Challenge:Five top QB decommit and Flip to Louisville Cardinals football over Alabama Gator’s and Tennessee..
Challenge:Five top QB decommit and Flip to Louisville Cardinals football over Alabama Gator’s and Tennessee..
ESPN’s 2025 College Football Playoff projection, Louisville football was picked to win its first ACC title and make its first playoff appearance as the No. 4 seed.
The road to the 2025 CFP bracket will be a long one for the Cardinals, who’d have to get through Miami, 2024 ACC champion SMU and Clemson. They have historic wins over the Hurricanes and Tigers over the past two seasons but lost to the Mustangs in SMU’s debut season in the conference.
Louisville will look to get it done with a new cast that’ll include at least 12 new starters — six on offense and six on defense — in Year 3 under Jeff Brohm. USC transfer Miller Moss is locked in as the starting quarterback, but there will be plenty of competition at other positions. Despite the turnover, U of L will have consistency at running back with Isaac Brown and Duke Watson returning for their encore performances in 2025 after stellar freshman campaigns.
All the pieces will begin to come together when spring practices start March 3, culminating in the squad’s spring game April 11. Here’s a look at what’s ahead:
Miller Moss as QB1
For as well as Brohm has done in signing talent out of the transfer portal, no position has been more successful for Louisville than quarterback. Even though there will be a different starting quarterback for the fourth straight year, the production has increased each time. Jack Plummer had a higher completion percentage (64.8) and more passing yards (3,204) than Tyler Shough (62.7, 3,195) and made the program’s first ACC championship game. Shough had half as many interceptions (6), two more touchdowns (23-21), averaged more passing yards per game (266.3-228.9) and had a higher QB rating (148.1-144.4).
Moss will look to take Louisville’s offense to another level. Like Plummer and Shough, Moss comes to Louisville with one year of eligibility. Despite getting benched at the end of the 2024 season, Moss, a California native who backed up Caleb Williams in 2023, ended his time with the Trojans with 3,469 passing yards and 27 touchdowns. ESPN ranked him as the No. 3 portal quarterback, and 247Sports ranked him eighth. Described as a refined pocket passer, Moss, whom Brohm recruited out of high school, can complete passes in small windows and will thrive with the right pieces around him.
Defensive line overhaul
Former Abilene Christian defensive lineman Jerry Lawson will try to earn a starting spot with the Cardinals
It’s been a while since a Louisville football roster hasn’t included three-year starters Ashton Gillotte and Dez Tell as well as Ramon Puryear. The three defensive linemen graduated, leaving Jordan Guerad as the lone returning starter on the line. Between the transfer portal and graduation, Guerad was one of only eight returning defensive linemen.
Prioritizing the position with portal players was key in December. The Cardinals signed five newcomers, two of whom are ranked among the top 100 portal defensive linemen: Jerry Lawson (70) and Clev Lubin (75). Lawson, who has played multiple positions on the line, and Lubin, who has played on the edge, come to Louisville having starting experience at Abilene Christian and Coastal Carolina, respectively. They also led their teams in tackles for loss and are strong contenders for two of the vacant starting spots.
Louisville’s defensive line will have a new look this season and high expectations of helping the defense improve after taking a step back in 2024. After allowing only 99.8 rushing yards per game in 2023, the group gave up 132.5 rushing yards per outing in 2024. Similarly, the Cardinals’ allowed passing yards went from 217.3 (2023) to 236.2 (2024), and total offensive yards increased by more than 50 yards per game (317.1 to 368.7).
