University of Louisville football coach Charlie Strong made his secondary needs the primary focus of his recruiting this week and picked up three commitments.
Terrell Floyd, a cornerback from Port St. Lucie, Fla., announced Wednesday that he has chosen the Cardinals. Calvin Pryor, a safety from Port St. Joe, Fla., and Chris Dukes, a cornerback from Cincinnati, also committed this week.
Six of the 19 players who have committed to UofL are defensive backs. As with each player, the Cards' glaring need in the secondary and the possibility of immediate playing time powered their decisions.
“It was a big factor,”
said the 5-foot-11 Floyd, who chose UofL over West Virginia. “It was a very big factor.”
U of L starting cornerbacks Johnny Patrick and Bobby Burns are seniors. Their backups, sophomore Darius Ashley and junior Preston Pace, aren't seasoned enough at this point to be considered locks to start next season. It should make for a wide-open competition next year.
The 6-1, 190-pound Pryor was rated the 28th-best cornerback in the nation by Rivals.com and Floyd, who also plays safety, was rated 68th.
The commitments are non-binding, and Pryor told Rivals.com that he will visit Maryland on Oct.1. Dukes, a 5-11 184-pounder, is firm in his commitment, having played with current Cards Preston Brown and Tyon Dixon.
Floyd said hadn't considered UofL until Strong took over. But he is firm in his decision and said he won't visit any other schools.
“I really had a good connection with the coaching staff,”
Floyd said. “I just believe that Charlie Strong is going to turn that program around.”
