LOUISVILLE, Ky. – As the start of the 2024 college football season draws closer, The Louisville Report will be breaking down each position on the Cardinals roster, and in the next installment of our position analysis series, we'll be looking at safety.
Free Safety
- M.J. Griffin (6-1, 200, R-Sr.)
- Tamarion McDonald (6-2, 195, Sr.)
- Blake Ruffin (6-3, 210, R-Jr.)
- Jathan Hatch (6-2, 190, Fr.)
Strong safety
- Devin Neal (6-0, 210, Sr.)
- D'Angelo Hutchinson (6-3, 195, Jr.)
- Dey McCullough (6-2, 190, R-Fr.)
As mentioned in the cornerback analysis, Louisville's front seven was a major reason for the defensive success in head coach Jeff Brohm's first year, but the secondary played a bigger role in giving it more credit: The defensive line set the tone up front, and Louisville got some great complementary football from the back end through the first two months of the season.
Through the first nine games of the year, Louisville allowed just 196.4 passing yards per game, good for 26th in the country, before the secondary took a major step back, allowing over 300 passing yards in three of the final five games, which led the Cardinals, who were trending toward a top-25 ranking in pass defense, to finish the season allowing 217.3 passing yards per game, good for 578th overall.
Louisville certainly has had inconsistent cornerback play over that stretch, but the primary reason for the secondary's sluggishness has been the play of the safety room. Over the final five games, the position hasn't been all that effective at preventing opposing offenses from penetrating the secondary, either in pass coverage or the run. This was on full display against USC in the Holiday Bowl, when the Cardinals allowed 372 yards and six touchdowns through the air.
Despite finishing the 2023 season with inconsistent play, Louisville will enter the 2024 season with a strong safety room. In fact, when you combine the players they are able to return with those they were able to acquire via the transfer portal, the Cardinals have a great balance of production and potential at safety.
The biggest story at the position revolves around MJ Griffin. The Temple University transfer played a major role in rebuilding Louisville's defense in the 2022 season, helping to drastically cut down on the number of big plays the Cardinals were allowing. Despite only getting significant defensive playing time in eight games, Griffin still finished seventh on the team in tackles with 45, while also recording two interceptions and a forced fumble in the process.
However, during fall training prior to the 2023 season, Griffin suffered a lower leg injury that forced him to miss a year. Fortunately, Griffin does not appear to have any issues during his rehabilitation and should be fully back by fall training camp this season.
When fully healthy, Griffin will be a valuable addition to Louisville's defense. He has a high football IQ, is more athletic than fans realize, and has a penchant for playmaking in the box and deep in coverage. Barring any injury issues, he should be a key piece of Louisville's defense.
The only saving grace from Griffin's injury is that it forced other players to step up their game and take on a bigger role. With Cam'Ron Kelly no longer eligible to play, Devin Neal assumed that role. He led the team in interceptions with four and was second in tackles with 74 to go along with 3.0 tackles for loss, six pass breakups and one fumble recovery.
Neal's pass coverage efforts have wavered a bit in the final month of the season, but he still does very well in this regard. He has great anticipation ability before the ball goes into the air and makes great plays once the ball is close to the target. If Neal can stay more consistent in 2024 than he was last season, he and Griffin should be one of the best safety duos in the ACC.
But not only does Louisville have a strong starting safety line-up, they also have great depth behind them.
Tamarion McDonald may not be a starter at either position, but he should definitely see plenty of playing time this season and be a difference-maker. He joined Louisville after being a multi-year starter at Tennessee and coming off his best collegiate season. He finished last season with 40 tackles, 3.5 for loss, one sack, one interception and four pass breakups.
First, McDonald is one of the team's most versatile defenders, able to play strong safety, slot corner or linebacker. On top of that, his athleticism and football nose stood out in Louisville's spring games. Whether it's as a true safety or a star in co-DC Ron English's system, he's well-suited to be productive in some capacity.
Griffin, Neal and McDonald will be the main safeties for Louisville, but there are two other guys who should be in the main rotation on the back end: DeAngelo Hutchinson and Blake Ruffin.
Hutchinson is one of three returning players at the position, but he hasn't seen a lot of playing time so far. He recorded just 11 tackles over his first two collegiate seasons, but judging by his performance this spring, Hutchinson is a player who can take a step forward. He played regularly at the 1 and 2 positions and showed some consistency.
Ruffin has a bit more experience, but not at the FBS level. That said, he was one of the best defensive backs in the FCS last season. He recorded four interceptions, 63 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble and four pass breakups on his way to being named an AP FCS Second Team All-American. He missed spring training due to an injury, so fall training will be a big factor in how well he transitions to the ACC.
That leaves Louisville with two scholarship safeties in Oklahoma transfer Day McCullough and freshman Jaythan Hatch, who will likely see the field sooner than Hatch, given that McCullough has redshirted and was once a top-500 prospect, but Hatch is not as highly rated as a prospect.
As mentioned in the cornerback breakdown, it wouldn't be surprising if either McCullough or Hatch were to move to cornerback, as they were roughly equivalent at the high school level and Louisville has slightly less depth at cornerback than it does at safety.
While there are some questions surrounding the safety position, primarily Griffin's health and the position's overall stability in pass coverage, there's no denying that the position could help turn Louisville's entire secondary into a top-tier unit this season. The Cardinals have a great lineup of starters and should be able to rotate players freely on the back end without experiencing a significant drop in talent or potential.
Put it all together and Louisville has what it takes at both cornerback and safety to finish the season with one of the best secondaries in the ACC.
(MJ Griffin Photo by Jamie Rose – USA TODAY Sports)
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