or to beat out any of the vets for playing time. So, as we flash forward to 2015 I have a shiny gold star next Javonte on the roster as one of the guys I look at to provide some quality minutes as a Sophomore. At 6-3 and 192lb he has the size the replace a Parker on the outside but I think JaQuay Savage (Texas A&M transfer who sat out last season) grabs that spot due to experience and a slightly bigger frame. The other outside position could go to either Quick or Staples (UAB transfer). If Staples does win the job I think Quick moves back to the slot, if not, Bagley has some competition but should remain a solid #2 guy on either side of the field. He was the leading receiver for the White squad in the Spring Game and made some nice moves with the ball after the catch. I know McGee and Petrino will slide guys in out regularly but I see Bagley taking a big leap from his 2 reception, 18yd totals a season ago. It’s crazy to think that after losing 5 of your top 6 receivers from  last season the cupboard is once again filling up with some brand new and very talented faces.

Sweet Tweet:

Only good thing about living in Bettie hall is that comfy cow is two steps away

— Javonte Bagley (@Javonte_bagley) June 14, 2014

While I doubt Brooke is pumped about that tweet you never stand between somebody and their ice cream. I’m sure Bagley puts in the work to sweat off those few hundred calories, myself on the other hand….well lets’ just say I might need to reference last year’s chart a little closer before I head down to the pool. For what it’s worth, Cookies & Cream is tough to beat nowadays, but when I was growing up, vanilla and orange swirl was a frosty gift from the dairy gods.