Louisville’s offseason overhaul has already pushed one of its biggest additions into the national spotlight.
After Pat Kelsey wiped the slate clean and rebuilt the roster, the Cardinals brought in eight transfers, including several former 5-stars and one especially decorated newcomer: Kansas transfer Flory Bidunga. The 5-star center arrived with plenty of buzz, and that hype is only growing as preseason honors start to come out.
Blue Ribbon Yearbook placed Bidunga on its Preseason All-American Second Team, another sign that the expectations around him are real. That recognition lines up with how he was viewed in the portal, where On3 Sports and 247 Sports both ranked him as the unanimous No. 1 overall transfer.
Bidunga’s resume from Kansas explains why he landed so high on the list. He averaged 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game last season, earned All-Big 12 First Team honors and was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
His shot-blocking numbers stood out nationally, too, with 2.6 blocks per game ranking No. 5 in the country and his 91 total blocks checking in at No. 4.
For Louisville, the fit is obvious. The Cardinals needed size, physicality and a real presence around the rim, and Bidunga brings all of that. At 6-foot-9, he’s one of the top rim protectors in college basketball and a dangerous lob target because of his athleticism.
He already flashed that upside in the Bahamas, when he put up 18 points, 10 rebounds and 6 blocks in Louisville’s dominant win. With the Cardinals aiming at a Final Four run this season, Bidunga looks like one of the players who could swing how far this group goes. If he delivers an All-American level year and gives Louisville the kind of defense and scoring punch that was hinted at early, the Cardinals’ ceiling rises fast.
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Louisville Let This Ranked Test Slip At The Worst Moments
Louisville has spent most of the first half in a ranked test that felt close enough to swing either way, but No. 16 SMU has had the better finishing touch so far at L&N Stadium. The Cardinals are trailing 17-14 at halftime after Lincoln Kienholz accounted for 89 total yards and two touchdowns, while SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings has settled things down with 132 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception.
The gap has been shaped by SMUs ability to answer when the game tightens up, with Kendrick Raphael giving the Mustangs a steady ground presence and helping them edge ahead before the break. Louisville has been good enough to stay in striking distance, but the margin for error in a ranked matchup is already looking thin, and the Cardinals will need a sharper second-half finish if they want to keep this one from slipping away. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Faces An Early ACC Test Fans Cant Ignore
Week 3 of the 2026 college football season already has the feel of a measuring-stick weekend, and Louisville is right in the middle of it. The Cardinals date with a ranked opponent sits among a slate that also features No. 7 LSU at No. 9 Mississippi and No. 10 Alabama hosting Florida State, with the top-25 action spread across multiple TV windows, channels and streaming options on Sept. 19.
For Louisville, the matchup carries more than simple September intrigue because it offers an early chance to see where the Cardinals stand in the ACC race. The game brings an opponent with its own conference expectations, and the outcome figures to shape how the league hierarchy looks before the schedule really settles in, especially with Miami looming as the team everyone is trying to chase. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Kienholz Just Delivered Louisville's Biggest Moment Against SMU
Lincoln Kienholz has given Louisville an immediate lift in his first season as the starting quarterback, and the early returns against SMU showed exactly why the Cardinals were eager to hand him the job. The 4-star transfer settled in quickly, moving the offense with his arm and his legs while helping Louisville build momentum in a game that demanded poise and a few timely answers.
Kienholz was efficient in the first half and also added a rushing score, giving Louisville the kind of dual-threat presence that can change a game in a hurry. The play that stood out most came when he turned a broken protection into a big gain downfield, a snapshot of the improvisation and calm that have made him such an important piece for the Cardinals already. [Read more 🡒]