Louisville S Josh Minkins Standing Out in Spring Practice

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Spring ball has hit roughly the halfway point for the Louisville football program. The Cardinals held their first of 15 spring practice sessions back on Feb. 28, with seven of them in the books as the university now heads into their week-long spring break.

This time of year always provides ample opportunity for players all across college football to get a head start on the remainder of the offseason. Before fall camp and summer workouts, it all starts in the spring.

For Louisville, someone on the defensive side of the ball who is standing out early, especially in the secondary, is safety Josh Minkins.

"First of all, he's got great energy. He's got great energy," co-defensive coordinator and secondaries coach Wesley McGriff said. "He's very aware, and he has a strong football IQ."

McGriff has only been with the Cardinals for about two months now, but the 6-foot-2, 196-pound safety has made a tremendous impression on him in that short time. This is especially the case when it comes to his habits in both the film room and position meetings, with McGriff praising his overall attentiveness and astuteness.

"He mentioned schemes that we game planned last year, like, 'coach, we did that on so-and-so'," McGriff said. "That's great to see. Josh is really stepping up as a leader, not only in the meeting room, but on the field as well."

A local three-star product out of Ballard HS, Minkins joined the Cardinals as part of the class of 2020. He played in six games during his freshman year, logging six tackles, and was primed for a big leap, until a shoulder injury last offseason set him back.

He would not get cleared to play until a week before Louisville's 2021 opener against Ole Miss. He would end up playing in 11 games, but saw the field sparingly, logging only 17 tackles but also nabbing his first career interception against Boston College.

Through the first few months of the offseason and the first couple weeks of spring ball, his efforts away from the gridiron have started to translate into dividends on it during practice.

"When he's on the field, he plays fast," McGriff said. "He can problem solve, and he can do a good job of keying and diagnosing, and making adjustments on run. He's a safety that can really quarterback the defense."

(Photo of Josh Minkins: Matt Stone - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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