UCLA Transfer LB Benjamin Perry Returns to Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Benjamin Perry is coming home.

The former linebacker/safety for the Cardinals, who spent the 2025 season out west with UCLA, announced Thursday that he is transferring back to UofL for his final season in college.

"#L1C4 Coming Back," Perry said in a post on Twitter/X. "Proud to get a chance to finish where I started. #Thankful."

Perry is the third transfer of the day to commit to Louisville, following Kentucky wide receivers Montavin Quisenberry and Hardley Gilmore IV. He's also the 12th portal pickup for the Cardinals in the last three days.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound linebacker spent the first four seasons of his collegiate career with Louisville. Across 42 games in a Cardinal uniform, he compiled 132 total tackles (74 solo) with 11 for loss and two sacks, as well as eight pass breakups and a forced fumble. He was a starter at STAR in the first two seasons under head coach Jeff Brohm, until Antonio Watts took over as the starter in 2024.

Last offseason, the Chicago, Ill. native opted to hit the portal and transferred to UCLA. His lone appearance with the Bruins came in their season-opener vs. Utah, and then he missed the remainder of the year due to an undisclosed injury. However, Perry was able to secure a medical redshirt for this season, allowing him to suit up for the 2026 season.

So far, the Cardinals have landed 16 transfer commitments, beginning to offset 23 portal defections that UofL has seen so far. The 14-day transfer window officially opened up last Friday, and is the only opportunity for players to enter following the removal of the spring window.

In their third season under head coach Jeff Brohm, Louisville went 9-4 overall, including a 4-4 mark in ACC play and a 27-22 win over Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl. The Cardinals have won at least nine games in all three seasons under Brohm, doing so for the first time since 2012-14.

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