Wednesday, February 7, 2007 E-mail this | Print page UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE 'Low in numbers but high in impact' That's consensus on Cardinals' class By Jody Demling jdemling@courier-journal.com The Courier-Journal New University of Louisville football coach Steve Kragthorpe and his staff have been playing catchup on the recruiting front since his hiring less than a month ago, but by all indications they've done a bang-up job. The Cardinals' incoming class will be small -- probably only about 16 players -- but there is expected to be plenty of quality when the national signing period begins today. "Most coaches have difficulty pulling in the kind of athletes they want in only a month or two," said Allen Wallace, national recruiting editor for Scout.com and publisher of SuperPrep. "He's been one of the exceptions to the rule." U of L has commitments from the top two players in Kentucky -- Male all-purpose back Douglas Beaumont and St. Xavier running back Victor Anderson -- plus a top running back from Illinois (Dale Martin), the son of a former Super Bowl MVP (Matt Simms) and several big-time junior-college players. "It's unbelievable for a coach to do in a month," CSTV recruiting expert Tom Lemming said. "It's low in numbers but high in impact." The Cardinals will celebrate the signings with a party for fans at 4 p.m. today in the Brown & Williamson Club at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. The Cards' class, which had just four commitments when coach Bobby Petrino bolted for the Atlanta Falcons in early January, is generally ranked among the nation's top 50. It's rated No. 43 by Rivals.com, No. 44 by ESPN.com and No. 49 by Scout.com. "It's solid," ESPN.com analyst Tom Luginbill said. Beaumont, the state's Mr. Football, finished his career at Male with 5,954 yards and 91 touchdowns. Anderson is the all-time leading rusher (4,008 yards) and scorer (75 TDs) in St. X history. Both were first-team Courier-Journal All-Staters, as was another U of L commitment, Newport Central Catholic defensive end Zach Kiernan. Martin rushed for more than 2,700 yards the past two seasons at Bolingbrook (Ill.). Simms -- son of Southern High School, Morehead State and New York Giants great Phil Simms -- led Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep to a state title as a senior. U of L has a commitment from Trotwood (Ohio) Madison defensive back C. J. Peake -- one of the top players in that state -- but he's now considering Wisconsin again and is expected to make an announcement this morning. U of L's list of junior-college players is impressive. It's led by the top-ranked one, Visalia (Calif.) College of the Sequoias defensive back Woodny Turenne, and former University of Miami linebacker Willie Williams. U of L is still awaiting word on several prospects. Lauderdale Lakes (Fla.) Boyd Anderson defensive end Patrick Grant, linebacker Josh Bynes and offensive lineman Kevin Bryant will announce their decisions this morning. The Cardinals still are in the hunt for New Market (Ala.) wide receiver Lydariez Friend. Another prospect, Norco (Calif.) offensive lineman Adam Tello, committed to Arizona State last night.