Jeff Brohm Believes Louisville 'Made a Lot of Strides' in Post-Spring Portal Window
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Not long after Jeff Brohm left Purdue to become the next head coach of the Louisville football program back in December, he immediately got to work trying to inject talent into the team he had inherited. Not only was Brohm and his staff working night and day to try and salvage the Cardinals' highly-touted recruiting class, they were incredibly active when it came to working the transfer portal.
Those quick efforts produced immediate dividends. Louisville landed 12 transfers prior to the start of spring practice in March, many of whom are expected to be impact playmakers for Brohm's first year at the helm, such as Jack Plummer, Jamari Thrash, Stephen Herron and others.
Over the course of spring ball, the staff began to identify areas on the team that they might have to address when spring ball wrapped up and the spring transfer window arrived. Once that happened, Brohm and Co. were once again quick to strike in the portal, and believe they were able to vastly improve their roster.
"On paper, we've made a lot of strides," Brohm said Wednesday night when asked how he feels about the roster moves made since the end of spring ball in late April. "We've made some new additions that we think can help our football team, and be a big part of helping us find a way to win.
"You'll never know for sure until they get here, what exactly they can do and how they will fit in. But to this point, I think we have brought in some good young men that are good teammates, that are going to work hard, that are going to want to do their part to build this program. I just think that it's a constant evaluation process, development process. You got to put the time in, and be willing to work with your guys on a daily basis. You can't take anything for granted, but I do like the nucleus of our guys."
Like before spring ball, Louisville added 12 scholarship players via the portal after spring ball concluded, and most of the players brought in are expects to see meaningful playing time this upcoming season. Based on their additions, it's clear that the Cardinals' main post-spring portal goals were adding depth at offensive line, the secondary (and defense as a whole) and at quarterback.
They added five more offensive linemen to the mix, with Eric Miller, Lance Robinson and Willie Tyler expected to be in the main offensive line rotation this fall. In the secondary, former UNC teammates Storm Duck and Cam'Ron Kelly joined the fold and are expected to be regulars in the two deep. On top of that, Louisville added linebacker Keith Brown and lineman Jeffery Clark, two defensive pieces that are also expected to see decent playing time. Then at quarterback, Brohm bolstered the overall deoth in the room by welcoming in both Brady Allen and Harrison Bailey, the latter of which is walking on.
In total, UofL is welcoming in 24 new scholarship transfers for next season. According to On3's transfer portal rankings, which takes into account both transfers in and transfers out, the Cardinals have the No. 1 transfer portal class in all of college football.
Related: Who's In, Who's Out and Who's Back for Louisville Football in 2023
They might not be done adding players, either. Taking into account the returners, incoming freshman class and players departing the program through various means, Louisville still has three open scholarship spots available for the 2023 season.
Brohm doesn't rule out the possibility that "one or two" scholarship players could be added at some point in the future given Louisville's scholarship situation. However, he says he and his staff "feel good" about the players they have on the roster now.
"Without question, we're pretty close," he said when asked about the roster finality. "One or two things pop here in the near future that could easily happen, but at this point, we feel good with who we have right now. There are a few others that haven't arrived on campus yet, and that'll be here in the near future."
The majority of winter and post-spring newcomers, whether transfer or true freshman, have enrolled in classes and recently moved on campus. Now, the focus mainly shifts to getting acclimated with the team as a whole, and building overall chemistry ahead of the start of fall camp.
"We get to get around them a little bit, and meet with them, go over football, go on the field with them a little bit within certain rules," Brohm said. "Some new players, which I think are great to see out there. We want to continue to build a football team and improve each and every week. I think our guys are really working hard to this point. We just got to make sure we stay on it, and that we cover everything we need to before the first practice."
Louisville kicks off their 2023 season against Georgia Tech in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. on Friday, Sept. 1.
(Photo of Jeff Brohm: Jeff Faughender - Courier Journal and USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK)
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