It's no secret at this point, but Louisville has some extremely talented offensive skill position players.
Two of those players, Javian Hawkins and Tutu Atwell, were named to the 2020 All-ACC Preseason Football Team.
The official release from UofL:
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Louisville wide receiver Tutu Atwell and running back Javian Hawkins were named to the 2020 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Football Team, the conference office announced Friday.
Preseason honors were determined by a vote of 134 league media members, which also voted the Cardinals to finish four in the league in the preseason poll. Clemson was picked to win the league followed by Notre Dame, which is playing a 10-game league schedule.
Atwell delivered a standout sophomore campaign in 2019, earning first team All-ACC honors after setting the school record for receiving yards and tying the mark for touchdown receptions in a season. Atwell caught 70 passes for a league-leading 1,276 yards 12 touchdowns. He also knotted the school record with seven 100-yard receiving games and led the nation with four receptions of 70 or more yards.
Atwell closed the season with a career high nine receptions for 147 yards in the 2019 Music City Bowl win over Mississippi State and registered a career best 152 receiving yards in a win over Syracuse last season. The 5-foot-9 speedster recorded his first three-touchdown game in a 38-21 win over Western Kentucky last season.
Hawkins finished seventh nationally in rushing with 1,520 yards and nine touchdowns in guiding the Cardinals to an 8-5 record after a 38-28 win over Mississippi State in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30.
The Titusville, Fla., native set the school record for most rushing yards by a running back, breaking Howard Stevens' previous mark of 1,429 yards in 1971. It was the third-most yards in a season at Louisville, behind quarterback Lamar Jackson's 1,601 yards in 2017 and 1,571 in 2016.
Hawkins finished third in the league in rushing and tying for the league lead with eight 100-yard rushing games – the most in school history by a running back and second behind Jackson's school record of 10.
The 5-foot-9 running back started 12 games and grabbed ACC Rookie and Running Back of the Week honors twice during his first full season. He rushed for 233 yards – the second most in the ACC this season – in a win over Syracuse. It was the first 200-yard rushing game by a Cardinal since Lamar Jackson had 226 against Texas A&M on Dec. 30, 2015 and the most rushing yards by a Cardinal since Anthony Allen rushed for 275 against Middle Tennessee on Sept. 6, 2007.
Additionally, the Cardinals were picked to finish fourth in the league behind Clemson, Notre Dame, and North Carolina.
ACC Preseason Poll (First-place votes in parenthesis, followed by total points)
1. Clemson (132) – 2008
2. Notre Dame (2) – 1824
3. North Carolina – 1682
4. Louisville – 1434
5. Virginia Tech – 1318
6. Miami – 1280
7. Florida State – 1177
8. Pitt – 1132
9. Virginia – 994
10. Wake Forest – 659
11. NC State – 634
12. Duke – 618
13. Boston College – 532
14. Syracuse – 449
15. Georgia Tech – 339
Louisville avoided two out of the top three preseason teams in Clemson and North Carolina.
Add being selected to the 2020 All-ACC Preseason Football Team to the list of honors for Javian Hawkins and Tutu Atwell, who are slated to have monster years in their second year in Scott Satterfield's dynamic offense.
As far as Louisville being picked fourth in the league, I would say that was probably the most likely choice for the Cards, who have a chance to finish even higher given the schedule that doesn't feature Clemson or North Carolina.
