Louisville football: 5 Cardinals who need the 2020 season most
By Jacob Lane
Dorian Etheridge & CJ Avery – Inside linebacker (Sr.)
I think we can all agree that we feel pretty confident that the best part of the Louisville team in 2020 is going to be the offense. I think we can also agree that the most talked-about thing all offseason and whenever play does start will be the defense – and deservedly so.
They struggled as a unit for a lot of the 2019 season in their first year under Bryan Brown, however, there was a lot to be optimistic about. Eight starters return in 2020 headlined by senior linebackers Dorian Etheridge and C.J. Avery who both find themselves as fringe NFL caliber defensive players with have the ability to be drafted with big seasons.
The two produced 163 total tackles and four sacks and were integral pieces to the program being able to surprisingly win eight games. They brought much more than stats as well, as both have played a ton of snaps in their career and were relied upon to be the leaders.
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Their final seasons will play a huge role in determining how much better the defense can be in Brown’s second season. Both were recently named to Phil Steele’s All-ACC team giving you a glimpse of what the expectations for them are this season.
However, with no season playing themselves into the NFL Draft becomes even that much more challenging and without another season of elite statistics, I’m not sure that happens. These guys need their senior season to lead the Louisville defense back to prominence in the ACC and to show they are more than capable of playing at the next level.