10. Kalib Perry, LB
The early-season loss of junior linebacker Stanquan Clark was a hurdle the Louisville defense and coaching staff had to traverse from the start. One of the individuals who stepped up to help fill this void on the defensive side of the ball was senior linebacker Kalib Perry. The Kentucky native, Perry, held his own in this role throughout the season, providing quality minutes and being a senior leader for a position that lost one of its stars.
Perry provided 52 tackles (26 solo tackles) and had a massive interception against Boston College that helped propel Louisville to a 38-24 victory, coming off the big Miami win. Perry’s leadership and performance helped solidify a major loss of the defense and was a key reason why Louisville's defense ranked as one of the top in the ACC and the country this season.