Louisville football: Taking one last look at the NCAA transfer portal

DeAndre Pierce – S

Boise State, RS junior 

2019 stats: 4 games, 19 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PD

Another area on defense that could use the boost from a veteran, eligible transfer would be in the backfield at safety. Much like with the defensive line, Louisville’s group of safeties in 2019 showed promise at times while looking lost and out of place at others. Behind emerging star and defensive leader Russ Yeast and the consistent ball-hawking of Khane Pass, Louisville was able to make enough big plays when it mattered to get by.

Behind Yeast and Pass was where things got dicey for Louisville. Dealing with the suspension of emerging safety TreSean Smith, the Cards turned to former walk-on Jack Fagot, graduate transfer Isaiah Hayes, and former four-star safety Trenell Troutman, all of whom were seeing their first extended action at Louisville. Brown got decent productivity from that group, but it was clear that outside of Yeast and the senior Pass, Louisville needed a lot more help and time to develop.

As Louisville’s defense moves into their second year under Brown, they’ve made adding more depth on the back end a priority. Louisville will return Yeast in 2020 along with Fagot, Hayes, and Troutman (although he’s currently listed as an OLB), while welcoming in talented freshmen Lovie Jenkins, who could compete right away, as well as local star Josh Minkins.

Now that we know Smith won’t be returning and Troutman could be moved to outside linebacker full-time, Louisville should look into adding one more safety to the roster. One good option for ShaDon Brown could be Boise State transfer, De’Andre Pierce.

As a two year contributor at cornerback and safety, Pierce was a player who was extremely productive for the Broncos as a freshman and sophomore before moving into a new position and dealing with some unfortunate injuries.

Pierce’s best season as a Bronco came as a sophomore when he became one of the best cornerbacks in all of the MWC conference totaling 83 tackles (52 solo), 4 tackles for loss, two pass breakups and one interception. Pierce developed into a tackling specialist for Boise State and it showed in his incredible numbers, finishing third in total tackles on his time and near the top for cornerbacks in the conference.

From there, Pierce deal with untimely injuries that limited him to just eight total games over his junior and senior season. Playing mostly safety, Pierce totaled 42 total tackles and one pass deflections before having back-to-back seasons cut short by a lacerated spleen and a knee injury respectively.

Now Pierce sits as the best available secondary player on the portal with a chance to prove he is capable of being the same player he was as a sophomore. As of now there really hasn’t been a ton of chatter about his next stop, but many have speculated that he could join his father Antonio Pierce at Arizona State, where he serves as the linebackers coach for Herm Edwards.

Much like with Isaiah Hayes last season, Louisville could use the experience and production of Pierce. His tackling would provide an immediate boost to the back end of the defense, while also giving Louisville a player capable of playing at both safety and cornerback.

Pierce is from Long Beach, California, which makes Louisville an unlikely destination considering all that is happening in the world (not being able to visit, get comfortable with the staff, etc). However, this piece is all about fit and need, which is what makes Pierce someone the staff should take a look at.