New Louisville football head coach Jeff Brohm is building his program quickly via the transfer portal, and these defensive additions will be key.
Card Nation was sent into a tizzy in early December when it was announced Jeff Brohm would return home as the program’s 24th head coach, and with his hire came a big shakeup in the roster, especially from the transfer portal.
The new staff saw 25 former Cardinals hit the portal this offseason, including Monty Montgomery, Trevion Cooley, and Mark Vasset, but the Cardinals brought in 26 players from the transfer portal, giving them the number one transfer portal class in the nation; according to On3.
Last week, we introduced you to the 16 transfers on the offensive side of the ball, but, now, it’s time to take a look at the 10 players Brohm brought in on the defensive side.
Louisville football has some horses coming in on defense in 2023
Marcus Washington Jr. – CB – University of Georgia – 4-Star Transfer
The former Bulldog and national champion, Marcus Washington Jr. comes to Louisville with little playing experience, but a ton of hype coming out of high school.
Marcus Washington was ranked as a top-10 CB and top-90 player in the class of 2022, according to ESPN. That ranking is great, but it’s made even more impressive when you learn that Washington was originally in the class of 2023, before reclassifying up a year.
https://twitter.com/MJ_Washington04/status/1452332177258172423
But even with an incredibly high ranking coming out of high school, it’s almost impossible for a true freshman to see the field on a team as talented as the Georgia Bulldogs.
Washington appeared in just one game against Samford, where he saw two snaps and one assisted tackle. After a year spent mainly on the bench, Washington traded out his Georgia uniform for a new shade of red.
Louisville lost a secondary stalwart to the draft in Kei’Trel Clark, but they return Quincy Riley, Jarvis Brownlee, and a bevy of other secondary transfers. With Washington being so young, and the Cards bringing in a ton of defensive backs from the transfer portal, I’m not sure how much we’ll see him on the field this year.
Based on his high school highlights and his affinity for lifting, it looks like the Cards got themselves a skilled corner who loves to help out in the run game. With four years of eligibility, a solid frame (6’1 185 lbs.), and a ton of promise, I’m sure Washington will become a fan favorite before his Cardinal career is over.