Malik Cunningham, Louisville Football News: Draft Scout Player News

08/03/22 - QB Malik Cunningham, rSr/2023, Louisville

A good portion of Malik Cunningham's spring was devoted to getting him more comfortable passing in the pocket as opposed to being more prone to run. He showed progress in that during the spring and continued the work over the summer. Part of that was developing even more confidence in his receivers group, which was built both on and off the field. With more at his disposal, the hope is that Cunningham can do less while still being a dynamic, dual-threat quarterback for the Cardinals. Last year, Cunningham totaled a team-high 1,031 rushing yards - fifth-most in the ACC - becoming the second Cardinals quarterback to reach 1,000 rushing yards after Lamar Jackson accomplished the feat in 2016 and 2017. Cunningham also threw for 2,941 yards, becoming the second player in school history to eclipse 2,800 yards with 19 rushing and passing touchdowns in a season for a combined total of 39.

His numbers helped Louisville's total offense to rank No. 14 in the country, though it didn't always translate into wins for the squad. The Alabama native will have one last fall camp with the Cardinals to make the necessary adjustments to his game to not just help himself and preserve his longevity, but also to use the depth he has around him. "A lot of receivers that we're going to have this year didn't really play last year, didn't have really much production. A couple of them did, so just working on the things that I'm going to be doing in the game, simulate game-like stuff, just getting those throws in and working on all aspects of the game," Cunningham said of his offseason focus. "Moving in the pocket, throwing off platform, going through all my reads, checking down to the running backs, not looking to run - things like that." - Courier Journal

rSr/2023