Louisville football position preview: Cornerback

Previous position previews: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker 

The Louisville football cornerback room under head coach Jeff Brohm, now in year three, is vastly different from what it was last fall. And for good reason. 

Whether it be injuries or just poor play, Steve Ellis’ group wasn’t what it was in 2023, a year where Louisville found itself in the ACC Championship Game. 

Last season, the Cardinals gave up 236.2 passing yards a game, sixth most in the ACC, and 24 touchdowns through the air, second most in the league, only behind Stanford’s 31. Saying it was a struggle would be an understatement. The Cards ranked in the bottom half of the conference in passing defense, interceptions, and defensive efficiency. 

Simply put, Louisville’s poor pass defense lost them games last year. They let Stanford drive down the field on the game’s final possession and caused penalties that got the Cardinal in field goal range. They gave up 319 pass yards and four touchdowns to No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Cam Ward and Miami (FL) in a game where Louisville scored 45 points but gave up 52 and in the home loss to SMU, the Cards only forced six incompletions and struggled to contain the Mustangs’ mobile quarterback Kevin Jennings who rushed for 113. 

At times, Louisville’s defensive backs were undisciplined and lacked the gel to consistently make stops. Not to mention that Louisville was without star cornerback Quincy Riley for three games, and sophomore cornerback Tayon Holloway only appeared in six games before being suspended from the program in November after he was arrested on strangulation and domestic violence charges. As the cherry on top, Corey Thornton played most of his final season at cornerback with a broken hand. With Thornton’s graduation and Riley off to the NFL, being drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round, there are some massive shoes to fill on the defensive perimeter. 

With it being announced yesterday that Holloway has been reinstated onto the 2025 roster, Louisville still has plenty of new faces at cornerback, and the expectation is that those incoming transfers will make an immediate impact and see snaps. 

Justin Agu, the redshirt junior from Louisiana, is a candidate to start in this defense. At 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Agu played in nine games last season, collecting a career-best 36 tackles and four pass breakups for the Ragin’ Cajuns. He did not see the field for a single snap in his first two seasons of college football, but since then, he’s improved in his two years and has power-four level speed. 

On the opposite end, and who appears to be Louisville’s cornerback one week before fall camp, is Southern’s Rodney Johnson. The physical 6-foot-2, 200-pound corner from New Orleans, Louisiana, was named to Phil Steele’s second team All-SWAC. He’s coming off the best season of his career, in which he recorded 35 tackles, five tackles for loss, and one interception. 

A corner with size, who can tackle, is critical at the power-four FBS level, and the redshirt senior Johnson fits the bill. He will almost certainly be a starter in the August 30th season opener. 

Another redshirt senior in the rotation is Jacksonville State’s Jabari Mack, who played at L&N Stadium against Louisville last season — a Cards win, where Mack was credited with four tackles. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Mack isn’t as strong as Johnson, but faster and more nimble, and he’s excellent in coverage. In 13 games with the Gamecocks last fall, he was credited with 11 pass breakups — No. 18 nationally among individual cornerbacks. He also collected 32 tackles. 

Mack has produced in every season of his college career and is coming off one where he put up some of the best individual cornerback numbers in the nation. He consistently makes plays in the secondary. 

After the three guys transferring up, Louisville’s depth at the position starts getting a little shaky. Returning are the aforementioned Holloway as well as redshirt freshman Rae’mon Mosby. 

As a sophomore, Holloway made 15 tackles and had five passes defended, but only played in six games due to injury and his suspension in November. It is important to note that two of the more severe charges against Holloway were dropped this spring, and with good behavior, he was able to make his way back on the roster. He did not participate in spring practice. 

In the snaps Holloway saw on the outside, there were good moments and bad moments in 2024. His unsportsmanlike conduct penalty cost Louisville the game at Stanford, but he also showed a certain confidence and swagger necessary to play the position at a high level. He’s only played in 16 career games between his year at UNC and the U of L, so we’ll put him in the “wait and see” category. 

Mosby played big snaps over the final three games of last season, ironically, mostly because of Holloway’s suspension, and was able to keep his redshirt. The Atlanta native did well as a true freshman. He had five tackles in Louisville’s Sun Bowl win over Washington. Now, there’s optimism about his improvement from year one to year two, and he very well could be an excellent playmaker in the secondary later in his career. 

Another portal addition, who came late in the cycle, is New Mexico’s Nigel Williams. Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, he started his career at Northwestern before spending a season with the Lobos. Out west, he was all over the field. Williams made 58 tackles, forced a fumble, and recorded two passes defended. 

Williams is undersized for a corner at the power-four level, but he exudes confidence, leadership, and jumps off the page with his athleticism. He’ll be a valuable piece as a nickel corner and on special teams for the Cardinals.

It also felt reasonable to mention Louisville’s very own Antonio Harris. The true freshman starred at Male High School and was Rivals’ No. 7 player out of the Commonwealth in 2025. As a senior, he logged 14 tackles and an interception. Harris will likely spend most of his time on special teams and in the weight room this season, but you can never count out someone with red and black in their blood. His father, Nate, played linebacker, and his uncle Doug Beaumont was a running back for the Cards. 

The bottom line 

On paper, this room might not be as talented as it was a year ago, but they are collectively deeper and more experienced. The cornerback group lost Louisville several games last fall, and now, with more disciplined veterans, they appear to be steadier. Productive depth is an issue at every position, but regardless of what happens, guys like Holloway, Williams, and Agu have played big-time snaps at this level. There might not be that “lockdown” guy coming in from the portal, but Johnson and Mack were all-conference at their previous stops. If the transfers can play clean football, while creating more turnovers, this unit will be able to tread water in the ACC. 

Expected depth chart

CB1 — Rodney Johnson, RS-Sr, 6-2, 200 lbs — Justin Agu, RS-Jr, 6-2, 185 lbs  — Rae’mon Mosby, RS-Fr, 6-0, 190 lbs 
CB2 — Jabari Mack, RS-Sr, 6-1, 185 lbs  — Tayon Holloway, Jr, 6-1, 190 lbs  — Nigel Williams, RS-Sr, 5-11, 195 lbs