How Louisville Improved Their Offense in the Transfer Portal

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - While head coach Jeff Brohm is known for his offensive prowess, that side of the ball was lacking at times this past season.

The Cardinals finished the 2025 season with the No. 69 offense in the FBS at 384.5 yards per game, while their 29.9 points per game was 46th nationally. While Louisville does bring back some key offensive guys, its clear that they needed to bolster that side of the ball in the transfer portal.

Out of Louisville's 30 portal pickups so far in the cycle, 14 of them have been offensive pickups. It's anticipated that many of these transfer newcomers are going to play massive roles for UofL for year four under Brohm.

Here is what to expect from Louisville's offensive transfer pickups for next season, sorted by position group:

Quarterback

Additions: Lincoln Kienholz (Ohio State), Davin Wydner (West Georgia)

Louisville's quarterback room has completely flipped upside down. Not only did Miller Moss graduate, with the Cardinals actively shopping for a new signal caller in the portal, this prompted Deuce Adams, Brady Allen and Mason Mims to all hit the portal.

Despite also being rumored for guys like Dylan Raiola and D.J. Lagway, the Cardinals identified Kienholz early in the cycle and made sure to make him one of their first portal commitments. While he doesn't sport the experience that prior transfer quarterbacks Louisville has landed in the past have, Kienholz is teeming with potential. His athletic intangibles more closely resemble Tyler Shough than Jack Plummer and Moss, and he has the clear path to being QB1 in 2026.

While Briggs Cherry has a bright future, you'd rather not have a true freshman be your backup. Wydner is a great QB2 option for Louisville, considering that he has a similar dual-threat style that Kienholz has, and does have some starting experience.

Running Back

Additions: Marquise Davis (Missouri)

Louisville heads into the 2026 season with one of the best one-two punches at running back in all of college football - maybe even the best. Isaac Brown is one of top players in the sport, and Keyjuan Brown would start at most power conference schools. Not to mention that Braxton Jennings proved that he can play at this level.

Davis won't likely be asked to do much in 2026 given the talent in front of him, which will give him time to continue fine tuning his game. But in the event injuries do pile up again, the true freshman has shown in spurts great ability to play in between the tackles.

Wide Receiver

Additions: Lawayne McCoy (Florida State), Montavin Quisenberry (Kentucky), Tre Richardson (Vanderbilt), Jackson Voth (Drake)

Wide receiver was an area that Louisville had to hit hard in the portal. Between graduation and the portal, they lost five players here - including First-Team All-ACC selection Chris Bell and All-American return man Caullin Lacy. Fortunately, the Cardinals did in fact hit the portal hard at receiver.

Richardson was one of the top players to enter the portal in this cycle, and he bringing game-breaking speed to the table. Not only can he take the top off the defense, he can gets bulk yards after the catch, and is a deadly return man as well. Plus, he will be paired with another guy who has extensive starting experience in McCoy.

As for WR3, Louisville will likely have a big time position battle between Voth, as well as incumbents TreyShun Hurry and Kris Hughes. Add in Quisenberry to the mix, as well as four freshman, and both the talent and depth at receiver is looking very good for the Cards.

Tight End

Additions: Brody Foley (Tulsa), Justyn Reid (Tulane)

Tight end has been underutilized during Brohm's tenure at Louisville, which is partially why they return just two players at the position - with only Jaleel Skinner bringing back any sort of production. However, 2026 could finally be the year that changes.

Richardson might be the highest-ranked transfer Louisville brought in, but the one that has a chance to have the biggest impact on the offense is Foley. Considering his game is stretching the field vertically and he has the frame of a blocking tight end, it's not hyperbole to say that he is the single most athletic player at the position that Brohm has ever coached. He can be the security blanket for Kienholz, and help free up space for all the receivers on the boundaries.

That's not to say Reid won't have some sort of role in 2026. After all, he is the more pro-style guy of the two transfers. But he is a little rough around the edges, and Skinner and his potential will likely be TE2.

Offensive Line

Additions: Johnnie Brown III (Georgia Southern), Eryx Daugherty (Boston College), Cason Henry (South Carolina), Anwar O'Neal (Delaware), Evan Wibberley (Kentucky)

Like at receiver, offensive line was another area that Louisville put a massive emphasis on in this portal cycle. Between graduation and the portal, the Cardinals saw *10* linemen move on - including five of their top six by snaps played. Also like at receiver, UofL did a great job landing impact guys on the O-line.

Daugherty was one of the top interior linemen in the portal, and has plenty of ACC experience. Henry was having a fantastic start to his 2025 season before an injury cut it short. Brown and O'Neal might have been Group of Five guys, but they excelled last season, and were drawing plenty of interest in the portal. Wibberley didn't play much last season, but has shown in the past that he is very capable.

In theory, Louisville's entire starting five could be transfers, and they would be in good shape. But then you add in returning guard Lance Robinson, rotational guard Naeer Jackson and rising tackle Cameron Gorin, and the offensive front looks to be trending very much in the right direction - especially in pass protection.

Quarterback

Running Back

Wide Receiver

Tight End

Offensive Line

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