Highlights & Evaluation: Louisville DL Commit Kaleb Exume

Louisville Cardinals On SI breaks down 2027 Louisville football defensive line commit Kaleb Exume.

Bradenton (Fla.) Cardinal Mooney defensive tackle Kaleb Exume | University of Louisville Athletics

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Another defensive lineman has joined the Louisville football program's 2027 recruiting class, with Kaleb Exume committing to the Cardinals.

Here is Louisville Cardinals On SI's full evaluation:

Prospect: Kaleb Exume
Position: Defensive Tackle
Measurables: 6-foot-2, 310 pounds
School: Bradenton (Fla.) Cardinal Mooney
Top Offers: Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia Tech
247Sports Composite Rating (Nat'l Rank): 0.8500 (1,186th)

Kaleb Exume's Junior Year Highlights: HERE (Hudl)

Frame: Exume is very far along in his physical development. He's got a ton of dense weight packed on his frame, and has absolutely massive upper arms and thighs. Height is good for a defensive tackles, wingspan looks to be about average.

Athleticism: Thanks in part to the fact that he also participates in weight lifting, Exume has incredible play strength that shows up on a regular basis, regardless of who he is lined up against. He also moves fairly well for his size thanks to some good overall footwork, and isn't some lumbering lineman.

Instincts: As you can imagine, Exume has a very powerful and sometimes violent first strike, one that that routinely can knock linemen out of their stance. Additionally, he's got a very good first step off the line, and when you add good driving force with his legs, Exume has no issue generating initial leverage against his blocker. He's also not a tackle who only relies on physically overpowering the man in front of him, as he's got a couple solid pass rush moves in his bag that can sometimes catch offensive linemen off guard if they're expecting pure power. When against the run, Exume has displayed some good timing on his block sheds against inside zone rushes. Once he wins one-on-one, Exume isn't afraid to chase down a ballcarrier who isn't in his immediate vicinity, and has shown decent pursuit for a defensive tackle that's well over 300 pounds.

Polish: This past season with Parrish HS (before announcing a transfer to Cardinal Mooney), Exume usually lined up as a three tech, but sometimes was on the outside of the line. While he doesn't have a super lengthy wingspan, Exume is still a very fundamental tackler thanks to his incredibly strong hands. Typically, he's able to stay somewhat low when engaged in a block so that he doesn't lose leverage. Whether it's getting a hand up in a passing lane or punching at the ball when making a tackle, Exume has a nose for the football if the opportunity presents itself. While he has good timing on block sheds against the run, the sheds themselves can sometimes be a tick slow.

Bottom Line: Overall, this is a pretty underrated pickup for Louisville. Exume is both incredibly powerful and fairly fundamental, and if he cleans up a couple things, he could have a high ceiling once he gets on campus.

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(Photo of Kaleb Exume via University of Louisville Athletics)