Photo by: Taris Smith | Louisville Athletics
English Likes the Depth on Defense; Dishes Out High Praise for the Cornerback Position
March 21, 2024 | Football
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The 2023 University of Louisville football season didn't end the way everyone hoped it would after such a fast start. Winning 10 of the first 11 games, the Cardinals were flying high in the thick of the playoff race until a three-game losing streak to close the season flamed some of the early season excitement.
The Cards dropped three in a row to end the year at 10-4, including a disappointing 42-28 loss to USC in the Holiday Bowl. Still a great season, the Cards didn't like the way the season unfolded at the end.
The defense, which played well, gave up six touchdown throws in the final game, which left a sour taste in defensive coordinator Ron English's mouth, and the second-year defensive coordinator wants to see his unit perform better in 2024.
English and his defense returned to the practice field on Tuesday in preparation for the 2024 season. Louisville's defense returns nine starters from a year ago and added a lot of depth with an influx of talent from the transfer portal.
"It's good (to be back)," English said. "This is the first year though that I'm just watching a lot because there's a lot of new faces out there, and I'm just trying to make sure that they kind of have an idea of what they're doing. It was a different experience because of the roster turnover, to be honest."
Devin Neal is another one of the returnees who should benefit from a year in the defensive system. He finished second on the team in tackles with 74 and led the team with four interceptions.
"It's rinse, repeat for us this season," Neal said. "It's learning a lot of new faces. It's a great thing to be in the defensive system again. We have higher expectations from last year. We are trying to achieve perfection."
Louisville's two biggest recruits came from the return of all-conference players in defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte and cornerback Quincy Riley. Gillotte was a first team all-conference performer after leading the team with 11 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss. He was a dominating performer last season and was a runner-up for the league's Defensive Player of the Year award. Riley was a shut-down corner for the Cardinals last season, finishing second on the team with three interceptions.
"I told them both you came back for a reason," English said. "I told Quincy you need to do everything we ask, and you will be fine. He's already much stronger than a year ago. Ashton is a lot bigger and stronger than he was a year ago. I don't know where he's going to play, but he will play at the next level. He will play multiple positions for us this year to get him ready for the next level."
The Cardinals are looking forward to the return of M.J. Griffin, who was lost during fall camp last season and missed the entire year. He was coming off a great season in 2022 and was poised for a big year until suffering that injury. His return will be slowed this spring as he recovers, but English knows the defense will be better when he returns to full strength when the season begins in August.
"I thought M.J. was the best defensive back at the time. Not the best safety but the best defensive back," English said. "What makes him great is that he just works at it. HE has a great attitude. It's hard to beat a guy out like that. He does all the extra stuff too. I expect him to be an elite player because he has all the traits."
"I've been impressed with his recovery," Neal said of Griffin. "He's working hard. We're working him back into the rotation. He's doing things on the side and he's definitely going to be back better than ever."
Head coach Jeff Brown addressed some needs in the secondary by signing five defensive backs to an already solid group of returners. Neal, who started for most of the year in 2023, likes the competition that he sees in the secondary this spring.
"I like the competition," Neal said. "Competition is a great thing. I think it's going to make everyone improve and make everyone become the best version of themselves."
English is excited about the secondary, especially at the cornerback position, where he feels the Cards could be elite.
With the return of Riley, the Cardinals also added UCF transfer Corey Thornton, who played four seasons for the Knights and recorded 138 tackles and four interceptions during his career. Tayon Holloway, a transfer from North Carolina, Tahveon Nicholson from Illinois, and redshirt freshman Aaron Williams, who sat out last season, are four solid players that gives English a lot of depth.
"I like all corners," English said. "Those guys are real dudes. Watching them out there, we're as good at that position as any school I've been at during my career. Right now, at that position, we have a real team out there. We have five guys that can play at that position."
The Cardinals return to the practice field for practice No. 2 on Thursday afternoon at 3:45 p.m.
The Cards dropped three in a row to end the year at 10-4, including a disappointing 42-28 loss to USC in the Holiday Bowl. Still a great season, the Cards didn't like the way the season unfolded at the end.
The defense, which played well, gave up six touchdown throws in the final game, which left a sour taste in defensive coordinator Ron English's mouth, and the second-year defensive coordinator wants to see his unit perform better in 2024.
English and his defense returned to the practice field on Tuesday in preparation for the 2024 season. Louisville's defense returns nine starters from a year ago and added a lot of depth with an influx of talent from the transfer portal.
"It's good (to be back)," English said. "This is the first year though that I'm just watching a lot because there's a lot of new faces out there, and I'm just trying to make sure that they kind of have an idea of what they're doing. It was a different experience because of the roster turnover, to be honest."
Devin Neal is another one of the returnees who should benefit from a year in the defensive system. He finished second on the team in tackles with 74 and led the team with four interceptions.
"It's rinse, repeat for us this season," Neal said. "It's learning a lot of new faces. It's a great thing to be in the defensive system again. We have higher expectations from last year. We are trying to achieve perfection."
Louisville's two biggest recruits came from the return of all-conference players in defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte and cornerback Quincy Riley. Gillotte was a first team all-conference performer after leading the team with 11 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss. He was a dominating performer last season and was a runner-up for the league's Defensive Player of the Year award. Riley was a shut-down corner for the Cardinals last season, finishing second on the team with three interceptions.
"I told them both you came back for a reason," English said. "I told Quincy you need to do everything we ask, and you will be fine. He's already much stronger than a year ago. Ashton is a lot bigger and stronger than he was a year ago. I don't know where he's going to play, but he will play at the next level. He will play multiple positions for us this year to get him ready for the next level."
The Cardinals are looking forward to the return of M.J. Griffin, who was lost during fall camp last season and missed the entire year. He was coming off a great season in 2022 and was poised for a big year until suffering that injury. His return will be slowed this spring as he recovers, but English knows the defense will be better when he returns to full strength when the season begins in August.
"I thought M.J. was the best defensive back at the time. Not the best safety but the best defensive back," English said. "What makes him great is that he just works at it. HE has a great attitude. It's hard to beat a guy out like that. He does all the extra stuff too. I expect him to be an elite player because he has all the traits."
"I've been impressed with his recovery," Neal said of Griffin. "He's working hard. We're working him back into the rotation. He's doing things on the side and he's definitely going to be back better than ever."
Head coach Jeff Brown addressed some needs in the secondary by signing five defensive backs to an already solid group of returners. Neal, who started for most of the year in 2023, likes the competition that he sees in the secondary this spring.
"I like the competition," Neal said. "Competition is a great thing. I think it's going to make everyone improve and make everyone become the best version of themselves."
English is excited about the secondary, especially at the cornerback position, where he feels the Cards could be elite.
With the return of Riley, the Cardinals also added UCF transfer Corey Thornton, who played four seasons for the Knights and recorded 138 tackles and four interceptions during his career. Tayon Holloway, a transfer from North Carolina, Tahveon Nicholson from Illinois, and redshirt freshman Aaron Williams, who sat out last season, are four solid players that gives English a lot of depth.
"I like all corners," English said. "Those guys are real dudes. Watching them out there, we're as good at that position as any school I've been at during my career. Right now, at that position, we have a real team out there. We have five guys that can play at that position."
The Cardinals return to the practice field for practice No. 2 on Thursday afternoon at 3:45 p.m.
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