Diving into the Louisville football media guide

The 2014 Louisville football media guide is out, and, boy, do I have a lot of reading to do -- 208 pages to be exact.

One of the most informational parts of the guide is the depth chart toward the front (and the black jersey, black helmet cover without specific players picked out).

Let's go position-by-position and talk about the names listed, and the names NOT listed.

QB
Will Gardner, So., 6-5, 226
Kyle Bolin, R-Fr., 6-2, 203
Brett Nelson, Sr., 6-4, 220

No surprise at the top. Gardner is the undisputed starter and looked that way in spring. That, coach Bobby Petrino said Thursday, hasn't changed. This is one of those penciled-in lists of backups. I would be surprised if the Nos. 2 and 3 spots stay this way after pre-season practices. Freshman Reggie Bonnafon and juco transfer Pat Thomas were brought in to challenge Bolin and Nelson.

RB
Dominique Brown, Sr., 6-2, 233
LJ Scott, Fr., 6-0, 228
Michael Dyer, Sr., 5-9, 213
Brandon Radcliff, So., 5-9, 214

Look at freshman LJ Scott occupying that No. 2 spot. It makes sense. He looked like a veteran in the spring game, running with elusiveness and power. Michael Dyer will be a change-up for the running backs, and Dominique Brown, who added 19 pounds, will play as an every-down back. Brandon Radcliff showed signs of his talent before hurting his knee in the spring, but he, along with Corvin Lamb, will also get a shot at some reps, Petrino said.

FB
Lamar Atkins, So., 5-11, 218
Luke Brohm, Jr., 6-1, 232
or Griffin Uhl, So., 6-2, 260

Not a position that'll get a ton of use in Petrino's offense, though he did correct reporters earlier this year when one implied Louisville would use single-back formations only.

XWR
DeVante Parker, Sr., 6-3, 208
Kai De La Cruz, Sr., 6-0, 187

Parker is The Guy in this offense, and will be the most recognizable name to fans and media for the beginning part of the season. He can get downfield, he can bully in the middle. He's an NFL prospect. De La Cruz has the experience teams like in a receiver.

WWR
Eli Rogers, Sr., 5-10, 180
Michaelee Harris, Sr., 6-2, 196

Harris wasn't healthy during spring practice, so having him ready to go boosts Louisville's depth at the position. Rogers will catch a lot of passes this fall. Robert Clark is a noticeable absence from the depth chart -- he left Louisville this summer.

ZWR
James Quick, So., 6-1, 185
Matt Milton, Sr., 6-5, 202

Quick is as talented as anyone on the roster, but his summertime antics have him in the dog house. If he does the work Petrino and staff want him to do, he can be a key weapon downfield for Gardner. If he doesn't, Milton made an impression in spring practices and is a big-bodied deep threat, though he's not as talented as Quick.

TE
Gerald Christian, Sr., 6-3, 244
Keith Towbridge, Fr., 6-5, 263
Luke Brohm, Jr., 6-1, 232

Christian is bound for a breakout year. He's a big body who can block, but he's at his best down as a pass catcher down the seams.

LT
Jamon Brown, Sr., 6-6, 346
Kelby Johnson, Jr., 6-7, 299
Lukayus McNeil, Fr., 6-6, 278

Petrino picked out Brown on Thursday for specific praise, saying the big man had trimmed down to a playing weight of 327 pounds and looked as sharp as anyone in summer workouts. Petrino also mentioned that having Johnson, along with TC Klusman and Chris Acosta, is a big boost to the team's depth on the O-line.

LG
John Miller, Sr., 6-2, 325
Pedro Sibiea, So., 6-3, 294
Skylar Lacy, R-Fr., 6-6, 305

C
Tobijah Hughley, Jr., 6-3, 289
TC Klusman, So., 6-3, 276
Mike Romano, Jr., 6-4, 280

Looks like Hughley won the center job in the spring, which allows Jake Smith to move over to the right side, the problem spot for Louisville's O-line last fall.

RG
Jake Smith, Sr., 6-4, 307
Chris Acosta, Sr., 6-3, 275
Jimmie Terry, Fr., 6-4, 350

RT
Ryan Mack, Jr., 6-5, 309
Aaron Epps, Jr., 6-7, 299
Joe Manley, So., 6-6, 333

Epps was the spring game starter, but Mack seems to be Petrino's favorite for the gig as of now. He missed spring practice, but is healthy and ready to go.

