Five Cardinals Receive Invitations to 2023 NFL Scouting Combine
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program will have a noticeable presence at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine when it kicks off later this month.
On Wednesday, the NFL released the list of the 319 prospects that will make their way to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. for the combine, and five Cardinals were amongst those who received invitations. Linebacker Yasir Abdullah, cornerback Kei'Trel Clark, quarterback Malik Cunningham, defensive end YaYa Diaby and running back Tiyon Evans are the quintet of Cards that were lucky enough to be invited to perform in front of scouts for all 32 NFL teams
Abdullah was the driving force behind one of the most aggressive front sevens in all of college football. The 6-foot-1, 242-pound edge rusher led Louisville with 9.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss, which was good for first and sixth in the ACC, respectively, while also tallying 63 total tackles (34 solo). He also had two interceptions, four pass breakups, four forced fumbles and seven quarterback hurries. The Miramar, Fla. native was voted as a First-Team All-ACC Selection, and was second in ACC Defensive Player of the Year voting to Pitt defensive tackle Calijah Kancey.
Starting all 12 games before opting out of the Fenway Bowl, Clark was one of Louisville's best defensive backs in 2022. The 5-foot-10, 177-pound corner finished the season with the fifth-most tackles at 51 (35 solo), as well as 4.0 tackles for loss, a sack, four pass break ups and an interception. The native of Richmond, Va. was tabbed as a Third-Team All-ACC selection for his efforts, and had earned Second-Team honors in both 2020 and 2021.
Cunningham had a bit of a down 2022 campaign by his standards, partially assisted by injuries. Playing in 10 games this season with nine starts, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound signal caller completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 1,568 yards and eight touchdowns to five interceptions. The Montgomery, Ala. native also rushed for 565 yards and 12 touchdowns, and finishes his Cardinals career with 120 touchdowns responsible for, good for the most in Louisville history.
Along with Abdullah, Diaby played a massive role in the overall success of Louisville's defense, especially in the second half of the season. The 6-foot-4, 270-pound defensive end was just behind Abdullah in both tackles for loss and sacks, logging 14.0 and 9.0, respectively. The Atlanta, Ga. native also logged 37.0 total tackles (22.0 solo), four quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and two fumble recoveries en route to being named a Third-Team All-ACC selection.
Evans joined the program over the offseason as a transfer from Tennessee, and instantly made a difference in Louisville's rushing attack. By the end of the regular season, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound running back led the Cardinals in yards per carry at 6.3 on 83 total attempts, and had the most rushing touchdowns from the running back spot with six, second only to quarterback Cunningham's 12. However, the Hartsville, S.C. native struggled with an ankle injury at various points during the season, resulting in him playing in just eight games and starting only six of them. The injury limited him to just 525 rushing yards on the year, second amongst running backs on the team to Jawhar Jordan's 815.
The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine starts on February 28 and lasts through March 6. Abdullah and Diaby will take part on Mar. 2, Clark on Mar. 3, Cunningham on Mar. 4 and Evans on Mar. 5. Coverage from the combine, as well as it's various activities, will air on the NFL Network.
(Photo of Yasir Abdullah: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)
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