Louisville football didn’t just survive the offseason - it came out swinging. Head coach Jeff Brohm made some serious moves in the transfer portal to reshape and reload the Cardinals’ roster for 2026.
But perhaps the biggest win wasn’t about who came in - it was about who stayed. And that’s where Isaac Brown comes in.
The star running back flirted with the idea of entering the transfer portal, and had he done so, he would’ve been the most sought-after back on the market. But Brown chose to stay in Louisville, and that decision might end up being the most impactful move of the Cardinals’ offseason.
“I think it’s huge,” Brohm said last week when speaking to the media - and he’s not wrong.
Brown’s sophomore season was a bit of a roller coaster, but when he was healthy, he was electric. He played in nine games and topped 100 rushing yards in six of them.
His performance in the Boca Raton Bowl - 102 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Toledo - was a reminder of just how dangerous he can be when he’s on the field. He wrapped up the 2025 season with 884 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on just 101 carries, averaging a staggering 8.8 yards per attempt.
That’s not just efficient - that’s explosive.
But to really understand Brown’s impact, you’ve got to go back to his freshman year in 2024. That season, he didn’t just break out - he broke records.
Brown became the first true freshman in Louisville history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season, finishing with 1,173 yards and 11 touchdowns. The accolades followed: ACC Rookie of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, FWAA Freshman All-American, 247Sports True Freshman All-American, and second-team All-ACC.
That kind of debut doesn’t just happen - it signals a special talent.
“Isaac’s a great talent, has a bright future,” Brohm said. “He’s played some really good football here. Had a tremendous first year, had some injuries, but did a good job when healthy.”
And that’s the key heading into 2026: keeping Brown on the field. Durability will be a focal point as he enters his junior year.
The Cardinals know what they have in him - a game-changer who can tilt the field every time he touches the ball. But keeping him healthy and available will be just as important as drawing up plays to get him into space.
“We understand what value he brings,” Brohm said. “How much work he needs, where he needs that work, how we can improve his durability, how we can improve his strength and endurance.”
That kind of attention to detail shows just how central Brown is to Louisville’s plans - not just as a player, but as a cornerstone of the offense. The staff knows what makes him tick, and Brown, in turn, seems to understand that staying in Louisville gives him the best shot at hitting his goals: winning, producing, and eventually making the leap to the next level.
“He knows that he has a great opportunity to do that here, even more so than anywhere else,” Brohm said.
And that opportunity is exactly why Isaac Brown remains the centerpiece of what Jeff Brohm is building. The Cardinals hit the portal hard this offseason, but their biggest win might’ve been keeping one of their own right where he belongs.