Louisville football: Cards keep adding to the defense, add legacy safety

Louisville football lands coveted safety.

Louisville football landed their third commitment in two days on Thursday in what I would like to classify as “deja vu” from last year’s tear through the 2020 class that saw a string of players commit over a few days time.

On Wednesday, Scott Satterfield and the Louisville coaching staff welcomed cornerback Kani Walker and cornerback/safety Derrick Edwards, adding to an already impressive haul that includes four-star safety Ben Perry, and three-stars Rance Conner and Bralyn Oliver.

Louisville began trending for T.J Quinn over the weekend following multiple crystal ball predictions including that of lead recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong, and it seemed like it was only a matter of time before the Georgia product pulled the trigger on a commitment.

Here we are just a few days later and the Cards officially landed the services of the three-star safety who will be the second legacy commitment of the class, joining Jaraye Williams. For those of you who read our site frequently, you’re probably already familar with Quinn and have made the connection to Terry Quinn, his father, who played for Louisville as a defensive back and running back during the 1990s.

What TJ Quinn means to Louisville football

Louisville went all-in on Quinn and it was obvious that the connection with the staff combined with the ability to follow in his Dad’s footsteps was too much for him to pass up. He told Jody Demling earlier in May:

"“It’s special. We always watched Louisville. It’s special because I would have a chance to play there just like he did and that would be nice.”"

Now they’ll add their 15th commitment to the class of 2021 and the third true safety, giving defensive coordinator Bryan Brown and back end’s coach ShaDon Brown everything they’ll need to develop into one of the best groups in the ACC over the next few seasons.

So what does Quinn bring to the table?

At 6’1, 200-pounds, Quinn already has the size and physique needed to see the field the right away and that’s something the staff sold him throughout his recruitment. He told Dave Lackford of CardinalSports.com:

"“I’m going to enroll early and I see a good opportunity to get on the field early at either safety position because they lose three seniors after this year.”"

Quinn has the speed that the staff has prioritized on defense showing throughout his highlights that he’s more than capable of covering a lot of ground (The 2:08 minute mark of this HUDL video should make you happy as a Louisville fan). Tackling is easily one of his biggest strengths as he excels in both the run game playing the edge as well as in pass-coverage where he’s able to read plays and use his closing speed to blow things up. The most underrated part of his game may be the fact that he has a great football mind as he shows instinctual playmaking ability and understanding of angles and projecting where players may end up. He’s a big-time hitter that simply does not miss tackles, something that Louisville fans will gladly welcome.

We’ve seen Satterfield and company target players who are multi-sport athletes and excel in the classroom and take academics seriously. That’s exactly what they’ll get in Quinn, who pointed out on numerous occasions that academics were just as important as football.

The defensive side of the ball is absolutely stacked in Louisville’s 2021 class, and Quinn is just the cherry on top at this point. Adding a legacy commitment who will bring sure-fire tackling and strong football IQ to the field is a huge deal and will be just another reason why this class could end up being the best in program history.