Louisville football: 5 players who may start as backups but finish as starters

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SYRACUSE, NY – NOVEMBER 09: P.J. Mbanasor #1 of the Louisville Cardinals intercepts a pass intended for Jamal Custis #17 of the Syracuse Orange in the end zone during the third quarter at the Carrier Dome on November 9, 2018 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /

Justin Ford – CB

The last addition to the 2019 recruiting class for Scott Satterfield and staff could end up being a fairly important piece by the end of the season at the cornerback position.

Three-star cornerback Justin Ford played the last two seasons at Golden West Community College in California after originally enrolling at Kansas, collecting 41 tackles and three interceptions.

He’s a big corner at 6’2 who does a great job of covering guys one-on-one, something we saw the entire secondary struggle with last season. He’s quick, athletic, and has great instincts for making plays on the ball, and with a few returning players not seemingly fitting into Bryan Brown’s defense, Ford could be a guy who goes from special teams to a starting role in 2019.

https://twitter.com/jacosse_/status/1097617703639105538

Louisville has two returning seniors listed high on the depth chart in P.J. Mbanasor and Cornelius Sturghill, with Chandler Jones and Anthony Johnson right with them, two guys who flashed late last season. Aside from that, there’s a lot of unproven players, giving Ford the ability to rise into a starting role if injuries or struggles occur.

Brown’s defenses are known for their ability to create turnovers, finishing in the top 15 in the nation interceptions each of the last two seasons, and in order to continue that trend at Louisville, guys like Justin Ford will be paramount.

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