Lance Robinson Making a 'Seamless Transition' to New Position on Louisville's Retooled O-Line

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Most position groups on the Louisville football program's roster had a handful of players move onto the next step in their careers, but the room that undoubtedly had the most changeover was the offensive line.

Whether it be due to graduation or the transfer portal, the Cardinals lost 10 scholarship offensive linemen from their 2025 roster - including six players that started at least one game. Rasheed Miller, Mahamane Moussa, Pete Nygra, Makylan Pounders and Trevonte Sylvester all exhausted their eligibility, while Jordan Church transferred to Texas Tech.

Louisville had to make a significant dip into the portal to grab some linemen earlier this offseason, but they don't head into the 2026 season with zero returning starting experience. They do bring back one lineman who started at least one game in 2025, and that's Lance Robinson.

The 6-foot-4, 295-pound lineman is sure to be a significant factor this upcoming fall, as he is coming off of arguably his best season in college. Starting all 13 games last season, with the final 10 being at left guard, he allowed only one sack and 12 total pressures in 457 pass block snaps, per Pro Football Focus.

There's just one catch. Instead of running it back at left guard, Robinson has been moved to the middle of the line, and has been taking snaps exclusively at center during spring ball - a position he has not played in-game since high school.

While consistent reps at center on the practice field might be a new experience, the preparation is not. When Robinson first transferred to Louisville from Houston ahead of the 2023 season, former offensive line coach Richard Owens made him learn the offense from the perspective of the center.

Fortunately, this was easy for Robinson to digest considering he has played all over the line in his collegiate career. Including his two years at Middle Tennessee, one at Houston and three at Louisville, he has played 81 snaps at right guard, 133 at left tackle, 672 at left guard and 1,643 at right tackle. Even last season for the Cards, he started the season-opener at right guard, then the next two games at right tackle before making the switch to left guard.

"I always knew the offense from a center's perspective, and I always knew how to make the IDs for everybody, and make the calls for everyone," Robinson said Wednesday. "Just playing tackle and playing guard, I kind of already knew the feel of where everyone is supposed to be. I know the feel of how it's supposed to look. It's really kind of easy for me going to the center, just putting everybody in the right spot more so than anything."

On top of making the position change to center, Robinson is now the de facto leader of a unit that not only has a lot of new faces, but could have a projected starting five that is markedly different from last season.

On his left, Delaware transfer Anwar O'Neal has taken the majority of the first team reps at left tackle, while Boston College transfer Eryx Daugherty getting most of the first team snaps at left guard. The right is a little bit more in flux, as Georgia Southern transfer Johnnie Brown III is batting returner Naeer Jackson for snaps at right guard, while the same is true at right tackle between South Carolina transfer Cason Henry and returner Cameron Gorin.

Oh, and the offensive line has a new position coach. Owens left for Alabama, and UofL brough back in Dale Williams to lead the room after a couple seasons at Syracuse. With so many newcomers projected to be starters for the Cardinals, Robinson has made sure to step up as a leader over the last few months.

"I took it upon myself to just make sure that the standard remained the same," he said. "Just getting the guys in, doing installs, meetings and stuff, getting them adapted to the program. That's a tribute to them for coming in, being diligent in their studies, and really working hard to learn the culture and buy into the program. It's been a smooth transition, honestly.

"Coach Dale, he was here in 2023 so I have some familiarity with him already. Just hearing his verbiage, his language of how he wants to operate, it was a pretty seamless transition. The new guys really have made it easy."

Even Robinson's own job at center isn't set in stone, as Kentucky transfer Evan Wibberley has been getting some run at center - albeit mostly with the second team. Regardless, Williams has liked what he has seen out of the competition that has been fostered.

"It's between Evan and Lance, they've been now working at it the most, and it's been a good battle and competition," Williams said.

Louisville will wrap up spring ball with their annual spring game on Friday, Apr. 17. The Cardinals will kick off their 2026 season against Ole Miss in Nashville on Sunday, Sept. 6.

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