LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Louisville football program’s near-unprecedented portal recruiting has netted them a local product who also happens to be one of the top FCS players.
Blake Ruffin, a Louisville native who spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Eastern Illinois, announced his return to the Cardinals on Monday.
He is Louisville’s eighth transfer commitment since Friday, with the Cardinals now landing portal picks in each of the last four days.
Ruffin is coming off an extremely productive redshirt sophomore season in which he established himself as one of the best FCS defensive backs. Starting all 11 games, the 6-foot-4, 205-pound safety had a league-high four interceptions to go along with 63 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble, and four pass breakups. He was not only named First-Team All-Big South-OVC, but also a Second-Team AP FCS All-American.
During his true freshman season in 2021, the Trinity High School alum saw a lot of playing time. Ruffin had 31 tackles, two for loss, and five pass breakups in 11 games and one start that season. Due to an injury sustained during fall camp, he was forced to miss the entire 2022 season.
Louisville now has multiple options at safety with Ruffin in the fold. They re-sign starter Devin Neal, are set to re-sign starter M.J. Griffin following his injury in the 2023 preseason, D’Angelo Hutchinson improved throughout the 2023 season, and Benjamin Perry remains a viable STAR option.
Ruffin is the 13th player in this cycle to transfer to Louisville, and the second defensive back after former UCF cornerback Corey Thornton. Since the winter transfer window opened on December 4, the Cardinals have seen nine scholarship layers enter the portal.
He is expected to sign on the first day of the early signing period, December 20. Under first-year head coach Jeff Brohm, Louisville went 10-2 during the regular season, including a berth in the ACC Championship Game, and is preparing for their Holiday Bowl matchup with USC on December 27.
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