Identifying Potential Breakout Candidates for Louisville in 2025

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Heading into the 2025 season, the Louisville football program has some moderately high expectations. While they didn't make a return trip to the ACC Championship Game, head coach Jeff Brohm guided the Cardinals to a 9-4 record, which included wins vs. Clemson and Kentucky, as well as a victory over Washington in the Sun Bowl.

But if the Cardinals are to be a true contender in the ACC title race, they're going to need a team-wide effort to get there. The proven veterans will have to keep playing at a high level, and the younger or relatively inexperiences players will have to take meaningful strides forward in their respective games.

That being said, who are some players for Louisville that fall into that latter category? Louisville Cardinals On SI has identified six players, three on each side of the ball, that could have breakout seasons in 2025:

WR Antonio Meeks

Antonio Meeks had a productive two-year run at D2 Tuskegee before transferring to Louisville, hauling in 74 catches for 1,437 yards and 11 touchdowns over the 2022 and 2023 seasons. But in his first year as a Cardinal, he didn't see in-game action until the Sun Bowl, though he did catch three passes for 42 yards and a touchdown. During spring ball, while Chris Bell and Caullin Lacy were routinely the top two receivers, Meeks was regularly the third starter, and seemed to take a significant step forward in his development. He'll have to battle spring portal additions Dacari Collins and TreyShun Hurry in fall camp, but Meeks has positioned himself well to make some noise in the passing game this upcoming season.

TE Jaleel Skinner

Jaleel Skinner had a noteworthy 2022 campaign at Miami as a true freshman when he caught nine passes for 129 yards and a touchdown. However, he has just two catches for 13 yards since in the two seasons since - 2023 with the Canes and 2024 with Louisville. A former top-100 prospect, Skinner flashed high-end playmaking during spring ball and fall camp last year, but sometimes struggled with making the routine plays. This past spring, Skinner was much more consistent on a down-to-down basis, while still flashing that elite potential. There's still Nate Kurisky and Jacob Stewart in the tight end room, but Skinner has the highest ceiling of the group due to his athleticism and raw talent.

OL Naeer Jackson

Louisville saw a good amount of turnover amongst their starting offensive line the offseason, but FIU transfer Naeer Jackson seems very capable of stepping into those shoes. While the advanced stats weren't a massive fan of him last year, he still allowed just one sack and 13 total pressures in 321 pass block snaps last year with the Panthers. Not to mention that once he got on campus, he got regular run with the first team in spring ball, and more than held his own. Oh, and he's also 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds. He's in line to be the starting right guard, but has some position versatility with a frame like that.

DE Adonijah Green

A former top-200 prospect, Adonijah Green has been teeming with NFL-level potential since he stepped foot on campus. After playing just four games in 2023, the 6-foot-6, 250-pound edge rusher took a step forward last season, logging 12 tackles (eight solo), along with three for loss and a sack. It's a small sample size, but he flashed elite pass rushing capabilities at times, even recently getting named a 2026 NFL Draft sleeper. It's why, despite Louisville adding Coastal Carolina edge Clev Lubin, it was Green who got the bulk of the first team reps at LEO in spring ball. Whether there or at the true defensive end spot on the line, Green figures to be an important component of the front seven in 2025.

LB T.J. Capers

Speaking of the front seven, the starting linebacker trio of Stanquan Clark, T.J. Quinn and Antonio Watts figures to be a formidable unit. But there's a very good chance that T.J. Capers establishes himself as a go-to reserve here. The former five-star prospect saw minimal run last year, logging only six tackles (although he also snagged an interception), but you could see the potential in his raw talent at times. With Clark sitting all of spring ball due to a minor injury, Capers' number was called a lot more during practice, and he performed very well. It'll be tough to earn first-team caliber snaps, but if he excels in fall camp, he could be in line to finally have a standout season.

CB Rodney Johnson Jr.

Many Louisville fans have concerns about the Cardinals' secondary heading into the 2025 season, but Rodney Johnson Jr. shouldn't be one of them. A transfer from Southern, he had a good 2024 season, logging 43 tackles (23 solo), 6.0 for loss, five pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble. But while he is making the jump from the FCS level, during spring ball, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound corner looked like a seasoned power conference veteran. He was an absolute pest in press coverage (like Jarvis Brownlee used to be), and was able to hold in own in coverage against receivers like Bell and Lacy. In my opinion, Johnson has All-ACC potential.