Louisville’s defense in Jeff Brohm’s third season at the helm is built through its linebackers, but Brohm and co-defensive coordinators Ron English and Mark Hagen will be without one of their most reliable veterans for at least a few weeks as Stanquan Clark continues to recover from a broken ankle that he suffered in the Cardinals’ Week 2 win over James Madison.
Clark finished second on the team in tackles in 2024 with 76, trailing only his running mate, TJ Quinn. Clark also added two interceptions, two forced fumbles, a pass breakup, and a half sack in his sophomore campaign. Now, a junior, Clark was expected to take on an even greater role in the Louisville defense.
So far this season, in 52 defensive snaps before the injury, Clark recorded seven tackles with just a 12.5 percent missed tackle rate and only allowed one catch on two targets in coverage. He was expected to be out “well into October,” according to a report from Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, after Clark suffered the injury in the fourth quarter against the Dukes, but Brohm later clarified that he is “more than likely out for the year.”
In his absence, English and Hagen will be forced to lean more heavily on T.J. Capers to play next to TJ Quinn. Capers is a former four-star edge rusher recruit, but has transitioned to off-ball linebacker for the Cardinals.
His development has been delayed by injuries, including a knee injury that sidelined him for his entire freshman year. However, after a great and healthy offseason, the coaching staff expected him to play a much bigger role before Clark’s injury. Now, he will be called upon to be a full-time starter.
Beyond Capers, Kalib Perry and Antonio Watts could see their snap counts increase for the Louisville defense. Cameron White and Trent Carter could also see additional work in Week 4 with Louisville favored by 26.5 points at home.
Latest Stanquan Clark injury update:
Stanquan Clark is OUT for Louisville’s Week 4 matchup with Bowling Green at L&N Stadium on Saturday at Noon ET. He is expected to miss much of the regular season, if not the entire year after a broken ankle that he suffered in the fourth quarter of the Cardinals’ Week 2 win over James Madison required surgery to repair.