Major Publication Names Clev Lubin Among Most-Feared Defensive Players for 2026 Season

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Heading into the upcoming 2026 season, the Louisville football program is not short on talent across the board. This is particularly true on the defensive side of the ball, where they have impact playmakers at all three levels.

On a defense with so much potential in yer four under head coach Jeff Brohm, one player clearly stands above the rest, and that is Clev Lubin. UofL's star defensive end is not only one of the best edge rushers in the ACC, he's one of the best in the sport overall. He's the kind of player that forces opposing offensive coordinator to change their entire game plan around.

Because of his impact nature, he's starting to get the recognition at a national level that he deserves.

On Friday, CBS Sports released their ranking of the 26 most-feared defenders ahead of the 2026 season. As you can imagine, Lubin was among this group, coming in at No. 24 overall.

"Jeff Brohm doesn't need Lubin to be flashy -- he needs him to be consistent, disruptive and available in obvious passing situations where games swing," CBS Sports' Brad Crawford wrote. "The redshirt senior is one of five returning starters for the Cardinals on defense and arguably the most important player to the Cardinals' ACC title hopes. His first-step explosiveness and ability to convert speed to power make him a constant problem for opposing tackles, especially late in games when protection breaks down."

Lubin was one of five players from the ACC named to the list. Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons, South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart, Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore, LSU edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen and Oregon defensive tackle A'Mauri Washington comprised of the top five.

Coming off of the 2025 season that Lubin had, it's understandable as to why he's considered among the elite defenders in college football. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound edge rusher collected 61 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and five pass breakups, earning Third-Team All-ACC honors in the process.

His impact when beyond the box score as well. According to Pro Football Focus, not only did he generate the most quarterback pressures by a Louisville player in the PFF era with 64, it was the sixth-most in all of the FBS this season.

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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