The Cardinal Countdown: 27 Days Until Kickoff

#27 Kendrick Duncan

Class: RS Junior

Ht/Wt: 6-3/225

Position: Safety

Hometown: Stockbridge, GA

Twitter: @Dunc27_

Thoughts: One could make the argument that one of the most important transfers in the ACC this year was Kendrick Duncan. Duncan, a Georgia Southern transfer, is the projected starter at free safety and is a huge boost to a Louisville secondary that needed experience and talent with some guys leaving and some guys graduating in 2021. The safety position was a big concern last year and signing Duncan early (first week in January) helped solidify that spot for the staff not long after 2020 wrapped.

Anytime you bring someone in from a non-Power 5 school there is a question mark about how their skills may translate to the “big leagues”, but if any school knows firsthand about finding some buried treasures it’s Louisville, watching Kei’Trel Clark turn into a bonafide first team all-conference player right before our eyes. While Duncan hasn’t had the opportunity to show us that yet in game action his buildup has been something else, garnering praise from Satterfield, Brown, Gasparato, and Sirignano, during the Spring and summer. The 6-3/225lb safety has a solid frame to say the least but showed he can still cover large areas of the field. While his 2020 season was cut a bit short on both ends due to injury his 2019 season was something to be proud of. Not only did he play and start all 13 games but he finished with 79 tackles, 8 PBUs, 2 INTs, and a forced fumble all while playing eventual champ and number one LSU, a Top 10 Minnesota team, and a Top 20 App State squad.

I’m not entirely sure how 2021 will play out for Duncan but I feel much better about the safety spot with the guys they brought in via transfers and the new freshman who are stepping up as well. I think that position group was swimming a bit the last couple seasons and the dudes they have back there now can finally touch the bottom of the pool. Keep that head on a swivel, the sharks are hunting.

Sweet Tweet:

Never caught ‘Prison Break’ but me and the Mrs did just finish ‘Breaking Bad’ if anyone is interested in discussing five year old television shows.