Louisville CB Quincy Riley's Development Taken to 'Another Level'

The cornerback for the Cardinals could be in line for a special 2024 season.

Oct 14, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Louisville Cardinals defensive back Quincy Riley (3) breaks up a pass intended for Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Kenny Johnson (2) during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Quincy Riley could have very easily made the jump to the NFL after the 2023 season. The Louisville cornerback has been a crucial component of the Cardinals' secondary since he joined the program from Middle Tennessee, and last season he established himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the ACC.

However, Riley decided that he wasn't quite done yet in college. Instead of declaring for the pros early, he opted to return for his final year of eligibility, and is in line to serve as a critical component to Louisville's ambitions in year two of the Jeff Brohm era.

But how much better can Riley get? After all, he's coming off of a season where he had a team-best 12 pass breakups and led the ACC as a whole in pass defenses with 15. Even with how dominant Riley was in coverage last season, he has continued to be dedicated to his development as a player, which cornerbacks coach Steve Ellis says has been taken "to another level."

"The biggest thing about Quincy right now is just development," he said Thursday. "Every time you get an opportunity to come back and develop, that's the key. You either growing, or you're getting stale. In football, it's really pretty simple: either you're getting better, or you're not getting better. There is no in between.

"I think he's a guy that took full advantage of that opportunity. With the strength staff, the medical staff, his football IQ, understanding splits, formations, receiving tendencies, all that stuff. He really took it to another level. That's what you have to see. His leadership, the way he interacts with the guys, he is blossoming into a really good young man."

During spring ball, Riley stated that the main aspect of his game that he wanted to improve upon heading into the 2024 season was his overall physicality. Part of that inspiration came from watching his former teammate Jarvis Brownlee play, who selected by the Tennessee Titans in this past April's NFL Draft.

Fast forward to the present, and his efforts to bulk up have paid off. When he first joined Louisville during the 2022 season, he was listed at 181 pounds. Last season, Riley's playing weight was 185. Now, the 6-foot-0 corner comes in at 195 pounds. With fall camp in full swing, it has become obvious that Riley is the most physical he has ever been.

"(I've seen) him getting off of blocks and knocking guys back," Ellis said. "The bigger you are, the stronger you are, the more confidence you have to do anything. You take a Honda and you take a Hummer, that Hummer, you feel more comfortable driving. It's the same scenario: bigger, stronger, faster. You gain more confidence just because you got more armor to have."

Another factor that played a role into Riley's return to Louisville is just how highly he thinks of Ellis and his coaching. He believes that, while the NFL can provide him with a plethora of resources to aid him in his development, that being coached and developed by Ellis - as well as defensive coordinator Ron English and Brohm - for one more season was in his best interest.

"He's a hard coach, but it's all love at the end of the day," Riley said. "He's gonna push me, he's gonna tell me what's wrong and when I'm right. He understands that I can't get complacent with the position I'm in. He talks a lot of ball with me, how he's learning when it comes to football. I just embrace it all and understand where he's coming from."

Over the first week of fall camp, it's starting to show that returning to Louisville to improve his physiclaity and elevate his overall development certainly was the right move. In every one of Louisville's open practices, Riley has been one of the top playmakers, and is one of just a few players that - from just watching - you can tell has a lengthy career on Sundays ahead of him.

Ellis thinks that Riley is in for a truly special final season in college before he embarks for the NFL.

"I think it's a book that's unwritten, but I'm ready to read it," he said of Riley's ceiling for the upcoming year. "I think it'll be a good deal, because he checks off all the boxes. He's a good dude, a character guy. He's a great young man, and he's a great teammate. ... It's a story untold, but I'm very happy to read it once it's told."

(Photo of Quincy Riley: Charles LeClaire - USA TODAY Sports)

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