Louisville just added a big-time piece to its 2027 recruiting puzzle, landing a commitment from Josiah Pouncy - a versatile, hard-hitting athlete out of Cincinnati Taft High School. At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Pouncy brings the kind of size, athleticism, and production that jumps off the tape - and clearly off the stat sheet.
Pouncy becomes the seventh commitment in Louisville’s 2027 class, and he’s coming in with no shortage of suitors. His offer list reads like a who's who of Power Five programs: Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Tennessee, Washington - and that’s just scratching the surface. But it’s the Cardinals who won out, and they’re getting a player who’s already turning heads as a do-it-all defender.
While Pouncy has lined up all over the field during his high school career, most programs - including Louisville - are eyeing him as an outside linebacker at the next level. And it’s not hard to see why.
He led his conference in tackles last season with a staggering 186 total stops, 126 of those solo. That’s not just production - that’s dominance.
He was the engine behind Taft’s 11-1 season, flying around the field and setting the tone defensively every week.
The accolades followed, as you’d expect. Pouncy was named runner-up for Conference Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-Conference, All-Region, and All-State honorable mention honors. Those awards reflect what the film and the numbers already show: this is a player who makes an impact on every snap.
With his commitment, Pouncy becomes the third player from Ohio to join Louisville’s 2027 class, teaming up with Cincinnati Withrow wide receiver Chuck Alexander and Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph tight end D’Angelo White. That trio gives the Cardinals a solid early foundation in the Midwest, and Pouncy, in particular, brings a defensive edge that could help anchor the group moving forward.
There’s still a long way to go before the ink dries on the 2027 class, but Louisville is clearly building something - and Josiah Pouncy looks like a cornerstone.