Projecting Louisville Football's Post-Spring 2025 Two-Deep Depth Chart

While there are still some moving roster parts as the Louisville football program heads into year three of the Jeff Brohm era, it's never too early to take an educated guess as to who will start for the Cardinals when they host Eastern Kentucky for their 2025 season opener.

With spring practice in the rear view mirror, we now have a better idea as to who will start at what position than we did just before spring ball. A few needs arose during this time, some of which were promptly addressed by the staff via the transfer portal in the days after the spring game. Other positions were also impacted by defections in the spring portal window.

That being said, Louisville Cardinals On SI decided to take another shot at giving an early projection at the Cardinals' two-deep depth chart for the 2025 football season.

Quarterback

1. Miller Moss (6-2, 210, R-Sr.)
2. Brady Allen (6-6, 220, R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: Moss will mark the third consecutive transfer quarterback that Brohm will roll out as the starter. While it's clear that he doesn't have quite the arm strength that his predecessor Tyler Shough has, Moss still put together a very good spring. Behind him, Allen finished spring incredibly strong, to the point where he positioned himself as the clear cut backup.

Running Back

1. Isaac Brown (5-9, 190, So.)
2. Duke Watson (6-0, 180, So.)

Quick Hit: Quick Hit: Louisville heads into the 2025 season with one of the best running back duos in all of college football. It's highlighted by one of the best backs in the sport, period, with Brown storming onto the scene as a true freshman. But while he is the 1,000-yard rusher, there's a case to be made that Watson is arguably the more explosive one of the two. Add in Keyjuan Brown as your third option, with Jamarice Wilder standing out in spring at times as well, and running back is the biggest strength for the offense. 

Wide Receiver

1. Chris Bell (6-2, 220, Sr.)
2. Antonio Meeks (6-1, 195, Sr.)

1. Dacari Collins (6-4, 212, R-Sr.)
2. TreyShun Hurry (6-2, 194, R-Jr.)

1. Caullin Lacy (5-10, 190, R-Sr.)
2. Bobby Golden (5-9, 185, Fr.)

Quick Hit: Like at running back, Louisville has a deadly one-two punch at wide receiver. Bell took another massive step forward in 2024, and heads into 2025 as one of the top returning wideouts in the ACC. Lacy is coming back after having to redshirt, but showed what he can do in the Sun Bowl. On top of that, the position got better during spring and in the spring portal window. Meeks had a great spring and appears to have finally made the adjustment to the power conference level, while Collins and Hurry are two quality additions to the roster.

Tight End

1. Nate Kurisky (6-3, 240, R-Jr.)
2. Jaleel Skinner (6-5, 230, Jr.)

Quick Hit: At tight end, there are some questions, but there is potential here. Kurisky is one of the most underrated players on the team, and looked solid in the spring. Behind him, Skinner appears to have taken a much needed step forward in terms of his consistency. There also lies the potential of portal guys like Jacob Stewart or C.J. Jacobsen carving out sizable roles in 2025 as well due to the injuries at the position.

Left Tackle

1. Trevonte Sylvester (6-6, 280, R-Sr.)
2. Mahamane Moussa (6-4, 305, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: Losing Monroe Mills to the portal certainly hurts, but Louisville is still in a good spot at blindside blocker. Sylvester stepped in here as UofL's starter when Mills switched to right tackle-post injury, and performed well in the role. He was banged up most of the spring, but Moussa was a serviceable option while he was on the sideline.

Left Guard

1. Lance Robinson (6-4, 290, R-Sr.)
2. Carter Guillaume (6-2, 285, Fr.)

Quick Hit: Robinson wasn't able to play at all last season due to an injury suffered in fall camp, but the staff has always been super high on him, and he showed why with a really good spring. But don't be surprised if Guillaume becomes a key part of the offensive line rotation, as the SEMO transfer had moments in the spring where he really shined.

Center

1. Pete Nygra (6-4, 300, R-Sr.)
2. Michael Flores (6-3, 310, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: The center spot for Louisville brings back a big time piece, and who will likely be the heart of soul of the offensive front next season. Of the all the returners on the line, Nygra was the Cardinals' highest-graded played in 2024, per PFF (71.1). Not to mention they add quality depth in Old Dominion transfer Michael Flores - the brother of former UofL OL John Paul Flores.

Right Guard

1. Naeer Jackson (6-6, 310, R-Jr.)
2. Jordan Church (6-4, 310, R-So.)

Quick Hit: While Austin Collins was banged up in the spring, losing a big piece him to the transfer portal certainly hurts. However, Jackson got plenty of run in spring ball with Collins on the sideline, and very much looked the part. Additionally, Church, a former Louisville commit coming out of high school, is a candidate to crack the main offensive line rotation as well.

Right Tackle

1. Rasheed Miller (6-7, 310, R-Sr.)
2. Makylan Pounders (6-5, 310, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: Miller got a lot of run at right tackle last season before getting hurt midway through the year, and seemed to carry that momentum into spring ball. While Miller is the incumbent, Pounders provides Louisville some SEC starting experience from his time at Mississippi State, and has a chance to start again come this fall.

