'26 LB Taj Powell Flips to Louisville

For the first time since July, the Louisville football program is back on the board in the Class of 2026, and they're snatching a player from their old Big East rival.

Springfield (Oh.) HS linebacker Taj Powell, who has been committed to West Virginia since April, announced Sunday that he has flipped his verbal pledge to the Cardinals.

Powell is coming off of a visit to the Cardinals, attending their season-opener against Eastern Kentucky. He also holds offers from Buffalo, Miami of Ohio, Ohio, Temple, Toledo and other.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound outside linebacker/safety ranks as high as the No. 35 prospect in the state of Ohio and the No. 63 linebacker in the cycle, per 247Sports' in-house rankings. He comes in as the No. 911 prospect in the 2026 class, per the 247Sports Composite.

Last season as a junior, Powell had a productive season for Springfield, logging 47 tackles, including seven for loss and 2.5 sacks, earning an All-GWOC honorable mention in the process. In the first game of his senior season, Powell finished with seven tackles, 1.5 for loss and an interception in a 21-14 loss against Winston Woods.

With Powell now in the fold, Louisville is now up to a 23-man class in the 2026 cycle. He's the first commitment for the Cards since Josiah Hope flipped back to Purdue back on July 23.

Powell is also the third 2026 linebacker to commit to Louisville, joining Louisville (Ky.) St. Xavier's Karsten Busch and Aurora (Ind.) South Dearborn's Brady Ballart.