Louisville football: Graduate transfers who could be a fit for Cards
By Jacob Lane
Quincy Roche – Temple
Position: Defensive line
Eligible: Right away
2019 production: 49 tackles, 19 TFL, 13 sacks
Even after bringing in multiple defensive linemen as part of the 2020 class, Louisville still desperately has a need in the trenches. Enter Quincy Roche.
If you are a football nerd you may be familar with Roche, but for those of you who don’t make Temple football appointment viewing television, you may have never heard of one of America’s most productive linemen from a season ago.
At 6’4, 235, Roche set the American Athletic Conference on fire last season winning defensive player of the year following his 49 tackle, 19 tackle for loss, 13 sack season and helping Temple finish within the top 15 nationally in total sacks.
As pointed out by InsideTheU.com, PFF graded Roche with a 93.3 pass-rushing grade for the season totaling 68 QB pressures on 392 pass-rushing snaps, which trailed only behind soon to be NFL star Chase Young at Ohio State.
Roche is an elite pass-rusher with great size, speed, and instincts and would be an instant-starter and game-changer for Louisville. After announcing his intention to graduate and transfer, rather than pursue the NFL Draft, schools began lining up.
Again, at this point, there’s no way to know if Louisville has an interest in Roche. But considering their lack of depth and impact players on the front three, the former Temple Owl could completely change the forecast of the defense in 2019.
Why would Roche want to play for Louisville?
With offers likely coming from nearly every power five program in the country, Roche will have endless options available to him for 2020. While Louisville isn’t a transfer hotbed by any means, they do have a lot to offer someone of the stature and production of Roche.
Let’s start with playing time.
Gone are starters G.G. Robinson and Amonte Caban, who combined to create 58 total tackles and five sacks – accounting for more than half of the sacks produced and nearly one-third of the total production along the defensive line. That means a difference-maker is sorely needed.
Roche would likely be a starter from day one and easily could play the most snaps on the defensive line – giving Louisville their first dominant pass rusher since Devante Fields or Trevon Young. That would also allow for Louisville to further cultivate depth, using players like Tabarius Peterson, Danya Kinnard, Yaya Diaby and Ja’Darien Boykin in lesser roles.
Why else would Roche come to Louisville?
Well besides the potential to help put Louisville over the edge and compete at the top of ACC, play for a great coach, be apart of a special environment, it’s the general narrative his impact could create for his draft stock.
Last season Louisville’s defensive line combined to make a total of 141 tackles to go along with 6.5 sacks, which likely put them at the bottom of the ACC in terms of production. They were much improved from 2018 when you put things into comparison, but when they were facing off against bigger, stronger offensive lines they typically were dominated.
Roche could play at both the DE (even at 235 pounds) as well as the DOG outside linebacker spot, and with a big season, he would almost single-handily be credited with the massive increase in production at Louisville which without question would help to raise his draft stock.
It’s a long shot, but if graduate-transfers are something that interests the staff a call to Quincy Roche should be the first step.