Way-too-early Louisville football depth chart preview: Defensive line
Previewing the Louisville football defensive line.
Over the last few weeks, we have been taking a deep dive into where the Louisville football depth chart may stand entering the 2020 season.
Based on returning starters, instant-impact contributors, and an assessment of who could be the next man up, we’ve gone over every offensive position. You can find those breakdowns here.
But now, it’s time to hit the defensive side of the ball.
Under second-year co-defensive coordinators Bryan Brown and Cort Dennison, Louisville football’s defense is looking to continue its transformation from one of the worst defenses in the history of college football in 2018 to a formidable one in 2020 and beyond.
That starts up front, where the Cardinals often lacked an ability to get any sort of push in the pass rush or in running situations in 2019.
The Louisville football defensive line had some talent last season, but the overall depth simply was not there. Former walk-ons were plugged in as starters, JUCOs added depth, but overall the bodies that the Cardinals needed were just not there.
As the season wore on, the Louisville front three was forced to take way too many reps, and that overuse began to show late in games and down the stretch of the season.
Perhaps Louisville’s three best defensive games were the season opener against Notre Dame, the next week against EKU when the Cardinals pitched a shut out, and then the Music City Bowl against Mississippi State.
It could be argued that when the Louisville defense was well-rested and ready to go, the talent was there to hold their own, even against some of the nation’s best offensive lines.
That could bode well for the Cardinals in 2020 because, although there is some youth and inexperience, Louisville has added quite a few pieces that could really aid that lack of depth right away.
With that being said, let’s take a look at the Louisville football defensive line, and where the depth chart could stand if the season started tomorrow.