Strong changes the attitude, lands best Louisville football class ever

Charlie Strong just left the spacious recruiting lounge at the Howard Schnellenberger Football Complex with a big smile on his face. The University of Louisville coach didn’t get everybody he wanted, but he will have to be satisfied with the best football recruiting class in the program’s history.

Just moments earlier, with snow flurries and temperatures stalled in the teens outside the window overlooking Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium, Strong announced the signing of 20 players (including early enrollees), among them 13 super athletes from South Florida.

Widely regarded as among the top 25 recruiting classes in college football.

“Recruiting is an attitude. For us to compete on a BCS level, we had to recruit these type of players,” he said. “For us to recruit on an elite level, the whole attitude has to change,” he said. “It has to change with the players, with the coaches and with the administration … For us to move forward, we have to recruit classes like this.”

The recruiting haul also included top talent from Louisville, including wide receiver DeVante Parker from Ballard with 68 pass receptions and 1,793 yards (fourth all-time in state history), as well as defensive tackle Jamon Brown and safety Jaylen Harrington from Fern Creek and placekicker punter John Wallace from Central Hardin who connected on 32 of 40 field goal attempts during high school.

The crown jewel is probably Teddy Bridgewater, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound quarterback from Miami Northwestern. Threw for 2,606 yards and 22 touchdowns while rushing for 223 yards and eight more touchdowns.

Plenty of reasons to smile.