By Taylor Webster–
After spending his first two years at Georgia, safety Josh Harvey-Clemons followed his previous defensive coordinator to Louisville. Todd Grantham didn’t take long to reach out to Harvey-Clemons when he was dismissed from UGA in 2014 and bring him to U of L. The senior is back for his final season and for Louisville’s first game and home opener against the Charlotte 49ers.
“I think that we have the potential to be very good if we all stick together and play hard,” Harvey-Clemons said. “I feel like our team has more chemistry because guys have been playing together more and we have more experience and more maturity as a team.”
At 6-foot-5 and 225 lbs., Harvey-Clemons is a nightmare match-up for offenses. The senior has the speed and footwork to cover slot receivers plus the physicality to make an impact in the run-game.
Although his coverage game is impressive for his size, it wasn’t up to par with his position. Harvey-Clemons said last season he was not where he wanted to be with this part of his game. JHC took time this offseason to become better in pass coverage.
“I did a lot of hip and footwork drills to improve my hip mobility and my footwork,” Harvey-Clemons said.
On both sides of the ball, Harvey-Clemons is very happy with what he sees.
“The offense has a lot of players with great talent and they will be very dangerous this year,” Harvey-Clemons said. “The defense will have to be very consistent, but as a defense we have a lot of great players that make a lot of great plays.”
Echoing a similar message from Keith Kelsey, Harvey-Clemons is very impressed with the leadership. JHC said this year’s team is something he has never seen before.
“The team has worked so hard from last season to this season,” Harvey-Clemons said. “Everyone’s following the seniors, learning the plays, everything is looking really solid.”
Harvey-Clemons recorded 88 tackles last year which put him third on the team. His three interceptions tied for second-most on the team.
Harvey-Clemons said his final season in college is “bittersweet.”
“I’m ready to complete my college career and get my degree, but at the same time leaving and having to adjust to the real world will be challenging,” Harvey-Clemons said.
Expect to see the big and athletic no. 25 making plays all across the field this season.
Photo by Dalton Ray / The Louisville Cardinal
