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Friday afternoon Cardinal news and notes

Hattie Back left work early today after deciding that she'd waited long enough to start tailgating for the 2016 football season. It was a power move, but one that demanded the respect of everyone in her life.

By Mike Rutherford

I_medium For all those heading out to practice this afternoon, Louisville has announced that the veteran practice time has been moved from a 4:20 p.m. start to a 3:50 p.m. start.

A quick reminder of the other open practices on the docket this month:

I_medium The C-J's Steve Jones made it out to the open practice featuring the newcomers this morning. Here are a few of his observations.

***I would classify it as an up-and-down day passing for freshman quarterback Jawon Pass. He made some throws, including a great over-the-shoulder completion down the right sideline to Devante Peete in seven-on-seven drills. (Peete has been practicing with the younger group this week.) But Pass also underthrew and overthrew some guys, and I feel like Lamar Jackson connected on more deep balls at this early stage last year than Pass did today. Pass does, however, continue to impress with his size and how he carries himself. He has the body of a big-time quarterback, and he looks comfortable getting almost all the reps in the newcomers' practices.

***Coach Bobby Petrino spent an entire practice segment closely watching and working directly with freshman punter Austin Johnson, who is vying for the starting job against redshirt freshman Mason King. It's surely a sign that Petrino is giving Johnson a long look.Johnson needs only about two steps to get his kicks off, and he was getting nice hang time. He wasn't getting great distance - 35-40 yards usually - but it wasn't clear if kicking it far was the point of that segment of practice.

***Wide receiver Seth Dawkins looks like he has the body to play college ball right now, a big guy whose "monstrous hands, Jamari Staples called them, are obvious as he tucks the ball.

***Running back Dae Williams might be U of L's biggest running back, but he looked mobile as well running between the tackles. He looks like he'll be a powerful guy down the line.

***Running back Malik Williams, a junior-college transfer, made the best catch of the day on a diving grab down the right sideline. I can envision Williams getting in the mix for playing time this year. A big explosive guy.

I_medium With the Opening Ceremonies being held tonight, here's one final reminder that 12 current or former U of L athletes will be competing in this year's Games.

I_medium Preston rules.

I_medium U of L has released the schedule for the upcoming men's golf season.

I_medium Sports on Earth says Louisville will be a top 20 offense in 2016.

20. Louisville. Surprisingly, Louisville's defenses have been ahead of its offenses since Bobby Petrino arrived, but the offense may catch up now that a quarterback has been found. Lamar Jackson started only half his freshman season and still rushed for 960 yards, showcasing dazzling playmaking ability and potential, even if he still needs improvement in terms of passing accuracy. Louisville has a promising, dangerous dual-threat quarterback, and it also has all of its skill players back, led by Jamari Staples and James Quick at receiver. The ongoing question is whether the offensive line can make a leap forward to improve the ground game and ease the pressure on Jackson.

I_medium Jerry Meyer breaks down new U of L commit Malik Williams.

I_medium Eventually this is going to become a reality.

I_medium Here's the full schedule for Cardinal swimmers in Rio.

I_medium ESPN's David Hale says Reggie Bonnafon could be Louisville's (not so) secret weapon in 2016.

You moved around a good bit this spring. What led to receiver being the answer?

Bonnafon: During the spring I was able to get put in a few positions, but being at receiver, it was just a matter of making a lot more plays and being comfortable and not thinking as much and playing fast. That's something our coaches always emphasize, knowing what you're doing. And the receiver spot gives me the best opportunity to do that.

How much did playing QB help you in just having a background for the playbook at receiver?

Bonnafon: That was a major help for me. I knew every position on the offensive side of the ball. The foundation I had learning the playbook as a quarterback, protections, route concepts, it helps me now so that when I'm looking at the install book — I was actually just talking to Kyle Bolin about how it's just a lot easier to go through the playbook and look at one position or one route and still in my mind have that quarterback knowledge of looking at the whole concept. So I use the way I learned at QB and [I'm] using it a different way now. And knowing the playbook so well gives me an opportunity to focus on fundamentals.

Last year, there was a play against Florida State. I had played Jalen Ramsey in high school twice. It was a formation where I was at quarterback and moved out to receiver. He jammed me all the way out of bounds. And that's when I realized technique was really a big deal at this level. Ever since that play, I told myself I'd never let a cornerback touch me like that again. So I can give a lot of credit to him for speeding up the process of footwork and fundamentals.

I_medium Maybe my favorite thing that's happened this summer.

I_medium I gave a summer update on the state of Atlantic 10 basketball ... if that interests you at all. If not, we're still cool.

I_medium The U of L women's basketball team is en route to Cuba for its summer tour.

I_medium Leave Teddy alone.

I_medium Today's U says the Malik Williams commitment proves that nothing can slow down Rick Pitino.

I_medium Here's is a brief look at what life would be like for us if Kentucky ever got decent at football.

I_medium I am enjoying the new Louisville football daily newsletter.

I_medium The trailer for the Showtime reality series on Florida State football is here.

I_medium Liam Benson, a 21-year-old student of the University of Louisville's Equine Industry Program, is already making big moves in the training world.

I_medium One of these things is not like the others.

I_medium Campus Sports outlines five things to watch for when it comes to Louisville football in 2016.

I_medium Virginia, which will look to upset Louisville for the second time in three years, has some major questions as it begins its first camp under Bronco Mendenhall.

I_medium My new coffee mug is better than your best coffee mug.

It's a hot one.

I_medium Syracuse will host Louisville in week two, and the fine humans over at TNIAAM are wondering if the Orange beating the Cardinals would actually do more harm than good.

I_medium U of L transfer Keith Brown, who is playing his final season of college ball at Western Kentucky, still has legitimate NFL aspirations.

I_medium These freakin' people, man.

I_medium ESPN has Lamar Jackson as the ninth-best player in the ACC for 2016.

9. Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson

Jackson had practiced just two days with the Cardinals before coach Bobby Petrino decided the true freshman was going to see action in 2015. By halftime of Louisville's opener, Jackson had established himself as an offensive force. The early results were inconsistent, and he battled some injuries, but when Jackson got loose on the field, he was a nightmare for defenses, racking up 960 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. As a passer, he made strides, capped by a 227-yard, two-touchdown performance in a bowl win over Mississippi State. The expectations for his sophomore year are now sky high.

I_medium Players 1-5 will be revealed today.

I_medium Solid company.

I_medium DeAngelo Brown is one of the six most pivotal players in the ACC for the upcoming season.

I_medium After sparking a national controversy, Butler High School has changed its hair policy.

I_medium Decent group of high-risers here.

I_medium The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette talks about the commitment of Fort Wayne native Malik Williams to Louisville.

I_medium And finally, R&R is live at Visionworks in Middletown today from 3-6. A reminder that if you're a Cubs fan looking to win an all-expenses paid trip -- flight, hotel accommodations, dinner and tickets -- to see your guys play at Wrigley, you only have a couple days left to enter this contest. The winner will be announced Monday morning at  9 a.m. on The Deener Show.

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