C.J. Avery

CJ Avery making a tackle against Ole Miss.

Photo by: Adam Creech | Louisville Athletics

Height:
5-11
Weight:
221
Position:
ILB
Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Grenada, Miss.
High School:
Grenada

Career Overview: Four-year starter ... led the team in tackles in 2020 and 2019 ... credited with 249 career tackles ... has appeared in 46 career games.

2021: totaled seven tackles in the home win over Boston College ... recorded a season high 12 tackles in a loss at Wake Forest ... totaled six tackles in a win over UCF ... opened season with nine tackles versus Mississippi.

2020: Finished the season with a team high 78 tackles, which also ranked 11th in the ACC ... recorded three tackles, with 0.5 for loss, in the win over Western Kentucky ... led the Cardinals with 10 stops against Miami, including 1.5 for loss ... tallied five tackles along with his third career interception at Pitt ... tied for the team lead with six tackles at Georgia Tech ... made four solo stops at Notre Dame ... led the Cards with 12 tackles, also tallying a sack and two pass breakups against Florida State ... tallied 10 tackles, a sack and two TFLs versus Virginia Tech ... racked up seven stops at Virginia ... recorded three solo stops against Syracuse ... recorded his fourth double-digit tackle effort of the season, picking up 10 along with a forced fumble at Boston College ... posted eight tackles in a win over Wake Forest to end the season.

2019: Started all 13 games ... named the team’s top defensive player ... led the team in tackles with 93 ... also credited with 3.0 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss ... recorded six tackles against Notre Dame ... tallied seven stops versus Eastern Kentucky ... had three tackles and a breakup against Western Kentucky ... tallied nine tackles with a sack at Florida State ... totaled five stops versus Boston College ... notched season-best 13 tackles at Wake Forest ... finished with seven tackles against Clemson ... finished with eight solo stops and recovered a fumble versus Virginia ... notched four tackles and a quarterback hurry at Miami ... tallied six tackles, a hurry and broke up a pair of passes at NC State ... registered nine tackles, one-half for loss, against Syracuse ... led the Cardinals with seven tackles at Kentucky ... led the team with nine tackles versus Mississippi State.

2018: Second on the team in tackles with 56 ... appeared in nine games, making eight starts ... led the team with two interceptions ... totaled five tackles in his first career start at linebacker in a loss to Alabama ... credited with four tackles in the 31-7 win over Indiana State ... totaled four tackles and a sack versus Western Kentucky ... registered his first career interception on the second series of the game, returning it 25 yards ... missed Virginia and Florida State games with an injury ... registered a career high 15 tackles in a loss to Boston College ... credited with seven tackles versus Wake Forest ... totaled five stops against Clemson ... recorded four tackles versus Syracuse and five against NC State ... tallied seven tackles and one interception versus Kentucky.

2017: Appeared in all 13 games, with his first collegiate start coming versus Kent State ... totaled 22 tackles and recovered one fumble as a true freshman ... made collegiate debut in the secondary and on special teams versus Purdue, recording one solo tackle ... totaled a tackle versus North Carolina ... credited with three stops versus nationally ranked Clemson ... totaled a career-high six tackles and recovered a fumble in his first collegiate start against Kent State ... registered three tackles and assisted on a tackle for loss at NC State ... credited with a career-best seven tackles against Syracuse.

High School: Enrolled at Louisville in January 2017 ... played safety at Grenada for head coach James Kuhn ... committed to Louisville on Dec. 14 ... was named a Dandy Dozen on July 5 as the top defensive back in Mississippi ... selected as one of ESPN’s Top 300 ... ranked as the No. 7 safety ... checks in as the No. 79 player in the country ... named to the 247 Sports Preseason All-State team ... ranked as a top-six prospect in the state of Mississippi and the top safety ... ranked as the No. 20 safety in the nation and No. 221 overall player ... voted an Under Armour All-American ... No. 22 ranked safety in the country and participated in the Under Armour All-American game in Orlando, Fla ... four-star prospect by Rivals and Scout.com ... rated the No. 1 defensive back prospect in Mississippi for 2017 by Rivals ... tabbed the No. 9 overall prospect in Mississippi, the No. 35 safety in America ... multi-sport athlete, participating in baseball and football ... rated the No. 78 high school senior nationally by ESPN.com – the highest ranking by that site of any high school pledge under head coach Bobby Petrino since his return in 2014 ... ranked the No. 7 safety nationally by ESPN ... played a significant amount at quarterback this past season, throwing for 633 yards and 10 touchdowns, while also rushing for 438 yards and five touchdowns on 63 carries ... recorded 61 total tackles, including five for a loss, with two interceptions, two forced fumbles and one sack as a senior ... named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year ... named first-team All-State as a junior ... helped Grenada to a 9-3 overall mark ... lost to Oxford in the 5A state title game 34-16 ... chose Louisville over Auburn, California, Alabama, Mississippi, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Mississippi State ... son of Claudette Avery and Chris Avery ... born 3/22/99 ... has one sister, Caitlyn ... graduated with a degree in sports administration.