Gentry Estes

Louisville Courier Journal

While Thursday's press conference of four players at U of L's football facility lacked in pregame suspense, it left an aftertaste of expectations.

Those are about to go way up.

Safety Josh Harvey-Clemons, linebackers DeVonte Fields and Keith Kelsey and defensive tackle DeAngelo Brown each discussed decisions to return to the Cardinals in 2016, which officially confirmed earlier announcements, tweets and reports in recent days of the same.

And to a man, each of these four juniors who sought an NFL draft projection and subsequently opted to return said the projected strength of the 2016 Cardinals was a major reason.

"We've also got a chance to win the ACC championship next year," said junior linebacker DeVonte Fields.

With these four defensive players back, Louisville is expected to return 18 starters (10 offense, eight defense) on both sides of the football next season, a fact that could make the Cards a popular preseason pick in the ACC and nationally.

"We have a great opportunity with all the guys coming back next year and the younger guys stepping up as well," Kelsey said. "I think we have a chance to be a good team if we approach the offseason the right way."

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Of the four players, none said he received a draft projection of first-or-second round from the NFL's advisory committee.

That included Fields, who would arguably be the top NFL prospect of the bunch, especially given his strong finish to the season.

"I kind of had my mind made up anyway," Fields said. "Just because I finished strong. All the hype came at the end or whatever. I can do that the whole season. I plan on doing that, and we've got a great team coming back."

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Harvey-Clemons said he felt "a little rusty" in 2015 after sitting out the previous season as a Georgia transfer and is also seeking improvement and a more complete 2016.

"I talked it over with my family and coaches," Harvey-Clemons said, "and I really didn't have the season that I wanted to have. I feel like I can do a lot better, and I talked to these guys. Once they told me they were coming back, it was a no-brainer for me."

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Brown added that he "felt in my heart it was best for me to come back."

Like others, he received the brief summation from the NFL that advised the same.

"It's just a sheet of paper," Brown said, "and it only tells you if you're going first-or-second round. It's not really a broad thing. It's real precise. If you're not that, it's just going to tell you to come back."

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