LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- With the departure of Malik Cunningham and the arrival of Jeff Brohm as coach, perhaps no position on the University of Louisville football offense has changed like the running back spot.
Brohm's offense is known for passing. He even joked about it in his opening press conference, making reference to running the ball "when we have to." But Brohm knows the importance of his running backs, and has a history of using them not just in the run game but in the passing game.
He's had a running back catch more than 20 passes in all but one of his nine seasons as a head coach, and most years more than 30 passes. The most was in his first season at WKU, when Leon Allen had 51 catches out of the backfield.
At Louisville, you have to go back to a guy like Victor Anderson (2008-11) or Jeremy Wright (41 catches in 2012) to find a running back who was a consistent enough receiver to climb onto Louisville's career or single-season lists for receiving yards by a back.
Beyond that, it's really the first year since Lamar Jackson arrived on the scene in Louisville that the offense hasn't been shaped by a running quarterback (though Javian Hawkins did lead the team in rushing yards in 2019 and 2020).
Jawhar Jordan appears to be the back who can put the "r" back in running back for Louisville. "Jaws" led the team in rushing yards a year ago, with 815 yards on 142 carries. He also caught 10 passes. When injuries sidelined Tiyon Evans, Trevion Cooley and Jalen Mitchell, he responded by running for better than 100 yards In 4 of Louisville's final five games, including the Fenway Bowl victory over Cincinnati.
While other backs (like Cooley, who will face Louisville in its season opener after transferring to Georgia Tech) opted out of the new system, Jordan has embraced it.
"Anything I can do," he said. "If you look at the position at the next level, you have to be versatile, be willing to catch passes, pick up blitzes. That's what we do."
Jordan said his emergence late last season was just a matter of getting an opportunity. With Brohm, he figures to get all the opportunity he wants. The new Louisville head coach has been impressed with Jordan's speed and elusiveness, and with his work ethic in both the running and passing game.
He's not a wideout, like Rondale Moore, but could find himself lining up all over the field depending on the package Louisville Is using.
Two things Jordan is counting on: Without a running quarterback, the running backs figure to get the ball more. And with Brohm's system, they can count on getting it in a wider variety of ways.
"Of course we're going to get the ball more, and it's not going to be like RPO option-type where the quarterback just scans the ball or carries the ball himself," Jordan said. "Definitely look forward to getting the ball more. ... It's just been good learning the playbook and learning different positions. I looked at film from Purdue and saw how they used Rondale Moore. He was lining up in the backfield or out wide. I want to be that type of player for this team."
Something all the backs have appreciated is the opportunity to operate in more space. A year ago, defenses keyed against Louisville's running game, largely locking in on Cunningham to try to contain him.
With a more pro-style approach, defenses have to respect and key on the passing game, which creates running lanes.
"Going against teams last year, they had 8-man boxes and you could just hear them calling our plays," Jordan said. "So it's kind of good that we're more versatile now."
Wisconsin transfer Isaac Guerendo brings size to the Louisville backfield.
Not only are the Cardinals more versatile, but they can show a variety of looks out of the backfield. Maurice Turner, who carried for 314 yards as a freshman last season, brings a skill set similar to Jordan's.
Isaac Guerendo, who transferred from Wisconsin, is a 6-foot-1-inchd, 226-pound bruiser who can provide a much different look.
"It's a neat thing to have so many kinds of backs, and they've all got the juice," said Chris Barclay, Louisville's running backs coach. "In this game, speed kills. Even Isaac has come in — he's a 220-pound man. But, you know, he's made big plays. And I was telling him it's like putting that big 18-wheeler on the highway and putting pedal to the metal, man, let's go. When he when he puts his pedal to the metal, he's big and he's got a lot of velocity in there. You've got to make your mind up and be a grown man to tackle him. Jaws, we know about his speed. Mo has been tremendous, and a lot of big plays catching the ball. So it's certainly an exciting group."
Jordan comes into the season as a leader of the group, but all figure to benefit from a more diversified offense.
"He's just a great kid, great leader," Barclay said. "He understands it. He's very unselfish, plays the game for the team and not for himself. And when you have a guy like that, when your best player is your hardest worker and he's vocal, it raises the room."
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