Previous position breakdowns:
Today we continue the position breakdowns for the 2013 football season and focus on the Cornerbacks.
Terell Floyd
Junior
5’10 201 lbs
Talk about a player who shows up in the big-time moments! No matter what Floyd does for the rest of his career here at UofL, he already made one of the most memorable plays in Louisville football history. (HSReplays with the video)
To go along with that, he also had an interception to clinch the win at Rutgers, and had the interception in overtime of the Cincinnati game that stopped them from scoring and allowed the Cards to just kick a field goal and win.
In his 2 seasons at UofL, Floyd has played in 25 games, and started in 13 of them (10 last year). As a freshman he had 13 tackles and 1 tackle for loss. Last season he shattered those numbers with 34 tackles and 2 sacks, and of course the 3 big interceptions. Bringing back a player with his kind of play-making ability and game experience will be big for the Cards this season.
Jermaine Reve
RS Sophomore
6’0 180 lbs
A recent move that was made was Jermaine Reve moving from safety to cornerback, and he just may find himself starting. He will battle with Andrew Johnson for the starting spot, but Johnson is currently nursing a minor injury. As a redshirt freshman last season, Reve played in all 13 games, starting in 2 of those. He finished with 32 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack. Pretty good numbers for a first year player! In the recent open practices, Reve was playing with the 1st string defense.
Reve played at Miami Northwestern High School, the same school that produced Teddy Bridgewater, Eli Rogers, Michaelee Harris, and Corvin Lamb.
Andrew Johnson
Junior
5’9 186 lbs
Johnson will be battling Jermaine Reve for a starting spot this fall at the cornerback position. In his 2 years at UofL, Johnson has played in 23 games and had 15 starts. He had 26 tackles last season, which included 21 solo tackles. Against North Carolina, he broke up the pass that saved the game for the Cards after UNC made the comeback to potentially win the game. He also had his first career interception in the Sugar Bowl!
Johnson brings a lot of enthusiasm and “swagger” to the secondary for the Cards. If you have been to an open practice, you have surely heard him talking trash to the offensive players. But he looks like he has a lot of fun out there. Hopefully he can recover from his minor injury and he can combine with Reve to give the Cards a solid option at corner.
Charles Gaines
RS Sophomore
5’11 174 lbs
Gaines played wide receiver for the Cards last year, but moved to cornerback in the spring. As a wide receiver last season, he caught 11 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown. He has great speed, and that can help him transition to the defensive side of the ball. At an open practice this year, he intercepted a pass from Teddy Bridgewater (after Damian Copeland bobbled it) and took it all the way for a touchdown. No one ever came close to catching him.
He has had some minor issues off of the field, but if he can put it all together and keep his head on straight, Gaines can be a huge impact player for the Cards on defense. And remember how I said Andrew Johnson talks a lot of trash??? He is nearly silent compared to Charles Gaines.
Stephan Robinson
RS Junior
5’10 165 lbs
A local player from Central High School here in Louisville, Robinson has played in 17 games in his first 2 years for UofL. He came to UofL as a wide receiver but moved to cornerback when he got here. He has gotten most of his playing time on special teams so far, seeing limited time at nickleback and cornerback. He hopes to make a push for more playing time this season.
Other cornerbacks on UofL’s roster:
Anthony Branch RS Senior 5’10 180 lbs
Charles Williams Freshman 6’2 180 lbs
Richard Benjamin Freshman 6’0 199 lbs
Devontre Parnell RS Freshman 5’11 174 lbs
Mitchell Nelson RS Sophomore 6’0 175 lbs
My Outlook:
I like what we have at this position. Terell Floyd ended the season with huge games against Rutgers and Florida. I look for him to carry that momentum into this season. At the other corner spot, I am comfortable with either Reve or Johnson. I didn’t expect at all to see Johnson going with the second team at open practices, but his injury has forced him to miss some time, and Reve has stepped up and filled the void. Either one of those two guys can play significant snaps this season and I would be fine with that.
Like I mentioned earlier, if Charles Gaines keeps himself out of trouble off the field, he can be dangerous for the Cards. He is talented enough to be able to switch positions and be a playmaker on either side of the ball. I am really excited to see what kind of season he has. And trust me, if he makes a big play, everyone will know about it!
Two freshman to look out for are Charles “Chucky” Williams and Richard Benjamin. I can see both of these guys getting on the field this season. Both are over 6’0 which is good for this position; Williams is actually 6’2. Benjamin impressed me at the open practices and he definitely does not look like a freshman physically. He looks ready to step in right away if needed. So just remember those two names this season.
Overall I think we have a solid group of corners. There isn’t a whole lot of experience behind the starters. But there sure is a lot of talent!
Tomorrow I will bring you the breakdown of the Safeties!
JR
*Some info came from GoCards.com
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