Louisville Football's Biggest Remaining Transfer Portal Needs

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Like each different assemblage shot program, Louisville was surely been impacted by nan transportation portal this offseason. During nan two-week transportation window, which officially closed connected Friday, nan Cardinals had 24 danasiwa players participate nan portal, ranging from imaginable starters to strictly domiciled players.

On nan different broadside of that coin, caput coach Jeff Brohm and his coaching unit has done an astonishing occupation astatine bringing successful talent via nan portal. So far, 28 transfers person committed to Louisville, and galore of them person nan imaginable to beryllium high-impact playmakers from time one.

Related: Louisville Football 2025-26 Transfer Tracker

With nan portal model closed, and the deadline to state for nan 2026 NFL Draft being this past Wednesday, Louisville is starting to person immoderate finality arsenic to who they will really person for nan 2026 season. As of Jan. 17, nan Cardinals are presently astatine a 79-man danasiwa roster - six beneath nan accepted 85-man limit. Although, arsenic portion of the House vs. NCAA settlement, nan danasiwa limit successful shot has been lifted to 105.

While nan outpouring transportation portal model was eliminated, roster building for adjacent play is not rather complete yet. Louisville still has respective unfastened spots connected their roster, and nan roster itself does person a fewer remaining needs that request to beryllium addressed.

Related: Who's In, Who's Out and Who's Back for Louisville Football successful 2026

What type of players should Louisville look for successful nan portal? Here are their 3 biggest existent roster needs:

Safety

For arsenic good arsenic Louisville has recruited nan transportation portal up to this point, some successful position of addressing needs and securing effect players, this is nan 1 area wherever nan Cardinals still person immoderate activity to do.

Louisville is losing their starting information duo successful D'Angelo Hutchinson and JoJo Evans Jr. to graduation, and their 3rd information successful nan 2025 rotation, Corey Gordon Jr., has opted to transportation to Kansas. Plus extent portion Daeh McCullough is pout nan doorway arsenic well.

The Cardinals did onshore a monolithic portion connected nan backmost extremity successful Iowa's Koen Entringer, and he figures to beryllium a play shaper from his beardown information spot. But nan remainder of nan position still has questions. Ole Miss transportation Travaris Banks has upside but was hit-or-miss past season. Murray State transportation Dylan Rowsey was a prolific tackler pinch nan Racers, but he is jumping up a level. Blake Ruffin is returning, but he hasn't seen a ton of tally astatine this level, either. Not to mention that Micah Rice and Jordan Vann are existent freshmen.

In bid to compliment Entringer connected nan backmost end, Louisville is going to apt request 1 much information retired of nan portal. You'd for illustration them to person powerfulness convention production, arsenic well.

Center

First of all, I want to springiness Louisville immoderate in installments - they've recruited portal violative linemen extraordinarily well.

Boston College's Eryx Daugherty was 1 of nan apical interior linemen successful nan portal. Cason Henry was a starting tackle astatine South Carolina. Johnnie Brown III and Anwar O'Neal were precocious tier Group of Five portal tackles from Georgia Southern and Delaware, respectively. Add successful nan truth that Lance Robinson is moving it back, arsenic is Naeer Jackson and breakout campaigner Cameron Gorin, and nan O-line is successful a very beardown spot.

There's conscionable 1 problem - each of nan aforementioned players person a mixed zero snaps playing halfway astatine nan assemblage level. The only 1 who does is Sam Secrest, but he's played conscionable 63 full snaps complete 3 years successful college. Asking him to make nan jump to starter would beryllium a lot.

Robinson did crosstrain immoderate astatine halfway during outpouring shot and autumn camp, but this is simply a difficult position to set to if you've ne'er played it in-game. As good arsenic nan Cardinals look connected nan violative statement correct now, they request astatine slightest 1 starting-caliber halfway to put a front connected it.

Cornerback

From a numbers perspective, Louisville is really not successful a bad spot astatine cornerback. The only rumor is that location isn't a ton of accordant acquisition successful this room, and that's pinch CB1 successful Tayon Holloway returning.

Justin Agu looked conscionable okay aft transferring up from Louisiana past offseason. D.J. Waller has immoderate precocious tier potential, but nan transportation from Kentucky has an wounded history. Texas transportation Santana Wilson has precocious upside arsenic a erstwhile bluish spot recruit, but has minimal in-game reps done 2 seasons successful college. Antonio Harris is coming disconnected of a redshirt year. Jaydin Broadnax has bonzer potential, but will beryllium a existent freshman.

Holloway has been a proven commodity for nan past 2 seasons astatine Louisville, truthful you consciousness bully astir him being you go-to lockdown guy. But if nan Cardinals are to consciousness bully astir their cornerback room arsenic a whole, bringing successful 1 bona fide starter other of Holloway would surely bode them well.