Frankie Luvu named Panthers’ ‘secret superstar’
Frankie Luvu is certainly no secret amongst Carolina Panthers fans, but he may be to the rest of the league. So, Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar’s got his back.
Farrar recently named one “secret superstar” for each team, and gave the man affectionately known as “Uce” his props. He writes:
The Panthers ranked 25th in Defensive DVOA last season, but they are putting together a defense with some important players, and none more so than Luvu, who the team first signed in 2021 as an undrafted free agent who had spent a few seasons with the Jets. Carolina gave Luvu a two-year, $9 million contract extension in 2022, and it’s safe to say that either the Panthers or some other team is going to pony up a lot more than that before or after he becomes a free agent in 2024.
What makes the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Luvu so interesting in the context of any modern defense is that you can put him just about anywhere on the field. He’s listed as a linebacker, but he’s shown the ability to win off the edge as a pass-rusher, cover in space, and get after run fits as a two-level defender.
The 26-year-old backer covered all of that ground in what was a career year this past season. Luvu recorded highs in starts (14), combined tackles (111), tackles for a loss (19), sacks (7.0) and passes defensed (four).
Between those rising numbers and the Panthers’ switch to a 3-4 defense, where Luvu will be able to roam pretty freely from the middle, the secret may be out to everyone else in 2023.
