Three Players on Louisville's Defense to Watch During Week Six Matchup vs Virginia

Who are Louisville's top defensive players to watch during Saturday's week six matchup against Virginia?

Sep 27, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Louisville Cardinals defensive back Corey Gordon (24) and linebacker Kalib Perry (12) celebrate an interception by linebacker TJ Quinn (34) against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

With Virginia's week six matchup against Louisville approaching quickly, now is the time to scope out who the Cavaliers will be facing. The Cardinals are equipped with an explosive offense, but they've also built up a solid defensive unit. Both programs will be tested immensely, and UVA has a lot to offer.

As Louisville's head coach, Jeff Brohm stated during his press conference in reference to Virginia's program, "Definitely a team that has played really good football through five games. They're talented. They've been battle-tested. They've gotten better each and every year. In our last two years against them, we've had to come from behind in both games to find a win. This team is playing very sharply and very crisply. We'll have our work cut out for us."

His statement stands true — the Cavaliers have been consistently improving and have managed to come out on top over unexpected programs, specifically last week over Florida State, but that doesn't diminish the jaw-dropping talent that the Cardinals are going to bring to the field. Once kickoff takes place at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, here are three of the more prominent Louisville defensive players whom you should focus on as the gripping matchup unfolds.

DE Clev Lubin

Louisville Cardinals defensive lineman Clev Lubin (50) strips the ball away from James Madison Dukes quarterback Alonza Barnett III (14) that set up a fumble and recovery touchdown by Louisville Cardinals defensive lineman AJ Green (17) at L&N Credit Union Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. Sept. 5, 2025 | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When Lubin transferred to Louisville, the Cardinals knew that they had scored a massive player. Lubin was a First-Team All-Sun Belt recipient with Coastal Carolina last year and finished 15th nationally in sacks (9.5) and tallied 44 total tackles and forced three fumbles. So far this year, he has registered 3.5 sacks and hasn't shown any sign of slowing down. He has been one of the most effective transfers to join the Cardinals' program, which was evident early on in the season when he faced Eastern Kentucky for Louisville's opener, posting two sacks and four total tackles, later followed by a career-high of 10 tackles against James Madison with 1.5 sacks. It's safe to say that he has meshed well with the Cardinals is certainly a dominant force on the field.

LB TJ Quinn: After assisting in such a remarkable comeback against Pittsburgh last weekend, Quinn was named ACC Player of the Week alongside fellow Cardinal Chris Bell. During his latest matchup with the Panthers, Quinn recorded two nail-biting interceptions and five tackles. With his four starts this season, Quinn has been making an impressive name for himself. He leads the team with 22 tackles and is also leading with two interceptions. He is no stranger to success, and if he can bring the heat to Saturday's game, Louisville will be in good hands.

LB Antonio Watts: Watts has stepped up this year and has registered his second career interception, and during his latest matchup, he made four tackles and 0.5 sacks. While he isn't considered to be a major face in the program, compared to Quinn and Lubin, he has made substantial contributions that have allowed the Cardinals to carry an impressive 4-0 record. If UVA wants to secure another victory, the players must keep their eyes on Watts.