Defensive End

1. Wesley Bailey (6-5, 265, R-Sr.)
2. Justin Beadles (6-5, 270, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: Louisville loses a lot of production and experience overall at defensive end, but that doesn't mean they are in a bad spot on the edges. Bailey has had an underrated collegiate career up to this point while at Rutgers, and looked the part during this spring. Beadles, coming over from New Mexico State, gives the Cards some solid depth as well.

Nose Tackle

1. Rene Konga (6-4, 300, R-Sr.)
2. Denzel Lowry (6-1, 290, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: Louisville loses veteran defensive linemen Dezmond Tell and Jared Dawson, but they should still be an impact in the middle of the line. While he was slowed at times by injury, Konga was much better than many anticipated. Lowry was a multi-year starter at Old Dominion, and seems to have made a seamless transition to Louisville, as he regularly ran with the ones in spring ball.

Defensive Tackle

1. Jordan Guerad (6-2, 300, R-Sr.)
2. Jerry Lawson (6-2, 295, R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: Guerad, like Konga, flew under the radar last season only to thrive in his new home. The FIU transfer missed most of the first half of the season due to injury, but once healthy, he slowly became an impact playmaker on the defensive line. Lawson thrived at a lower level, as the Abilene Christian transfer was one of the top tackles at the FCS level. Much like Lowry, he also ran with the ones at times, and has had no issue making the jump in competition.

Leo (DE/LB)

1. Adonijah Green (6-6, 250, R-So.)
2. Clev Lubin (6-3, 250, R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: A transfer from Coastal Carolina, Lubin was one of the top players to enter the portal, and landing him was a massive win for UofL. While he is a game-wrecker, more often than not, it was actually Green, who is teeming with NFL-level potential, that ran with the ones more often than not in open practices. Time will tell how this battle shapes out in the fall.

Middle Linebacker

1. T.J. Quinn (6-1, 235, R-Sr.)
2. Kalib Perry (6-3, 230, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: While the linebacker spot certainly had its ups-and-downs, Quinn coming back for another season is a big deal considering he's led the team in tackles for two straight years. He'll just have to improve his coverage abilities, which he very much worked on in the spring. His backup in Perry has a good amount of SEC experience during his time at Tennessee, and he mixed in with the ones at times during the spring.

Weakside Linebacker

1. Stanquan Clark (6-3, 235, Jr.)
2. T.J. Capers (6-2, 225, R-So.)

Quick Hit: While it was Quinn who led the team in tackles, if you had to ask Louisville fans who their top returning defensive player is, many would probably say Clark. He also needs to clean up his coverage some, but he is an extremely athletic and versatile defender. Behind him, Capers got increased reps in the spring due to Clark's minor injury, and the former five-star prospect has the potential to have a breakout year.

STAR (LB/S)

1. Antonio Watts (6-2, 225, R-Jr.)
2. Joseph Jefferson II (6-0, 190, R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: Watts being named the starter here at the beginning of last season, especially with Benjamin Perry still on the roster at the time, certainly raised some eyebrows. But he made the most of his opportunity, notably making a game-winning play in the Sun Bowl. With his expected backup in Darius Thomas re-entering the portal in the spring, there aren't a ton of clear options as the backup, but Jefferson, a Purdue transfer, has the most experience at multiple spots on the field.

Cornerback

1. Rodney Johnson Jr. (6-2, 200, R-Sr.)
2. Antonio Harris (6-0, 180, Fr.)

1. Rae'mon Mosby (6-0, 190, R-Fr.)
2. Jabari Mack (6-1, 185, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: Undoubtedly, cornerback has the most question marks for Louisville at this moment, as they lost their top five players at the position - including All-ACC corner Quincy Riley. Despite the valid depth concerns, there were some things to like in the spring. Johnson, a transfer from Southern, looked the part of CB1 during the spring, while Mosby and Harris held their own despite being very young. That being said, the rest of the room will have to continue taking steps forward.

Free Safety

1. JoJo Evans (6-1, 200, R-Sr.)
2. Corey Gordon Jr. (6-2, 195, R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: Sure, Louisville also loses a pair of quality safeties in Tamarion McDonald and M.J. Griffin, but they're in much better shape here than at corner. It actually wouldn't be a shock to see Evans be the transfer that makes the biggest impact for Louisville. Coming over from FIU, the All-Conference USA defender was one of the top defensive backs at the G5 level. Additionally, Gordon was one of Baylor's top defensive backs last season, and made several plays in the spring.

Strong Safety

1. D'Angelo Hutchinson (6-3, 200, Sr.)
2. Blake Ruffin (6-3, 205, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: While Evans very much has a chance to be Louisville's best defensive back next season, don't count out Hutchinson, as he is coming off of a breakout 2024 season and is moving into a likely starting role. Ruffin, a former FCS All-American, should be ready to go after missing the 2024 season due to injury, but someone else to watch here potentially is Daeh McCullough.

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