Louisville WR Caullin Lacy Signs UDFA Deal with Jets

The slot receiver and return man was a dangerous weapon with the ball in his hands this past season for Louisville.

Sep 5, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals wide receiver Caullin Lacy (5) runs the ball against the James Madison Dukes during the first half at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Louisville defeated James Madison 28-14. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After going unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft, Louisville wide receiver Caullin Lacy is signing an undrafted free agent deal with the New York Jets, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Lacy is one of five former Cardinals to sign an undrafted free agent deal following the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft, joining defensive tackle Rene Konga, quarterback Miller Moss, center Pete Nygra and linebacker T.J. Quinn. Just one Louisville player was selected in this year's draft, with wide receiver Chris Bell coming off the board in the third round to the Miami Dolphins.

This past season, the 5-foot-10, 190-pound receiver was a deadly weapon with the ball in his hands, whether it was in the slot or returning kicks and punts. Playing in all 13 games while starting 11, Lacy caught 60 passes for 635 yards and two touchdowns, all of which were second on the team to Bell. He also had 15 rushes for 53 yards.

Lacy was also one of the best return men in the nation. He not only returned 12 kickoffs for 251 yards, he returned 25 punts for 454 yards and two touchdowns. This gave him 1,393 all-purpose yards on the season, which was 15th among power conference players and 25th in the FBS. Lacy not only took home Third Team All-ACC honors as an all-purpose back, but was a finalist for the Jet and Paul Hornung Awards, and an FWAA Second-Team All-American as a return specialist.

The Mobile, Ala. native transferred to Louisville ahead of the 2024 season, but had to miss the first three games after breaking his collarbone on the final day of fall camp. After playing in the next four games, he opted out of the remainder of the regular season to preserve his redshirt, but did return for the Sun Bowl. He finished the season with 18 catches for 196 yards and a touchdown, plus five rushes for 21 yards and a score, and five kickoff returns for 191 yards and a touchdown.

Lacy spent the first four years of his collegiate career at South Alabama, and was one of the most prolific receivers in all of college football during his final season with the Jaguars in 2023. That year, he caught 91 passes for 1,316 yards and seven touchdowns. The receptions mark was good for fifth in the FBS and the yardage mark came in at sixth, earning First-Team All-Sun Belt honors as a result.

During his 65-game collegiate career, Lacy hauled in 285 catches for 3,348 yards and 16 touchdowns, and logged 51 rushes for 214 yards and a score. He also returned 34 kickoffs for 831 yards and a score, plus 86 punts for 936 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 5,329 career all-purpose yards and 21 career touchdowns.

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