Louisville football secondary could be a primary reason for success in 2022

With a talented crop of tranfers and stars returning to full health, Louisville football should take a massive step forward in the secondary in 2022.

I am stoked to see the Louisville football secondary this season.

There’s a sentence I didn’t expect to write in 2020. Or 2019. Or, you know, any time post-Charlie Strong era.

But, outside of the obvious standouts on this UofL roster, I can’t help but keep going back to this secondary as a potential bright spot this season for the Cards.

Louisville lost two solid pieces in the offseason in Qwynnterio Cole and Greedy Vance. However, they have made up for that by snagging a number of talented plug-and-play transfers and multiple young recruits.

Here is a look at the depth chart Louisville released prior to the start of fall camp.

Strong Safety

Josh Minkins | 6-2, 196, So.
M.J. Griffin | 6-1, 210, So.
D’Angelo Hutchinson | 6-3, 185, Fr.
Jeremiah Caldwell | 6-3, 175, Fr.

Free Safety

Kenderick Duncan | 6-3, 206, R-Sr.
Nicario Harper | 6-1, 205, Jr.
Shavarick Williams | 6-0, 185, So.

Cornerback

Chandler Jones | 5-10, 186, Sr.
Trey Franklin | 5-10, 180, R-So.
Quincy Riley | 6-0, 181, Jr.

_______

Kei’Trel Clark | 5-10, 180, Jr.
Rance Conner | 5-10, 186, R-Fr.
Jarvis Brownlee Jr. | 5-11, 182, So.
Derrick Edwards III | 5-10, 177, R-Fr.

Safeties:

Last season, Louisville filled a major void at safety by nabbing transfers Kenderick Duncan and Qwynnterrio Cole.

While Cole is off to the NFL, Duncan is back as Louisville’s leading returning tackler (76 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 INT) and is joined in the defensive backfield by a number of promising players.

Josh Minkins returns as a sophomore budding with potential. He added a ton of weight to his frame in the offseason and looks to fill the starting role where Cole left off at strong safety.

Meanwhile, Temple transfer M.J. Griffin and Jacksonville State transfer Nicario Harper figure to compete for those starting spots at safety.

Griffin is a hard-hitting run stopper who had 65 tackles in 2021. With three years of eligibility left, Louisville fans should view him as a quasi-starter who is looking to find himself as a major contributor in the next three seasons.

Harper was named the OVC Defensive Player of the Year last season and an AP First-Team All-American.

Last season, he recorded 56 tackles and 2 interceptions. Like Griffin, Harper loves to get downhill in a hurry and do a lot of damage in the run game or on crossing routes.

While Duncan and Minkins are the starters, don’t be surprised to see Harper or Griffin in a starting role at some point.

Converted linebacker Ben Perry looks to make a big leap in 2022 after his move to the DOG position. However, that rover spot can be filled by Perry in a pinch given his experience as a true freshman.

The best part about this group of safeties is the depth provided by some extremely talented underclassmen.

Shaverick Williams is a talented JUCO kid that generated some buzz last season and three freshmen: De’Angelo Hutchinson, Jeremiah Caldwell, and Antonio Watts will all be names that are in the mix in practice.

Louisville’s safety position includes excitement from the starters but plenty of talented youth waiting in the wings behind them. That is certainly not something Louisville football fans could bank on the last few seasons.

Related: Louisville football defense wins big in the transfer portal

Corners:

The corners are where Louisville football’s defense could really take a major step forward in 2022.

Last season, we saw Louisville limp to the finish without stud safety Kei’Trel Clark.

An All-ACC performer in 2020, Clark is the closest thing Louisville has gotten since Jaire Alexander to a shutdown corner. He really limits opponent’s options on his side of the field and can be credited for making the UofL defense much stronger in the passing game over the last two seasons. Notre Dame in 2020 and EKU and UCF in 2021 are games that really stand out as insane performances from Louisville’s star corner.

But the issue for the Cards has been is finding a true second starter opposite Clark.

Chandler Jones entered camp as the starter, and brings flashes of excellence for Louisville. He had 7 passes defended last season to go with 40 tackles.

However, Louisville football’s entire narrative in the secondary may hinge on the performance of potential starters Jarvis Brownlee and Quincy Riley.

Brownlee is a transfer from FSU that was a full-time starter last season for the Seminoles. While Florida State fans had mixed reception of Brownlee, there is no denying his value at the safety spot. He is a Miami product who continued to beat out fellow four-star products for the starting role and racked up 51 tackles, 2 interceptions, and a touchdown in 2021.

Riley is a transfer from Tennessee State who had 5 interceptions in 7 games last season. He chose Louisville over a host of power-five offers including Ole Miss, Tennessee, NC State, and North Carolina.

Riley is a true ball-hawking corner and a lockdown threat like Clark is on the other side. He plays bigger than his size and isn’t afraid to get ultra aggressive with opposing receivers.

“Brownlee has had a tremendous camp so far,” Scott Satterfield said in a post-practice media session last week. “He brings a great deal of confidence. He’s just a very aggressive corner. We knew that coming in, but he’s really shown that but he’s a great teammate. He brings a great attitude, and we love having them around.

“Quincy had two picks in practice yesterday. He’s probably got the best ball skills of anybody in the secondary, and couple that was some great speed. He really had some nice play yesterday that really stood out.”

Help in the trenches

Perhaps the most overlooked storyline with this secondary is the potential to create pressure up front.

We talked about Louisville’s front 7 being loaded with talented pieces.

On the edge, Louisville brings back stud defensive end Yaya Diaby and blossoming star Ashton Gillotte. They will be backed up by Ramon Puryear, Zach Edwards, and company. This should be seen as a positive as Louisville brings back everyone from a year ago besides Tabarius Peterson and Derek Dorsey.

Finally, the Cards return the ACC’s second-place sack leader from a year ago, Yasir Abdullah. His fellow bash brother Monty Montgomery returns from injury to provide the fastest, most versatile outside linebacker tandem in the league. Not to mention behind Abdullah former four-star recruits Kam Wilson and Popeye Williams will get the opportunity to see the field and contribute.

With this in mind, Louisville pass rush and secondary should have the opportunity to feed off of each other and create havoc in the opposing team’s passing games.

“I really believe in this secondary from what I’ve been seeing (in fall camp),” said Brownlee. “We’re going to have a hell of a season.”