Louisville football: 5 defensive players with the most to prove in 2019
By Jacob Lane
T.J. Holl – ILB
Linebacker will be one of the most important positions across the entire team for Louisville football this year, which is why we have included three players on our list as having the most to prove.
When the Louisville coaching staff took over, there were just two inside linebackers remaining on the roster in Robert Hicks and Dorian Etheridge, and landing an impact player for 2019 was of the utmost importance.
Insert T.J. Holl, the graduate-transfer out of Lehigh.
A three-year starter and the 2018 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, who after considering multiple Power Five programs decided to play his final season of collegiate football playing for Bryan Brown and Cort Dennison at Louisville.
In 2019, Bryan Brown will count on T.J. Holl in the same manner that Louisville basketball head coach Chris Mack counted on Christen Cunningham. The similarities between the two players bare a shocking resemblance. Both were tremendous high school players who were overlooked during the recruiting process, only to go on to smaller programs and put together outstanding careers, that included numerous accolades.
Both decided to move on to bigger programs to prove that they belonged and that those who doubted them the first time around would be proven otherwise.
Holl put together a monster season, finishing 2018 with 121 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 interception and now will be tasked with providing leadership and intensity to a fairly inexperienced defense.
With most players on the roster having played for two to as many as four defensive coordinators in the same amount of years, bringing on experienced players who have won at a high level and have natural leadership abilities will be huge for this team.
Next. Five offensive players with the most to prove. dark
Can TJ Holl’s dominance at the FCS level translate to one of the nation’s top football conferences? That is what he’ll have to prove in his one and only season on campus. With a now stacked linebacking core, albeit inexperienced, Holl will have every opportunity to show that he belongs in 2019, and more importantly, the Louisville defense will absolutely need him to shine.