Two Cardinals Named to PFF's Top 101 College Football Players of 2025

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program, while they might have underachieved in some senses this past season, still had a very talented roster. With that, some Cardinals' players have been recognized as some of the best in the nation.

Over the past week, Pro Football Focus has unveiled their list of the Top 101 players from the 2025 season, and a couple UofL players made the cut. They placed defensive end Clev Lubin at No. 40, and defensive tackle Rene Konga at No. 98.

The rankings were based on various factors, such as PFF grades, on-field impact and positional value. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, Miami DE Rueben Bain Jr., Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love, Texas Tech DE David Bailey and Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez comprised of the top five.

Lubin joined Louisville last offseason as a transfer from Coastal Carolina, and put together a fantastic first season as a Cardinal. Starting all 13 games, the 6-foot-3, 250-pound edge rusher collected 61 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and five pass breakups. He earned Third-Team All-ACC honors for his efforts.

"Lubin was an elite pass-rusher at Coastal Carolina in 2024, earning a 92.0 PFF pass-rush grade, Chadwick wrote. "He improved upon that mark after transferring to Louisville, tying for fourth in the Power Four in pass-rush grade (92.5). Lubin also tallied 11 sacks and ranked fourth in the Power Four in pressures (64). He enters 2026 as one of the top edge defenders in the country."

In his second season with the Cardinals after transferring from Rutgers, Konga had a career year in his final collegiate season. His 29 tackles (13 for loss) and 5.0 for loss were all career-highs, while his six pass breakups led the team. The 6-foot-4, 300-pound tackle also added 1.5 sacks.

"Konga was dominant in the middle of Louisville’s defensive line this season, Chadwick wrote. "His 86.4 PFF grade ranked second among Power Four interior defenders, while his 85.2 PFF pass-rush grade ranked third at the position."

In their third season under head coach Jeff Brohm, Louisville went 9-4 overall, including a 4-4 mark in ACC play and a 27-22 win over Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl. The Cardinals have won at least nine games in all three seasons under Brohm, doing so for the first time since 2012-14.

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