The Courier-Journal (Louisville)
Cornerback Brownlee opts to enter 2024 NFL draft
Louisville football is losing another starter in the secondary after cornerback Jarvis Brownlee declared for the 2024 NFL draft on Friday.
“It is time to make my dreams a reality,” he wrote in the post on Instagram.
Brownlee is ranked 30th among draft-eligible cornerbacks, according to Drafttek’s website.
Brownlee was a two-year starter for Louisville but missed three games this season with a foot injury. Still, he played the eighth-most snaps on defense and had 30 tackles, a fumble recovery, an interception and six pass breakups. He gave up 19 receptions and four touchdowns while defending 37 times. His 79.7 coverage grade was third best on the team behind cornerback Quincy Riley (83.8) and defensive lineman Mason Reiger (82.5).
Brownlee made two tackles and had one pass breakup in the Holiday Bowl on Wednesday, his final game as a Cardinal.
The Florida native transferred to Louisville after a three-year stint at Florida State, where he started in 15 of 24 games played.
The Cardinals already had lost safeties Cam Kelly, who declared for the NFL draft but played in the Holiday Bowl, and Josh Minkins, who transferred to West Virginia.
Louisville (10-4) might lose two more cornerbacks with starting experience. Riley, a redshirt junior, and North Carolina transfer Storm Duck, who can forgo his final year of eligibility, are ranked 22nd and 23rd, respectively, among draft-eligible cornerbacks. Neither has yet to publicly announce their plans.
The only other corners to log snaps this season were Trey Franklin (39), Marcus Washington (4), Kevin Longstreet (3) and Marquis Groves-Killebrew (7), who entered the transfer portal Dec. 4. Franklin made nine tackles this year.
Though the Cardinals’ secondary will lose a good chunk of its experience, coach Jeff Brohm added defensive backs Tayon Holloway (North Carolina), Blake Ruffin, a Trinity High School grad who spent the last three years at Eastern Illinois, and Corey Thornton (UCF) from the transfer portal. U of L also signed cornerback Rae’mon Mosby and safety Jathan Hatch as part of the 2024 high school recruiting class to add depth.
Louisville is expected to return at least two starting safeties — Devin Neal and Ben Perry — while getting back MJ Griffin, who was projected to be a starter but sustained a season-ending injury in fall camp, and adding D’Angelo Hutchinson, who played 72 snaps in six games this season.