Louisville Defensive Players To Watch vs. Ole Miss

Louisville brings in an underrated Louisville defense, looking to prove something in 2021

Matt Galatzan | Sep 5, 2021

The Ole Miss Rebels will open up their season against the Louisville Cardinals on Monday, without the services of head coach, Lane Kiffin.

However, if they are going to be successful, they will have to make do without Kiffin's play-calling abilities, which will now be handed to offensive coordinator, Jeff Lebby.

The Cardinals who are coming off of a 4-7 record under head coach Scott Satterfield, will be looking to get back on track, after a down year in the ACC.

That will all start on offense for Satterfield's team, which ranked No. 29 in the country last season in total offense, averaging 444.2 yards per contest.

The defense, however, is nothing to look over either, with the Cardinals ranking 39th in the country in total defense, including 17th overall against the pass a season ago.

But can they replicate the same production in 2021 despite some important losses?

Make sure to stick with TheGroveReport.com through our season preview series, where we will analyze every opponent on the Rebels schedule in 2021.

Now, on to the Cardinals:

CB Kei'Trel Clark

The leader of the Cardinals secondary, Kei'Trel Clark is one of the top cornerbacks not just in the ACC, but in the entire country. Despite finishing last season with just one interception, Clark was one of the toughest players to throw against in the nation, breaking up 10 passes as well. He also finished the year with 36 tackles and two tackles for loss.

LB CJ Avery

As the team's leading returning tackler, CJ Avery finished last season with 79 total tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception from his inside linebacker position. Alongside the next player on our watch list, he forms arguably the best inside linebacker duo in the ACC.

LB Monty Montgomery

The other half of the elite linebacker duo for the Cardinals, Monty Montgomery led the Cardinals with four sacks, and also had 7.5 tackles for loss, to go along with 47 total tackles. The combination of Avery and Montgomery makes up the strength of the Cardinals' defense.

LB Yasir Abdullah

Maybe the Cardinals' best edge rusher, Yasir Abdullah could prove to be a problem for the Rebels offensive line. Last season, Abdullah finished second behind Montgomery with three sacks and had seven tackles for loss.

DL YaYa Diaby

Described in our interview with Cardinals report as "a man on a mission," defensive lineman Yaya Diaby will be a handful for the Ole Miss offensive line, and looks to be a big contributor to the defense going forward.

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Rebels? Click Here

Follow The Grove Report On Facebook and Twitter

Published Sep 5, 2021

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan the Editor-In-Chief of TheGroveReport.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels.