Louisville finished last season with a top-20 defense when it comes to yards per game and yards per play. Then they shuffled the defensive staff, with Mark Ivey and Steve Ellis taking over as coordinators. While injuries were a major problem for the Cards last season, I think it would be tough to find someone who would place the blame on the defense over the offense for the issues last year. This group was responsible for a handful of the wins last year, and they returned a key group of players at linebacker to help repeat that success.
Stanquan Clark returns to lead the group after an injury limited him to just five games across the season. Clark was due for a big year after finishing 2024 with 7.5 tackles for loss. That big year will have to come this season as he becomes the veteran of the group with TJ Quinn graduating.
Louisville will need Clark to be the complete player that he showed the ability to be two years ago. The staff beefed up the pass rush, so Clark might not be blitzing all too often, but he will continue to be a downhill force against the run. He has shown a great ability to shoot gaps and blow up blocking schemes. He will have to continue to do so while also being a reliable player in coverage.
The interception against Miami gets the focus, but TJ Capers had a solid season for a guy who was a part-time starter. Capers finished the SMU game with 8 tackles and put up 3 tackles for loss on the year. The skills were evident, and as the season progressed, he was able to show that the experience he was gaining was paying off with his play. The Cards will need Capers to take the leap to match his five-star recruit status this season so that he can help replace the loss of TJ Quinn.
The true potential star of the defense is Antonio Watts, and I personally think he could be a full step ahead of anyone else on the team. Watts is a freakish athlete with great size and a motor that doesn’t stop. He has shown that he can blitz off the edge, set the edge as a run defender, and play deep safety and make plays on the ball down the field. The only question left to be answered is if Watts can be the face of this defense and be a truly consistent playmaker. This isn’t a knock on his performance, but the Cards need a superstar, and he can be that for this defense.
For the first time in Jeff Brohm’s tenure, the staff did not go out and add to this position group via the portal. The Cards have been solid in their high school recruiting, and they enter this season with a couple of young players who will see the field as backups.
Cam White, Trent Carter, and Jacob Smith will be the first group up to provide depth in the middle, with Smith being a guy who could potentially be an option to slide down to play some defensive end as well. White got some run in the bowl game last year, while Carter is the most experienced backup of the group. I would also expect Caleb Matelau to get a chance to prove himself as well.
Ben Perry is back in the fold to be the primary backup to Antonio Watts, with Blake Ruffin also spending time at the position in the spring. Perry brings great experience and an understanding of the system, while Ruffin has positional versatility as a deep safety who has the size who can slide down into the outside linebacker spot.
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE
I truly believe that Watts has the ability to be one of the top players in the conference and possibly the entire country at his position. He didn’t make a lot of tackles last year because of the way they utilized him, but he did end the year with 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 6.5 tackles for loss. He can, in my opinion, double those numbers while also being a playmaker in coverage. That’s how he makes this his breakout season.