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Louisville Football: Revamped Secondary Could Steal Spotlight for Cards

By Presley Meyer

JACKSONVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 30: Dee Smith #11 of the Louisville Cardinals reacts after making a tackle for loss in the first half of the TaxSlayer Bowl against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at EverBank Field on December 30, 2017 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 30: Dee Smith #11 of the Louisville Cardinals reacts after making a tackle for loss in the first half of the TaxSlayer Bowl against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at EverBank Field on December 30, 2017 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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The Newcomers

Louisville returns a solid group at safety, but Russ Yeast is the only corner that will play in 2018 that saw any clock last year. To shore up the defensive back positions though, Petrino and staff have assembled a very solid group of transfers and new-comers. Although they haven’t suited up for the Cards one time, all five are former 4-star talents.

Marlon Character- Character is going to surprise a lot of people right away. The former high four-star had a who’s who of college football powerhouses vying for his attention out of high school. Character chose Auburn, redshirted, and then transferred to JUCO Northwest Mississippi Community College (yes, the bad guys from Last Chance U). At NWCC, he was a monster, and rated the No.1 JUCO defensive back in the country.

Character will likely start game one. He has size (6’1,” 200), speed (4.4 40), and technique. He is a game-changer when he is on the field. Whatever swagger that the team lost with Alexander gone, he can help make up for. Given how depleted the Cards are at corner, don’t be surprised to see him on the field right away on the corner. He is listed as a safety by most, but appears to have played a lot of corner in JUCO. Bottom line: Character will be a huge impact player for this Cards team, and may be the guy I am most excited about.

Rodjay Burns- Burns is a name that many people know in the Louisville area. The former Louisville Trinity stand-out was a coveted prospect who ended up playing his first season at Ohio State. Ultimately, Burns saw some clean up time, and had a pick six to his name.

Now, after sitting out a year, Burns figures to start at safety for the Cards. Burns brings speed and technique to the corner position. He is the type of talent that the Cards were in desperate need for in 2017. With a year under Urban Meyer, as well as a year behind Jaire Alexander under his belt, Burns is ready for the challenge as a starter in 2018.

PJ Mbanasor- Mbanasor will start opposite of Burns in 2018. Mbanasor is a big corner who is not afraid to be physically imposing on defense. One of the things that the Cards struggled with in 2017 was getting beat by deep balls. Mbanasor is a guy that has the ability to shore that up right away. At 6’1,” 200 Mbansaor has more than enough size for the corner position.

Mbanasor comes to Louisville by way of Oklahoma. The Texas native was a big-time get for the Sooners in 2015. After a year where he played in four games, made 7 tackles, and had one pass defended, Mbanasor sat out a season, and waited in the wings like Burns. Mbansor and Burns will fill serious needs at a position with hardly any depth. Look for these two guys to make names for themselves and be near the top in most defensive statistical categories.

Chandler Jones- Jones is everything that Russ Yeast was last year, but with an even higher ceiling. If you want to talk about a dark horse candidate to play a lot at corner, look no further than the true freshman. Jones was a 4-star All-American in high school, and will likely be thrown into the fire as Louisville’s fourth corner. Jones brings lightning quickness to the table. He is only 5’11,” 170, but he plays like he is Character or Mbanasor’s size. This guy is a stud, and he will see the field in some capacity in 2018

Jairus Brents- Brents is a guy that the Cards and VanGorder desperately need on the roster, but as of today he doesn’t appear to have enrolled in school. Brents, who was a consensus four star at Waggener High School in Louisville, had a bevy of offers before choosing UofL. He brings quickness and ridiculous strength to the table. At Waggener, he was a do-it-all type of player, and has potential do be a serious weapon at corner this season.

Unfortunately, because of a run-in with the law, among other issues, Brents’s name does not appear on the roster yet. Word is still out on weather Brents will be able to suit up for the Cards this year, but he would be a huge addition, and another dark-horse candidate to get a lot of playing time.

Other names to watch this season:

  • Trenell Troutman (Fr.) – S/CB
  • Anthony Johnson (R Fr.) – CB
  • Telly Plummer (Fr.) – CB
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