In Steve Ellis we trust. That’s the way I view Louisville’s newly promoted Co-Defensive Coordinator and world-class cornerbacks coach. Ellis has made a career of scouting under-the-radar corner prospects and turning them into NFL players. This past NFL draft was the first time that Ellis did not have a player drafted, and you could argue that he got the best play out of his group in the 2025 season. He enters this season with the deepest group of talent that he has led in his time with the Cards.
The top player in the group is Tayon Holloway, who returns after a solid season with an outstanding finish. Holloway ended the year with 4 passes defended, including 2 picks, as well as 2 tackles for loss over the last three games of the season. Holloway only allowed a passer rating of 59.1 last year, which was in the top-30 in the entire country. Another year of coaching from Ellis, as well as an increased role as a leader, could unlock an All-ACC-type year from the senior.
The first player to pledge to the Cards when the portal opened was DJ Waller from Kentucky. Waller started his career at Michigan, where he had a solid true freshman season. Unfortunately, Waller played more games as a true freshman than he did in his last two years for UK. The injury bug has been brutal for him, as some might remember him coming back for the Louisville game last year, only to go down with an injury at the start of the game. Waller has unbelievable size at 6-3-195, but we’ll have to see if he can stay healthy to truly know what type of impact he can have.
I think the Cards could have five corners who can see the field as depth and/or push for valuable snaps this year. Brycen Scott and Myles Norwood bring starting experience to the group, with Scott being a starter at Elon and Norwood being a part-time starter at South Carolina. Norwood was also a strong contributor at Ball State before his move to the SEC. Both of these players will get the first crack at the second slots on the depth chart, but they will have competition.
Santana Wilson is a player who stood out to me in the spring. Wilson is diminutive to an extent, but he has genuine grit and fire that shows up on every rep. He has also shown great speed in coverage to go with the intensity he plays with. He will be a player who I would love to see develop under Ellis, as he has the tools needed, but he’s young and needs to refine his skills.
Antonio Harris and Jaydin Broadnax bring youth to the group as well as great upside. Harris was a standout during the spring and fall last season, but it was understandable that he didn’t see the field as a true freshman. I think he will push himself onto the field in some way this year. I would love to see him carve out a role on special teams to earn some snaps on defense.
Broadnax is the top prospect in the 2025 recruiting class. The Cards beat out a bevy of top teams around the country to land him, and you can see why when you see him in person. Broadnax is a legit 6-3, and he moves really well for a guy with long limbs. Ellis is known for developing 3\* guys who flew under the radar. It will be interesting to see how he handles a bona fide star recruit who has already shown that he has a high ceiling.
While I think Holloway has a real chance to take a big leap forward with his play, Brycen Scott seemed to be a guy who shot up the depth chart when he arrived in the spring. Scott has good size, and he has shown the ability to be sticky in coverage from what I have been able to see. This defense will likely be more aggressive, which will require these corners to play on an island and to make plays on the ball. Scott could thrive in that situation.