Louisville football is heading toward 2026 with real momentum, and the early conversation around the Cardinals is easy to understand. Plenty of projections have them starting the season in the top 25, and the buzz has them viewed as one of the ACC’s top contenders.
That optimism rests on more than hype. Louisville has three clear strengths that could shape the season: a loaded backfield, a reworked secondary, and a pass rush that can wreck game plans.
The most obvious weapon is the run game. Louisville’s backfield has been ranked by CBS Sports as the fourth-best running back room in college football, and the Cardinals are bringing back two of the most explosive options in Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown. Isaac Brown averaged 8.8 yards per carry last season, while Keyjuan Brown finished at 7.3 yards per attempt.
“Isaac is a one cut guy you know tremendous speed you know so we really know that like you create one hole you know he can hit the hole right now,” UofL offensive lineman Lance Robinson said.
Marquise Davis, a transfer from Missouri, gives Louisville another proven runner, and the depth behind him is solid too. Redshirt freshman Braxton Jennings and true freshman Lekhy Thompkins add more options to a group that should be able to keep pressure on defenses all game long. That kind of ground attack can control tempo, chew up clock and make life miserable for opponents over four quarters.
Defensively, Louisville went to work in the secondary. Replacing veteran defensive backs is never simple, but the Cardinals attacked that need through the transfer portal.
Kaleb Beasley comes in from Tennessee, Santana Wilson arrives from Texas, and DJ Waller Jr. joins after playing at Kentucky. Safety Koen Entringer, who comes over from Iowa, also looks like a player who could become one of the ACC’s best at his spot.
The return of veteran cornerback Tayon Holloway gives that group another boost. Together, those additions give new co-defensive coordinators Mark Ivey and Steve Ellis a deep pool of talent to work with.
Then there’s the pass rush, which may be the most dangerous part of the whole roster. Clev Lubin is back for his senior season after a huge 2025, when he posted 13.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.
CBS Sports also had him fifth nationally last season with a 3.7% havoc rate. Louisville also gets 6-foot-6 AJ Green back after his six-sack year.
Jeff Brohm sees plenty to like up front, and the Cardinals have more than just two names to lean on. Michael Carter returns, while transfers Tyler Thompson and Jerod Smith add more depth to a front that should stay active and fresh.
“They're all playmakers and I think they all can really disrupt things for an offense and really stand out for us,” Brohm said.
Louisville opens fall camp on August 6 and begins the season against Ole Miss in Nashville, Tenn., on Sept. 6.
In Other News...
Louisvilles Biggest Transfer Is Already Hearing Doubts He Wont Ignore
Louisville spent the offseason loading up, adding nine players and six transfers as it tried to turn talent into a roster built to win right away. The headliner is Flory Bidunga, the five-star center from Kansas, whose arrival gave the Cardinals a potential anchor in the middle and instantly raised the ceiling of what this group could become.
But the early conversation around Bidunga has not been all praise. Analyst Rob Dauster recently wondered whether Louisville has an All-American or even a top-five player at any position, and Bidungas offensive game has become part of that debate. He has the tools to develop into one of the best centers in college basketball, but for now the questions around his scoring package are the kind that follow a player with his profile into a new season. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Kelseys First Louisville Lineup Sent A Clear Preseason Message
Louisvilles lone exhibition in the Bahamas offered Pat Kelsey an early look at a roster still taking shape, and the lineup choices were the first real clue to how he wants to sort out the pieces. With Karter Knox and Obinna Ekezie Jr. unavailable, the Cardinals opened with Jackson Shelstad, London Johnson, Alvaro Folgueiras, DeShayne Montgomery and Flory Bidunga, a group that blended backcourt skill, size and versatility as the staff gets a feel for what fits.
The more interesting part for Louisville followers was not just who started, but what the rotation suggested about the pecking order behind them. Adrian Wooley, the highly touted transfer expected to be one of the programs most important guards, was in the mix but not in the opening five, a detail that makes this early snapshot worth watching as the Cardinals continue to sort out roles before the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Flory Bidunga Gave Louisville Fans The Interior Force Theyve Been Waiting For
Louisvilles first look at its new group came in an exhibition against Raw Talent, and the Cardinals wasted little time showing why the frontcourt could be the defining part of this seasons identity. The win was lopsided from the start, but the bigger takeaway for Louisville fans was the debut of Kansas transfer Flory Bidunga, whose combination of size, timing and activity gave the roster the kind of interior presence it has been missing.
Bidunga finished with a strong all-around line, flashing the defensive reputation that made him such a sought-after addition in the portal and giving the Cardinals a glimpse of how disruptive he can be around the rim. Louisville still has plenty to sort out before the games count, but if this was the first public sample of what Bidunga brings, the staff and fan base have reason to believe the middle of the floor will look a lot different this year. [Read more 🡒]