Louisville CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. 'Fired Up' About 2023 Season
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Jeff Brohm's hiring as the next head football coach at Louisville has ushered in a level of interest and buzz that program hasn't seen for quite some time. Given what Brohm was able to do at a place like Purdue, as well as his deep ties to both the community and the program, people are extremely eager to see what the Cardinals can do in 2023.
Fans are not the only ones who are excited to see how Louisville performs in year one of the Jeff Brohm era. In fact, junior cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. believes they can do big things in 2023.
"Honestly, I'm fired up about this year," Brownlee said. "It's a big season for me. It's a big season for all of us. For this coaching staff, for my teammates. Just looking at our schedule, I feel like we can really win the ACC conference this year."
While Louisville has lost their fair share of talent to graduation, the NFL Draft and the portal, Brohm has done a phenomenal job at bringing in talent in a short amount of time. The Cardinals are adding the No. 28 high school recruiting class according to 247Sports and the No. 8 transfer portal class according to On3 to a team that already went 8-5 in the final year under Scott Satterfield. On top of that, Louisville drew and ACC schedule in which they avoided both Clemson and Florida State.
Related: Who's In, Who's Out and Who's Back for Louisville Football in 2023
But a big part of Brownlee's excitement for the 2023 campaign is the new defensive coaching staff and their way of going about everyday business. Despite last season's defense being one of the most disruptive in college football - ranking first in sacks, seventh in tackles for loss and 23rd in total defense - Brownlee believes the new staff is lightyears ahead of the old one.
"Honestly, I think they're more fundamental," he said. "I feel like they care more, they take their time. Just teaching the young guys, man, just step-by-step. I don't think we really had that last year. I feel like we were in a rush trying to learn the defense, and not just focusing on the main thing, which is fundamentals, techniques and execution. I feel like we have way better coaching staff that's more fundamental."
On that side of the ball, Louisville is in the process of transitioning from Bryan Brown's 3-4 scheme to a 4-2-5 system that is co-anchored by Ron English and Mark Hagen. Brownlee believes that for him personally, the switch to this new system is what will allow him to showcase his complete skillset and overall versatility.
"I feel like that's something that I needed," he said. "Just switching my coverages up, not showing press all the time, playing off in the boundary and things like that. I feel like it's a good disguise, not only for the defense, but just to throw the offense off to not knowing what we're in.
"This defense, we basically show press a lot. You'll think we're in man coverage majority of the time, so I love it. I feel like it's a great thing that we're doing, and I feel like it's going to help my game a lot more."
Despite some inconsistencies when it came to his play in coverage, Brownlee actually finished as one of the Louisville's top statistical defenders. The 6-foot, 190-pound corner logged the third-most tackles on the team with 66, tied for the second-most interceptions with two, and tied for the second-most pass breakups in the ACC with 12.
As an older player who is one of the more experienced defensive back on the team, Brownlee is using spring practice as an opportunity to step up as leader. He not only believes that they can win the ACC, he wants to will them to it as well.
"I'm just locked in, I'm just trying to buy all-in, and just bring these guys with me," he said. "Just trying to be a little leader that I am, stay on top of these guys and just make sure they see the same vision that I see. Just make sure they got the same energy I got when I come to practice every day, and just come to work.
(Photo of Jarvis Brownlee Jr. via University of Louisville Athletics)
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