Louisville's Secondary Rallying Around Injured Teammate M.J. Griffin
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - M.J. Griffin was in line to be a key player for the Louisville football program this upcoming season. The starting safety for the Cardinals played a massive role in their defensive turnaround last season, and was likely going to be one of their top NFL Draft prospects by the time the season came to its conclusion.
Unfortunately, we likely won't have a chance to see Griffin at all in year one of the Jeff Brohm era at Louisville. He suffered a lower leg injury midway through fall camp, with Brohm announcing that he will "probably" miss the entirety of the season.
"It's a shame, because M.J., I thought, was developing into an outstanding player both on and off the field," co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Ron English said. "In the sense of his study and work habits, his attention to detail, his desire to be a great player."
It's not an overstatement to say that the 6-foot-1, 210-pound defensive back was regarded as one of the most important players on the team. Before being elevated to starter, Louisville was struggling to contain big passing plays, averaging 210.4 passing yards allowed per game in the first five games of the season, which was before Griffin cracked the starting rotation.
But when Griffin stepped into a starter's role, the Cardinals had a much more efficient defense against the pass, averaging only 188.6 passing yards allowed per game during this stretch. Despite seeing meaningful defensive playing time in only eight of the 13 games, the Ypsilanti, Mich. native finished seventh on the team in tackles with 45, while also logging a pair of interceptions and a forced fumble in the process.
Louisville might be losing a valuable asset the their defensive effort, but with this development, the secondary for the Cardinals - specifically their safety group - is stepping up to the plate and rallying behind their injured teammate.
"They all want to play, and they all think they're better than we think they are. You know how that goes," English said. "I think they're just, not in a negative way, but they're like, 'I get my shot.' I don't worry about that part."
Despite Louisville losing one half of their starting safety duo, the other half is still productive. last season, Josh Minkins was able to show us what he can do when fully healthy, finishing with the fifth-most tackles on the team at 55, while also collecting three pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble.
The two players in the mix to replace Griffin as the starting free safety are also proven. Baylor transfer Devin Neal logged 41 total tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a pass breakup last season, while UNC transfer Cam'Ron Kelly - in 2021 as a junior - collected 69, snagged four interceptions, and also tallied three pass break ups en route to Third-Team All-ACC honors.
"M.J. was a piece of a puzzle, and so we have other pieces and we're developing these pieces, and we're going to continuing to develop them," English said. "This is not a one week or one month, but it's a year long deal."
Don't expect these three players to be the only ones rotating in and out at safety. It's very possible to see guys at STAR - a linebacker/safety hybrid position in the new 4-2-5 scheme - to rotate here. This includes players like Benjamin Perry, Gilbert Frierson and Antonio Watts.
Additionally, we might see some walk-ons get some in-game reps from time-to-time. English referenced his time at Arizona State as their defensive backs coach, and how safety Adam Archuleta went from being a walk-on with the Sun Devils to a first round NFL Draft pick and Super Bowl Champion with the St. Louis Rams. If a walk-on shows in practice that he can play, he won't be hesitant to give him playing time.
"I coach every guy," English said. "I'm one of those guys. I coach every player. I don't see walk-ons and scholarships."
Louisville will kick off their season against Georgia Tech on Friday, Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m. EST from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. as part of the Aflac Kickoff Classic
(Photo of M.J. Griffin: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)
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