Highlights & Evaluation: Louisville QB Commit Dre'Mail Carothers

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program has picked up another in-state prospect in the 2027 cycle, with Dre'Mail Carothers giving his verbal pledge to the Cardinals.

Here is Louisville Cardinals On SI's full evaluation:

Prospect: Dre'Mail Carothers
Position: Quarterback
Measurables: 6-foot-4, 200 pounds
School: Owensboro (Ky.) Catholic
Top Offers: North Carolina, Oregon State, South Florida
247Sports Composite Rating (Nat'l Rank): 0.8700 (882nd)

Dre'Mail Carothers' Junior Year Highlights: HERE (Hudl)

Frame: Jeff Brohm has always liked to recruit taller quarterbacks, and Carothers certainly checks out here. He's got well above average positional height, a good wingspan and some broad shoulders. Has some wiry muscle mass on him, but does look like he can still add some weight.

Athleticism: Carothers' best athletic trait is his smooth footwork, which translates extremely well while in the pocket (more on that later). He's got solid open field speed for a pocket passer and his play strength is about average, but both have the potential to improve as he puts on more weight and refines his body once he gets on campus.

Instincts: Carothers is the epitome of a pocket passer. Assisted by his upper tier footwork, he's got very good pocket presence for a high school junior, and he doesn't tuck and run the first chance he gets. Carothers navigates the pocket well, and can stand tall and deliver strikes in the face of clear and/or immediate pressure. His footwork really stands out both on three-step drop backs, as well as when he climbs the pocket. It also helps that he is extraordinarily decisive with his throws, and typically goes through his reads pretty fast. Whether it's a five-yard drag or a go route, Carothers regularly puts good touch on his throws.

Polish: As far as Carothers' passing mechanics go, they're pretty sound, as he boasts a moderately snappy throwing motion out of a three-quarters arm slot with some sidearm action sprinkled in. Accuracy is his calling card as a passer, as he can typically drop balls right in the bucket on downfield throws and does well when leading receivers - although he sometimes can be a tick high when throwing to wide open targets. It also helps that he's pretty accurate on the run as well. The main drawback from his passing game is that his arm strength is just okay. He does well on short/intermediate routes, but his deep shots don't have a lot of velocity behind them. On the ground, while Carothers has the ability to extend passing plays using his legs, his open field speed is just average and he isn't a true dual threat option - at least right now.

Bottom Line: Overall, this is a good pickup for Louisville, and one that could have some long term upside. Carothers will certainly have to add a little weight and work on his arm strength, but his mechanics and mental processing of the game are in a great spot. At minimum, he'll be a good backup for when it's time for Briggs Cherry to take over in a year or two.

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