Louisville football: Five defensive players with most to prove in 2020

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LOUISVILLE, KY – NOVEMBER 17: Dorian Etheridge #17 of the Louisville Cardinals breaks up a pass in the end zone against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the second quarter of the game at Cardinal Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Dorian Etheridge – ILB

2019 stats: 70 tackles, 45 solo, 8 tackles for loss, 1 INT, 5 PD, 1 FR

Another senior looking to have an impact on the defense this season is Dorian Etheridge, and he’ll do alongside the aforementioned Avery. At the linebacker position, he had 45 solo tackles, one sack, and one interception last season, emerging very early on as the leader of the defense.

Etheridge is looking to build on the groundwork laid in the 2019 season as he returns to a linebacking core that brings back multiple starters and contributors, including Avery and Monty Montgomery. He is amongst a great group of returning linebackers for the Cardinals. Etheridge, Avery, Burns, along with Yasir Abdullah and Nick Okeke, who combined for 311 of the teams tackles last season.

Etheridge was fourth on the team in tackles last season, second in tackles for loss at eight. Yet again, he is another guy on the defensive side for UofL that is looking to get drafted in 2021 and he’ll need to continue growing as a signal-caller in the middle of the field, as well as a pass-rusher and coverage guy. He has the frame and looks the part of an NFL linebacker, however.

He had two games last season where he recorded double-digit tackles and he’ll only look to grow that number this year as the team will have plenty of depth around him. If he can continue to improve and have more games like those, there is no reason an NFL GM won’t take a chance on Dorian Etheridge.

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