Projecting Louisville Football's Post-Spring Two-Deep Depth Chart

With spring practice in the rear view mirror, we take an updated guess as to what the Cardinals' two-deep depth chart will look like for their season opener.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - While there are still some moving roster parts as the Louisville football program heads into year one of the Jeff Brohm era, it's never too early to take an educated guess as to who will start for the Cardinals when they venture down to Atlanta for their 2023 season opener against Georgia Tech.

With spring practice in the rear view mirror, we now have a better idea as to who will start at what position than we just just before spring ball. Several needs arose during this time, many of which were promptly addressed by the staff via the transfer portal in the days after the spring game.

Related: Who’s In, Who’s Out and Who’s Back for Louisville Football in 2023

That being said, Louisville Report decided to take another shot at giving an early projection at the Cardinals' two-deep depth chart for the 2023 football season.

Quarterback

1. Jack Plummer (6-5, 215, Sr.)
2. Brock Domann (6-2, 228, Sr.)

Quick Hit: The spring confirmed what we likely already knew heading into next season: Plummer will be the starting quarterback. All through spring ball, he was head and shoulders better than every one else. Right behind him, Domann looked extremely comfortable during open practices, especially during the spring game.

Running Back

1. Jawhar Jordan (5-10, 180, R-Jr.)
2. Isaac Guerendo (6-1, 225, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: The revitalized passing game was a large storyline through spring and heading into 2023, but the running backs all looked good in spring ball as well. Jordan is still the clear cut option to start after leading UofL in rushing yards last season and ending the season strong, but there is some real competition for RB2. Guerendo is likely the backup as of right now due to his skillset, but Maurice Turner had several impressive practices during the spring.

Wide Receiver

1. Jamari Thrash (6-1, 180, R-Jr.)
2. Jimmy Calloway (6-0, 190, R-So.)

1. Ahmari Huggins-Bruce (5-10, 170, Jr.)
2. Kevin Coleman Jr. (5-11, 180, So.)

1. Jadon Thompson (6-2, 185, Jr.)
2. Chris Bell (6-2, 225, So.)

Quick Hit: While the wide receivers collectively still have some work to do in terms of building chemistry with the quarterbacks and learning the playbook, they still showed what they can do. Thrash will be WR1 given how explosive he was at Georgia State, and Huggins-Bruce is a breakout candidate when taking into account his lack of usage under Satterfield. Keep an eye out for Coleman to get regular run as well, as he took advantage of extra snaps due to Thompson having to sit out all spring due to injury.

Tight End

1. Josh Lifson (6-3, 235, Gr.)
2. Duane Martin (6-2, 260, Jr.)

Quick Hit: The tight end position got a lot more thin when Francis Sherman and Dez Melton both opted to enter the portal just after spring ball, and they now only have three scholarship players at the position. Out of everyone in the tight end room that is returning, Lifson, who is a walk-on, looked the most comfortable in the transition to a pass catcher. But don't be surprised if true freshman Jamari Johnson throws his hat into the ring for TE1 by the end of the season.

Left Tackle

1. Eric Miller (6-7, 305, 6th)
2. Willie Tyler III (6-6, 320, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: Louisville does lose their starter here in Trevor Reid, but their post-spring portal recruiting on the line greatly improved their overall depth on the line. At left tackle, they bring in a pair of Power Five starters from last season in Miller and Tyler, who were regular starters at Purdue and Rutgers, respectively.

Left Guard

1. John Paul Flores (6-4, 305, R-Sr.)
2. Madden Sanker (6-4, 310, Fr.)

Quick Hit: Despite losing former All-American Caleb Chandler, Louisville is also in relatively good shape at left guard. Flores gives the Cardinals starting ACC experience after transferring in from Virginia, and looked good in the spring as well. Sanker has an incredibly high ceiling as the highest-ranked OL to ever sign with Louisville - who is also a dual-sport athlete as a wrestler.

Center

1. Bryan Hudson (6-4, 305, R-Sr.)
2. Austin Collins (6-3, 290, R-So.)

Quick Hit: Even with a ton of roster movement on the offensive line, center came out relatively unscathed. After grading as Louisville's top starter on the offensive line in 2022, Bryan Hudson is back for one last season in college. Collins hasn't seen much time since the 2020 finale, but he's still a serviceable lineman. 

Right Guard

1. Michael Gonzalez (6-4, 305, Jr.)
2. Joshua Black (6-2, 280-R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: With all the additions at tackle through the portal, someone was bound to get bumped inside to guard. While Gonzalez took most of his reps at left tackle in the spring, most of his reps in the back half of 2022 actually came at right guard, and he looked good doing it, too. Moving to this spot also makes sense considering Black was in line to be the starter here, and he has only played in 10 total games since his freshman year in 2019.

Right Tackle

1. Renato Brown (6-4, 315, R-Jr.)
2. Lance Robinson (6-4, 290, R-So.)

Quick Hit: Brown has progressed plenty since his freshman year, and getting him back for another year is huge from a continuity standpoint for the offensive line. But, there will be some serious competition for that starting right tackle spot from transfers Robinson and Vincent Lumia, who came in from Houston and Duquesne, respectively.

