Louisville’s offense may have to keep rolling without one of its most dangerous playmakers.
The Cardinals head into Saturday’s matchup with Georgia Tech chasing a fourth straight win, but the injury situation around Lawayne McCoy is starting to look more serious than a simple week-to-week absence. McCoy, who missed last weekend’s game with a knee injury, is now listed as questionable for the Georgia Tech game after earlier reporting suggested he could be sidelined for an extended stretch.
That’s a shift worth watching closely. McCoy has been one of Louisville’s top offensive weapons in 2026, giving Jeff Brohm’s attack an immediate boost after arriving from Florida State. Through seven games, he has 25 catches for 513 yards and four receiving touchdowns.
Brohm addressed the injury on Saturday and didn’t sound optimistic about a quick return.
"I don't think it requires surgery, but we have to get it healed," stated Brohm. "So the timetable is kind of unknown now. I don't anticipate him coming back real soon, but we'll see what he can do."
Earlier in the week, William McDermott reported that the 4-star receiver “will be out ‘an extended period’ with a knee injury,” after Brohm told PR that McCoy had played through the issue against Syracuse before further imaging and an MRI showed it was more serious.
Anwar O’Neal is also still out for the Georgia Tech game, while McCoy’s status has been upgraded to questionable from last week.
Louisville has already shown it can survive without McCoy for a game, winning its third straight without him last weekend. The offense found another gear in the second half, scoring 21 points in the third quarter, and Isaac Brown broke loose for a 75-yard touchdown in the fourth.
Still, McCoy’s absence changes the shape of the passing game. He and Tre Richardson had formed a dangerous receiver pairing for Brohm and Lincoln Kienholz, and if McCoy sits again, Richardson will be asked to carry even more of the load. He answered that challenge against Stanford, catching 10 passes for a season-high 140 receiving yards.
Georgia Tech enters the game at 2-6 overall and 1-4 in conference play, sitting in last place in the ACC. Louisville should have enough to handle this one, but the bigger concern is what McCoy’s injury means over the next few weeks. With UNC, Pitt and Kentucky still ahead, his health could end up mattering far more than it does on Saturday.
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