'26 DL Josiah Hope Decommits from Louisville

Originally posted on Louisville Cardinals on SI
By Matthew McGavic | Last updated Jun 15, 2025 6:37 PM ET

Another Class of 2026 recruit who had originally committed to the Louisville football program is opting to go somewhere else instead, and this time it's a local prospect

Radcliff (Ky.) North Hardin defensive lineman Josiah Hope announced Sunday that he has backed off of his verbal pledge to the Cardinals. His decommittment comes just two weeks after committing.

Hope is the second 2026 prospect to decommit from UofL over the last five days. Sarasota (Fla.) Booker defensive lineman Kevontay Hugan did so last Wednesday.

Losing a prospect like Hope certainly stings. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive tackle ranks as high as No. 274 prospect in the Class of 2026, and the No. 2 prospect in Kentucky, behind only Owensboro (Ky.) running back and Louisville commit Evan Hampton, per On3's in-house rankings. The four-star recruit comes in as the No. 589 prospect nationally in the 247Sports Composite.

Hope was a force to be reckoned with as a junior for North Hardin this past season, logging 61 tackle, 19 for loss, seven sacks and two forced fumbles. He helped the Trojans go 8-5, with an appearance in the second round of the KHSAA Class 6A playoffs.

Louisville is back down to 17-man 2026 recruiting class following Hope's decommittment. However, the Cardinals did gain a commitment earlier in the day from cornerback Kris Brunson.