Defensive End

1. Ashton Gillotte (6-3, 270, Jr.)
2. Victoine Brown (6-4, 250, R-So.)

 Quick Hit: Not only is Gillotte one of the best returners on the defense, he has a case for one of the best returners/overall players on the entire team. There were times during the spring where he looked absolutely unblockable. Behind him, several younger defensive ends took steps forward in the spring, and Brown was arguably the one who looked best to take on a larger role.

Nose Tackle

1. Jared Dawson (6-2, 305, R-So.)
2. Tawfiq Thomas (6-4, 310, So.)

Quick Hit: Dawson had arguably the most underrated season by a Louisville defender last season, mainly because he didn't stuff the stat sheet. He looked good during the spring, and also put on a ton of weight to make him even more of a factor inside. With Jermayne Lole still battling various injury issues, Thomas took advantage of this, and looks like he will be ready when his number is eventually called.

Defensive Tackle

1. Dezmond Tell (6-1, 290, Jr.)
2. Ramon Puryear (6-3, 260, R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: Tell was an unsung hero of the defensive line, regularly being tasked to eat up blocks to pave way for the linebackers last season, while also doing a good job on his own of collapsing the pocket both in 2022 and this offseason in practice. Puryear, a former walk-on, moves from the edge to the interior, and got regular reps with the ones in the spring.

Leo (DE/LB)

1. Stephen Herron (6-3, 240, R-Sr.)
2. Popeye Williams (6-3, 245, So.)

Quick Hit: Herron had a little bit of a slow start to the spring, but in the final few weeks of spring ball, he had settled in and looked like comfortable rushing the passer. That being said, expect this position to rotate a lot with Williams, considering his pure talent and athleticism was on full display every time he touched the field.

Middle Linebacker

1. Keith Brown (6-1, 235, Jr.)
2. Jaylin Alderman (6-1, 230, Jr.)

Quick Hit: With all the defections to the inside linebacking corps this offseason, Louisville needed to land an impact transfer here. They got that in Brown, who comes over from Oregon as a former top-100 recruit. Alderman has been extremely quiet since his pick-six against UCF in 2021, but had moments in the spring that suggest he could be ready to step his game up.

Weakside Linebacker

1. K.J. Cloyd (6-2, 220, Sr.)
2. T.J. Quinn (6-0, 230, R-So.)

Quick Hit: Both Cloyd and Quinn will have to take big steps forward in their respective games so that linebacker isn't a liability on the defense, but both look solid during the spring, especially Quinn. Plus, don't be surprised if true freshman Stanquan Clark pushes either of them for playing time.

STAR

1. Benjamin Perry (6-3, 205, R-So.)
2. Gilbert Frierson (6-1, 215, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: Getting Perry to pull his name out of the transfer portal and return to the Cardinals was a huge recruiting win for Brohm. He is tailor-made to play the STAR position, as he looked phenomenal in the spring both in coverage and playing close to the line. Frierson also showcased his versatility in the spring. Another name to watch in Antonio Watts, a converted safety who consistently made plays all spring.

Cornerback

1. Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (6-0, 190, Jr.)
2. Quincy Riley (6-0, 185, R-Jr.)

1. Storm Duck (6-1, 200, R-Sr.)
2. Marquis Groves-Killebrew (6-0, 180, R-Fr.)

Quick Hit: With how loaded Louisville is at cornerback now, it was hard to pick the two-deep here. Brownlee struggled with consistency last season, but looked like he has taken a massive step forward in spring ball, plus Duck was Second-Team All-ACC last year. Riley missed most of spring with an injury, but his reputation precedes itself after leading Louisville in interceptions last season. Groves-Killebrew and Marcus Washington Jr. are both young, formerly highly-rated prospects from Texas A&M and Georgia, respectively, and have the natural talent to potentially be contribute soon. Additionally, both Trey Franklin and Derrick Edwards III had good showings and spring, and will likely serve as the the one and two at nickelback.

Free Safety

1. M.J. Griffin (6-1, 210, R-Jr.)
2. Devin Neal (6-0, 205, Jr.)

Quick Hit: Louisville's defensive turnaround in the second half of the season can be mostly attributed to the front seven, but there's no denying that starting Griffin played a factor as well. While slotted as a free safety here, he made plays all over the field in the spring. Add a former starter at Baylor in Neal, and the Cardinals have great depth at this spot. 

Strong Safety

1. Josh Minkins (6-2, 195, Jr.)
2. Cam'Ron Kelly (6-2, 210, Gr.)

Quick Hit: Minkins missed all of spring ball with an injury, but we already know what he is capable of. He took a huge step forward last season to be Louisville's fifth-leading tackler, and is sure to play a large role in their success in the secondary next season. If he isn't a go due to injury, Kelly, who was a Third-Team All-ACC selection in 2021, should provide minimal talent and production drop-off.

(Photo of Louisville Players: Jared Anderson - Louisville Report)

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