The Cardinal Countdown: 91 Days Until Kickoff

#91 Derek Dorsey

Class: RS Senior

Ht/Wt: 6-3/275

Position: Defensive Line

Hometown: Louisville, KY (Product of Manual High School)

Twitter: @DerekTDorsey

Thoughts: Dorsey has been a nice part of the defensive line for the last couple seasons, initially providing relief and filling in as a situational player then transitioning to someone who played in all twelve games of 2018 and then 12 games again last season. While getting a few reps on the line Dorsey became more of special teams player in 2019, typically playing “punter protection” for Mason ‘Da’ King. In the clip below you’ll see Dorsey (91) directing traffic a bit, looking at the defensive alignment and then giving the sign to snap the ball (side note, this play still irritates me, how a screw up basically rewards a team 20 yards. I get it, I get it, but I was ticked when this happened).

I mentioned it last year but Dorsey was getting a bit of the “hometown hero” treatment early on like he was a pet project for Petrino or something. Dorsey is an all state level athlete who has helped on the ends immensely at an ACC level. Dorsey didn’t fill the stat line in 2019 as much as he did back in 2018 but still contributed when needed. With 2020 as his last season as a Cardinal I’d expect to see him get a bit more snaps and likely maintain his role on special teams. Even if Dorsey doesn’t rack up big numbers in 2020 there is no doubt he was critical in helping bridge the gap from Grantham to Brown. While we may not reflect back fondly on the defensive side of the ball from 2017 to 2019 players like Dorsey are the pieces Louisville needed last year to propel them into what we anticipate will be a much better unit this season and beyond. I’ll always have a high level of respect for the guys who stuck around for three years, under three new coordinators and frankly got a bit beat up week in and week out. They could have transferred out, or quit, or gave excuses, but they road it out. Hoping Dorsey and his fellow Seniors on that side of the ball go out on a high note.

Sweet Tweet:

I’m with Dorsey on this one. If we treat this study as factual my wife would put me in Mensa.