Louisville’s linebacker room enters 2026 with something a lot of programs would love to have: continuity. The Cardinals are bringing back multiple key pieces from a defense that was already one of the ACC’s best last season, and that gives new linebackers coach Adam Mueller a strong foundation to work with right away.
That defense finished second in the ACC in total defense at 303.1 yards per game, which ranked 16th nationally. Louisville also checked in 15th in the country in yards per play at 4.71 and piled up 20 takeaways, a total that tied for 36th nationally and ranked sixth in the ACC.
The middle of that unit was anchored last year by TJ Quinn, who finished with a team-high 95 tackles. He closed out his college career as Louisville’s leading tackler for three straight seasons from 2023-25 and earned Third-Team All-ACC honors in 2025.
Kalib Perry also played a major role, appearing in all 13 games and recording 55 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and an interception. TJ Capers added 46 tackles and an interception while emerging as a contributor, while Stanquan Clark was limited to five games after an ankle injury early in the season and posted 19 tackles with 1.5 TFLs.
Quinn and Perry are gone now - Quinn graduated and signed as an undrafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers, while Perry graduated - but Louisville still has a lot to work with. In fact, the Cardinals may have done a better job than most teams at keeping the important parts of the room intact.
Capers is one of the main reasons why. He stepped into a rotational weakside role after Clark went down, and he gives Louisville a versatile defender who can line up at weakside or mike. He also brings real value against the run.
Clark’s return may be the biggest swing factor in the group. He missed most of last season after ankle surgery in early September, but he’s back with an extra year of eligibility and is expected to move from weakside to middle linebacker. Clark has the athleticism to make plays in the run game and hold up in coverage, and if he stays healthy for all 13 games, he should be in the mix for an All-ACC nod.
Antonio Watts gives the Cardinals another proven piece at STAR, the linebacker-safety hybrid spot. He was one of the clearer breakout names in last year’s preview, and he delivered with three interceptions, 6.5 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles while earning Honorable Mention All-ACC recognition. Watts is the kind of all-around defender who can impact the game all over the field, and if his trajectory continues in 2026, he should be part of the All-ACC conversation again.
Louisville also gets a familiar name back in Benjamin Perry, who returns after spending last season at UCLA. Perry missed almost all of the 2025 season because of an injury, but he had already spent three seasons with the Cardinals before that, including a 13-game starting role in 2023. He brings athleticism, run support, and depth, and could split time between STAR and weakside linebacker.
The Cardinals added another Kentucky transfer in Jacob Smith, a former four-star prospect from Corbin, Ky. and a top-20 edge rusher nationally in the 2024 class. His twin brother, Jerod, also transferred to Louisville, and the two were the first- and second-ranked prospects in Kentucky in that class according to 247Sports. Smith looks like a depth addition for now.
Behind that group, Trent Carter could earn a larger role in the two-deep after appearing in eight games last season, and he should also be a major special teams piece. Caleb Matelau and Cam White are in the mix for backup linebacker snaps as well.
Projected starters: TJ Capers at weakside, Stanquan Clark at middle, and Antonio Watts at STAR.
In Other News...
Pat Kelseys Next Recruiting Push Could Put Louisville In The Mix
Pat Kelsey has wasted little time trying to widen Louisvilles recruiting footprint, and the early push has stretched well beyond the class of 2027. The Cardinals have been in on a group of high-end targets that includes five-star prospects Reese Alston, Demarcus Henry and Darius Wabbington, a sign that Kelsey and his staff are aiming high as they build for the next wave of roster talent.
One of the more intriguing names on the board is Benjamin Berrouet, a nationally ranked five-star power forward in the class of 2028 who has already drawn attention from several major programs. Louisville assistant Ronnie Hamilton recently got a closer look at Berrouet during a FIBA U16 event, another indication that the Cardinals are trying to stay ahead of the curve with younger elite prospects before the race for his commitment really heats up. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Just Made A Move For An Elite Young Big Man
Benji Berrouets stock keeps rising, and Louisville has made sure it is firmly in the mix. The 2028 composite five-star big man put together a dominant showing for Latvia in a FIBA U16 competition in Romania, piling up 33 points and 22 rebounds, while Cardinals assistant Ronnie Hamilton was on hand to watch. Berrouet has been on Louisvilles radar since the NBPA Top 100 camp, and the programs interest has now moved beyond observation.
The next part figures to get crowded in a hurry. Berrouet is weighing a national list of heavy hitters that also includes Baylor, Texas, UCLA, Miami, Kentucky, Arkansas, Houston and USC, and he plans to line up visits soon. For Louisville, landing in that conversation at this stage is the kind of early step that matters, especially with an elite young frontcourt talent whose recruitment is only beginning to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Kelsey Is Chasing A Shooting Fix Louisville Still Needs
Pat Kelsey is still working through the kind of roster-building puzzle every college coach now lives with, and Louisvilles latest need is obvious enough. A recent eligibility ruling giving seniors a fifth year has only added another layer of uncertainty, so Kelsey said the staff has to stay vigilant while looking for pieces that fit what the Cardinals still need on the floor.
One of those pieces appears to be shooting, and Louisville has been linked to a player who could help right away. Cade Tyson, a Minnesota transfer known for his 3-point touch, took a big step forward offensively last season and would give the Cardinals a different look on the perimeter. The interest makes sense, even if the final answer on where he lands is still very much up in the air. [Read more 🡒]