Injuries Breeding Opportunity, Competition for Louisville's Secondary

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Injuries are a natural part of football. No matter how much luck a team has on that front, at some point, the injury bug comes for everyone. It just all depends on how hard the injury bug decides to bite.

Louisville is no stranger to this notion. Spring ball is in full swing for the Cardinals, and a handful of players are having to spend it on the sidelines rehabbing various ailments.

One position for Louisville that is currently dealing with more impactful injuries than others is the secondary. Starting safety Josh Minkins and projected starting cornerback Quincy Riley both had to miss the start of spring practice, with the latter in line to miss all of spring.

Of course, having two of your better defensive backs miss a large chunk of spring ball - one where there is a heavy emphasis on the transition to a new defensive scheme - is never a great development. That being said, it has paved the way for younger or less experienced players behind them to have a chance to show out and develop during this time.

"I think the biggest thing is just the opportunity," cornerbacks coach Steve Ellis said. "Anytime a competitor has the opportunity to compete, it should stoke fire in his belly, because now he got a chance to compete. The difference between an all-conference guy and a backup guy is opportunity. That's the only difference. The great thing about this, now those guys are getting reps. They get an opportunity to to learn, get an opportunity to play."

The Cardinals are roughly halfway through spring ball, and several younger or new faces in the secondary have started to take advantage of the opportunity to get more reps. Ellis specifically highlighted three defensive backs who have done so: cornerbacks Marquis Groves-Killebrew and Derrick Edwards III, plus corner/safety Jeremiah Caldwell.

Transferring in from Texas A&M, Groves-Killebrew was only able to see the field twice during his true freshman season with the Aggies. Though this is mainly because the former five-star prospect suffered a torn ACL in the final regular season game of his high school career. Now that Groves-Killebrew is fully healthy, Ellis is high on his potential.

"I'm really pleased with him," Ellis said. "He's athletic, he's long, just hasn't played a lot of football. He's a freshman, and he's got an unbelievable upside of talent. I'm looking forward to see his transition develop as spring ball goes on, and I think he's getting better and better each day."

Edwards only played one defensive snap all last season for Louisville, and had actually entered the transfer portal not long after the end of the regular season. However, he withdrew his name around the same time that Jeff Brohm was hired as the Cardinals' next head coach, and Ellis has liked what he has seen from Edwards in terms of his attitude.

"I think he's really up for the challenge," Ellis said. "I think there's opportunities for him to go out and play, and I think he cherishes every moment he gets the opportunity to. Every day he just gets better and better."

Caldwell is also a guy who hasn't seen much time on the field, redshirting his freshman year this past season. But he has made steady progress in spring ball, and like the others mentioned, is taking advantage of the opportunity to showcase his skills.

"Jeremiah Caldwell made a great play today. Maybe this time last year, because of other guys, he may not have had the opportunity," Ellis said following Monday's practice. "But again, like I said, the difference between an all-conference guy and a backup guy is opportunity. I think those guys have an opportunity right now."

Throwing in leadership efforts from both safety M.J. Griffin and cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. that has helped bolster a "brotherhood," Ellis has been extremely pleased with how the secondary has progressed through the offseason. With spring ball at roughly the halfway point, now he just wants the players to keep grinding and finish strong.

"From day one to day seven today, those guys feel like they got better" he said. "Now the challenge is from day seven to day eight, can we get better in the meeting room tomorrow? Then on Wednesday in practice, can we get a little bit better? We always talk about just one percent better. Not two, just one percent each day. I think those guys are doing that."

(Photo of Derrick Edwards III via University of Louisville Athletics)

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