Ranking the 25 most important players for Louisville football in 2019

It’s no coincidence the most discussed topic of the offseason for Louisville football also happens to be their sorest memory from last season – the defense.

But that was then, and the defense is now under Bryan Brown’s direction.

Linebacker is considered the focal point of Brown’s aggressive defense, one of the handfuls of positions where Louisville feels confident going into the season. The combination of speed, skill, experience, and depth will be huge for this side of the ball to make a significant improvement year one.

One of the biggest contributors to this improvement? Redshirt-junior Rodjay Burns.

First off – Burns is a playmaker, housing his first attempted punt return last season for 55-yards. Transitioning from his previous position covering routes at cornerback to his new role in the “card” position – an outside linebacker/nickel back combo.

Coach Brown seems pleased with Rodjay’s improvement so far saying –

"“I think with his ability to play defensive back and linebacker, you can do a lot of things with him. With Rodjay being a good tackler, he can make an impact on our defense. That position makes a lot of plays, and I think with Rodjay’s versatility can be an asset to our defense.”"

The outside linebacker or ‘card’, is a key position that is asked to do a lot. With his previous experience as a cornerback, I think Rodjay will thrive in his new position and be a key figure on defense.

(that runback I mentioned is the first highlight below)

For a player who may not only be one of the most important linebackers on the defense and potentially a special teams player, returning kickoffs or punts, number 15 may seem a little low.

At this point, things start to get really interesting on the list as players value, not necessarily skill, becomes more and more important to the overall success of the program. So Burns at 15 has more to do with who’s in front of him, and who may be the most important Cardinals in 2019.