Transfer Safeties Devin Neal, Myles Slusher Commit to Louisville

The Cardinals land two more key defensive pieces via the transfer portal, this time on the back end of their secondary.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - One day removed from landing a pair of defensive linemen from the transfer portal, the Louisville football program has bolstered the back end of their secondary with a pair of portal safety commits, as both Baylor's Devin Neal and Arkansas' Myles Slusher announced Monday that they will be transferring to the Cardinals.

Neal was a key part of Baylor's safety rotation in 2022. Playing in 11 games this season with seven starts, the 5-foot-11 and 201-pound safety logged 41 total tackles (31 solo), 2.0 tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. The lone game he did not play in was Baylor's regular season finale at Texas.

During his three seasons with the Bears, Neal collected 67 total tackles (50 solo), 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, two picks, two forced fumbles and a pass breakup. A Lexington, Ky. native, he played his high school ball at Frederick Douglass, and was ranked as the No. 9 prospect in the state of Kentucky according to 247Sports.

Slusher, a 6-foot and 185-pound defensive back who can play both cornerback and safety, started six games for the Razorbacks in 2022, wracking up 28 tackles (18 solo), 5.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and a pass breakup. He missed some time early due to multiple injuries, then was handed a one-game due to an arrest for disorderly conduct. He returned for Arkansas' week 12 matchup vs. Ole Miss, but entered the transfer portal afterwards.

He concluded his Razorbacks career with 93 total tackles (60 solo), 9.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, five pass breakups and a forced fumble across 20 games over three seasons. The Broken Arrow, Okla. native was one of the top prospects in the Class of 2020, ranking as the No. 121 prospect in the nation according to 247Sports.

With Louisville set to lose starting safety Kenderick Duncan and starting corner Kei'Trel Clark, landing Neal and Slusher is a massive boost for the Cardinals' secondary. Neal will likely compete for starting reps at safety alongside M.J. Griffin and Josh Minkins, and with Slusher's versatility, he will likely battle cornerbacks Quincy Riley and Jarvis Brownlee Jr. for starting reps on the edge.

Louisville has now added four transfers through the portal. The Cardinals landed former Penn State defensive end/tackle Rodney McGraw and former Stanford defensive end Stephen Herron on Sunday.

Neal and Slusher are expected to sign on Wednesday for the first day of the early signing period, and arrive on campus following the end of the 2022 fall semester. Louisville finished the 2022 season with an overall mark of 8-5 (4-4 in ACC), including a 24-7 win in the Fenway Bowl over Cincinnati.

(Photo of Myles Slusher: Nelson Chenault - USA TODAY Sports)

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