DEFENSE

LE
Sheldon Rankins, Jr., 6-2, 300
James Hearns, R-Fr., 6-3, 272

Hearns added 47 pounds to his frame and moved from linebacker to add some depth here. Rankins is a big factor on this D-line and is expected to be their leader.

NT
DeAngelo Brown, So., 6-0, 319
Johnny Richardson, R-Fr., 6-3, 334

Richardson was, at one point, 285 pounds. He is not that weight any longer. Brown is a promising young player who will be a key guy in the middle.

RE
BJ DuBose, Sr., 6-5, 268
Kyle Shortridge, R-Fr., 6-2, 293
Pio Vatuvei, Jr., 6-2, 275

Shortridge returned from successful ankle surgery and backs up DuBose, who lost 19 pounds over the off-season.

Sam
Deiontrez Mount, Sr., 6-5, 246
Nick Dawson, So., 6-3, 265
Stacy Thomas, R-Fr., 6-1, 249

Look at the sizes here and at the will spot. They are all very similar in either height or weight. This must be the prototype the staff likes, which is why Mount and Mauldin moving to outside rush positions made sense with the coaching change.

Mike
Keith Brown, Jr., 6-1, 236
Keith Kelsey, So., 6-1, 225
Isaac Stewart, Fr., 6-2, 240

This is Keith Brown's moment. He returns from a year off after surgery and Petrino says he's fully healthy and ready to go. That's big news for a guy who has received a ton of praise from both the current and former staffs about his talent.

MO
James Burgess, Jr., 6-0, 227
Lyn Clark, R-Fr., 6-2, 244

Burgess is a less familiar name to people, but he's former U of L linebacker Preston Brown's choice for most likely to break out this fall. He played a lot last fall.

Will
Lorenzo Mauldin, Sr., 6-4, 244
Trevon Young, Jr., 6-4, 233
Finesse Middleton, R-Fr., 5-11, 246
Henry Famurewa, Fr., 6-2, 232

There's some depth at this spot, with Young and Middleton catching Petrino's eye in the past and Famurewa cracking the chart as a freshman. But this position is all about Mauldin, who has a chance to be the star of the defense this year after playing Robin to Marcus Smith's Batman last fall.

LCB
Terell Floyd, Sr., 5-10, 202
Andrew Johnson, Sr., 5-9, 183
Zykiesis Cannon, Fr., 6-0, 183

Guessing that Johnson is the nickel back. Floyd and Gaines are as secure as any player on the depth chart.

RCB
Charles Gaines, Jr., 5-11, 190
Kevin Houchins, So., 5-11, 194
De'Eric Culver, Fr., 6-0, 180
Trumaine Washington, Fr., 5-10, 180

FS
Gerod Holliman, Jr., 6-0, 206
Richard Benjamin, R-Fr., 6-0, 210

SS
Jarrod Barnes, So., 5-11, 200
Chucky Williams, R-Fr., 6-2, 198
Terrence Ross, R-Fr., 6-1, 202

Have to wonder about both safety spots. They are not comfortable with what they have, which is why Petrino and his staff sought several defensive backs through transfers and other means. This may be the most fluctuating group. Keep an eye on transfer James Sample, who isn't listed here.

P
Ryan Johnson, Sr., 5-11, 201
Josh Appleby, Jr., 6-3, 226

K
John Wallace, Jr., 6-0, 194
Josh Appleby, Jr., 6-3, 226v

LS
Grant Donovan, Sr., 6-1, 218
Colin Holba, So., 6-3, 233

H
Ryan Johnson, Sr., 5-11, 201
Kai De La Cruz, Sr., 6-0, 187

PR
Eli Rogers, Sr., 5-10, 180
Kai De La Cruz, Sr., 6-0, 187

KR
Charles Gaines, Jr., 5-11, 190
James Quick, So., 6-1, 185

Rogers and De La Cruz were the punt guys last year. Gaines was the main kick guy. But now Quick is involved. He has speed and smoothness to his runs. That'll be one to follow.