Louisville's Caullin Lacy Earns All-American Honors

Lacy was one of the top return specialists in all of college football.
Sep 20, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA;  Louisville Cardinals wide receiver Caullin Lacy (5) returns a kickoff against the Bowling Green Falcons during the first quarter at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images
Sep 20, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals wide receiver Caullin Lacy (5) returns a kickoff against the Bowling Green Falcons during the first quarter at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville standout wide receiver Caullin Lacy has been named a Second-Team All-American as a return specialist by the Football Writers Association of America.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound slot receiver, on top of being one of the Cardinals' top offensive options, was one of the most electric return men in college football this season.

He has returned 22 punts for 440 yards and two touchdowns, as well as 11 kickoffs for 234 yards. His 20.0 punt return average leads the ACC and is tied for third nationally, and he is one of five FBS players with multiple punt return touchdowns. He needs just 69 more punt return yards to break the single-season school record.

Lacy also caught 54 passes for 547 yards and two touchdowns, all of which were second on the team to First-Team All-ACC wide receiver Chris Bell. For his efforts, he was named finalists for both the Jet Award and Paul Hornung Award, as well as a Third-Team All-ACC selection at all-purpose back.

The Mobile, Ala native joined Louisville last offseason as a transfer from South Alabama, but suffered a broken collarbone on the final day of fall camp, causing him to miss the Cardinals' first three games of the 2024 season. When he returned to action, after playing four games, Lacy decided to preserve his redshirt and opt out for the remainder of the season - but later played in the Sun Bowl vs. Washington.

In his five games played last season, Lacy caught 18 passes for 196 yards and a touchdown, and five kick returns for 191 yards - including a 100-yard return for a touchdown against Miami. During the 2023 season with South Alabama, he caught 91 passes for 1,316 yards and seven touchdowns, with the receptions mark good for fifth in the FBS and the yardage mark coming in at sixth.

Lacy also had a productive 2022 campaign with the Jaguars, logging 64 receptions for 812 yards and six touchdowns. In four years with South Alabama, he caught 207 passes for 2,517 yards and 13 touchdowns; while also rushing 31 times for 140 yards.

In their third regular season under head coach Jeff Brohm, Louisville went 8-4 overall, including a 4-4 mark in ACC play. The Cardinals will wrap up the 2025 season with a matchup against Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 2:00 p.m. EST

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(Photo of Caullin Lacy: Jamie Rhodes - Imagn Images)

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Matthew McGavic
MATTHEW MCGAVIC

McGavic is a 2016 Sport Administration graduate of the University of Louisville, and a native of the Derby City. He has been covering the Cardinals in various capacities since 2017, with a brief stop in Atlanta, Ga. on the Georgia Tech beat. He is also a co-host of the 'From The Pink Seats' podcast on the State of Louisville network. Video gamer, bourbon drinker and dog lover. Find him on Twitter at @Matt_McGavic