Highlights & Evaluation: Louisville DL Commit Xavier Porter

Louisville Report breaks down 2024 Louisville football defensive line commit Xavier Porter.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program has landed yet another impact recruit in the front seven, as Xavier Porter has committed to the Cardinals.

Here is Louisville Report's full evaluation:

Prospect: Xavier Porter
Position: Defensive End/Tackle
Measurables: 6-foot-2, 265 pounds
School: Tampa (Fla.) Catholic
Top Offers: Auburn, Cincinnati, Florida State, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma, Tennessee
247Sports Composite Rating (Nat'l Rank): 0.8767 (669th)

Xavier Porter's Junior Year Highlights: HERE (Hudl)

Frame: Porter already has a good amount of overall weight on his frame given his height. Will need to convert some of said weight to pure muscle, but that shouldn't be difficult. Also has somewhat broad shoulders and a solid wingspan.

Athleticism: Given his frame, Porter possesses a good amount of both lower and upper body strength. His initial burst is decent, but his north/south speed is very good for someone of his stature. Lateral agility on stunts and twists is about average, but does flash from time-to-time.

Instincts: Porter is adept at shooting into the gap while lined up inside. He has a good first step off of the line of scrimmage, and his quick arms plus good hand placement produce a really good swim move, although it does get a little high sometime. On bullrushes, said hand placement and good upper body strength regularly forces linemen upwards, while the driving force behind his legs does a good job of knocking them off their spots. He also displays a good amount of patience on delayed runs and other plays that are slow to develop, and can usually get to the ballcarrier once they approach the line.

Polish: In Tampa Catholic's 4-3 defensive scheme, Porter plays both the three-technique defensive tackle and true outside defensive end positions. He does need to work on his bend a bit - and just staying low against blockers in general - as he tends to get upright a little too often regardless of his alignment. His burst and timing off the line can be hit-or-miss, but when it's on, he does very well on stunts and twists inside and can breeze by tackles on the outside. He's physical by nature and subsequently a hard hitter as a result, but he sometimes tests the line between fair play and roughing the passer.

Bottom Line: Overall, this is a good pickup for Louisville. While he does need to continue working on fundamentals and fine-tuning his physique, Porter is a position-versatile pass rusher that is already in a good spot developmentally-speaking ahead of his senior season in high school. He could be a contender for early playing time once he gets to campus in 2024.

(Photo of Xavier Porter via University of Louisville Athletics)

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