Louisville football got some major news today when Bralyn Oliver committed over offers from Oklahoma, Florida, FSU, and Georgia. Gunter Brewer offered Oliver about a year ago before he committed to Georgia. They really turned up the heat after he decommitted in the fall. Oliver is a three-star safety in the 247 composite with Rivals ranking him as the 18th best safety in the country.
The Louisville defense needs help at Safety in this class with the top players on the depth chart due to graduate after the season. Oliver is one of the top guys they’ve been pursuing, so it’s a great sign that they were able to get him during the pandemic. Oliver is the type of talent that can come in and compete for early playing time. At worst, he will add quality depth behind the other young guys they have coming back.
Oliver played corner and wide receiver last season and his ball skills are really impressive. He can high point the football and catches the ball with his hands away from his body. He can also cover outside receivers comfortably. Top end speed is another plus in his game so I think he should be able to take on the role that we see Russ Yeast play. Oliver has also expressed a desire to play a hybrid role like Isaiah Simmons played at Clemson. That could lead to him being an option for the “Card” position.
Louisville has three commitments in the class as of now. Oliver and Victoine Brown would both be rated in the top five of the 2020 class. That’s a solid start and Louisville has a chance to land a few players who are more highly ranked than those two. What might be more important is the offer lists that these players have. Beating out playoff and potential playoff teams for talent is a great sign for the ability of this staff to upgrade the talent on the roster.
Time to make history @SC_DBGROUP @Backendcoach12 @CoachSattUofL @CoachB_BROWN @DeShawnBaker6 @JasonPugheXOS @ElitePositionTr @elitesportsmktg @RivalsFriedman @Nakeishaoliver1 pic.twitter.com/0Ywgbq1rbq
— Bralyn “B” Oliver (@bralynoliver8) April 24, 2020