Can you say sizzle? Louisville Football has the sizzle on the recruiting trail. After picking up a commitment from WDE Ashton Gillotte three days ago, yesterday they picked up yet another defensive line commitment in 3 Star SDE RJ Sorensen.
Blessed By The Best, L’s Up @UofLFootball 🙏🏼‼️#FlyVille21 pic.twitter.com/iSIqaZCPC2
— Rj Sorensen (@rjsorensen13) May 19, 2020
The 6’4 240 lbs SDE chose Louisville over offers from Nebraska, Maryland, Syracuse, Indiana, Colorado, Rutgers, and Kentucky. UofL Defensive Line Coach Mark Ivey was his primary recruiter. UofL Quarterbacks Coach Frank Ponce was his secondary recruiter. Sorensen is ranked 940th overall and is ranked the 59th best at his position nationally according to 247sports.
Last season while playing for University School in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Sorensen had 50 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. Those numbers give a glimpse as to why Louisville recruited Sorensen. He’s a highly productive player at a position of need.
Sorensen’s highlights show a physical beast. He’s a good pass rusher with excellent size. Strength is his main weapon as he’s able to physically dominate OTs. His strong hands and explosion off the snap make it hard for OT to maintain blocks on him helping him to shed them well. His long arms also allow him to get into passing lanes and tip passes at the line of scrimmage. He’s another high motor guy that knows how to exploit gaps in offensive blocking schemes. When Sorensen makes tackles, he wraps up, but also delivers punishment.
Sorensen really explodes off the snap. That may be due to the fact he utilizes a 4-point stance pre-snap. His explosion means he often times catches OTs off-guard and allows him to get in the backfield virtually untouched. However, he sometimes is more patient, especially when he recognizes he’s not being blocked by the offense purposely. He will read the play and react accordingly.
The strength Sorensen possesses is excellent. He loves to bull rush right through blockers and get in the backfield. He uses his long, strong arms to keep OTs from being able to engage him in blocks consistently. When the OT is able to engage, Sorensen’s hands are strong and he’s able to rip down on the OT’s arms and get through the block. It makes him an effective block shedder.
When Sorensen is unable to get to the QB on passing downs, he uses his long arms and 6’4 frame to disrupt the passing lanes and tip or knock down passes. This is something Louisville has needed more of. Just because a OL effectively blocks him, Sorensen finds a way to impact the play.
Sorensen understands how to gain leverage against blockers. He stays lower than his blockers can get. He will get into the body of a blocker and he will angle his body so his shoulder is in the blocker’s chest. He gives the blocker a smaller target to block and is able to anchor himself to drive the blocker back.
As with all of Louisville’s defensive line recruits, Sorensen is plays with a high motor and is a great tackler. His strong hands allow him to bring down QBs and RBs even when he can’t wrap up. When he does wrap up, it’s a massive hit. He punishes the offensive player he’s tackling, within the rules of course.
Louisville got themselves a perfect compliment to the the other defensive line recruits. RJ Sorensen, with his power and size, is able to bully OTs and wreck havoc in the backfield. He’s got great size and explosive quickness that he uses to get into the backfield at will. When he gets in the backfield he is a destroyer. Sorensen is such a beast and will become an anchor on the defensive line.
With Sorensen’s commitment, the Cards now have 9 commits. The class is now ranked 33rd and 7th in the ACC according to 247sports. Louisville remains as hot as any school on the recruiting trail.
