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Louisville HC Jeff Brohm Talks Transfer Portal Additions (2/7/24)

Projecting Louisville Football's 2024 Two-Deep Depth Chart

With spring practice about to kick off, we take an early guess as to what the Cardinals' two-deep depth chart will look like for their season opener.

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Louisville Cardinals
Louisville Cardinals

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Spring practice for the Louisville football program is just around the corner. While there are still some moving roster parts as Louisville head into year two 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 host Austin Peay for their 2024 season opener.

Related: Who’s In, Who’s Out and Who’s Back for Louisville Football in 2024

There's still going to be a plethora of position battles throughout spring ball, summer workouts, and into fall camp. There's also going to be transfer portal action when the 15-day spring transfer portal window arrives in mid-April.

That being said, Louisville Report decided to take a shot at giving an early projection at the Cardinals' two-deep depth chart for the 2024 football season.

Quarterback

  1. Tyler Shough (6-5, 230, Gr.)
  2. Pierce Clarkson (6-1, 190, So.)

Quick Hit: With Jack Plummer exhausting his eligibility, Louisville will be looking for another quarterback to be the day one starter. While he is still rehabbing an injury suffered last season and might not be a full go for spring ball, Texas Tech transfer Tyler Shough's playmaking abilities make him the clear frontrunner for QB1. That being said, Louisville is still continuing to develop the signal callers behind Shough if needed, and the battle for the backup spot will come down to Clarkson or Brady Allen.

Running Back

  1. Peny Boone (6-1, 235, Sr.)
  2. Donald Chaney Jr. (5-10, 210, R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: Based solely on their two transfer additions at this position, Louisville will have a much more physical rushing style in 2024. Boone - the 2023 MAC Offensive Player of the Year while at Toledo - is nicknamed "Baby Bus" for a reason, and Chaney also brings a very gritty play style from Miami. Maurice Turner will also get plenty of run as the change-of-pace speed back.

Wide Receiver

  1. Ja'Corey Brooks (6-3, 190, R-Jr.)
  2. Chris Bell (6-2, 225, Jr.)
  1. Caullin Lacy (5-10, 190, Sr.)
  2. Jimmy Calloway (6-0, 190, R-Jr.)
  1. Antonio Meeks (6-2, 190, Jr.)
  2. Jadon Thompson (6-2, 190, Sr.)

Quick Hit: With the wide receiver room as a whole - sans Jamari Thrash - underperforming last season, Brohm and Co. got to work flipping the position, and landed some quality additions. Brooks - a former five-star prospect- is already generating Heisman Trophy buzz, Lacy was one of the top transfers to enter the portal and should be a deadly option in the slot, and Meeks is an underrated D2 pickup. Plus, Bell has shown flashes of potential over the past two seasons.

Tight End

  1. Mark Redman (6-6, 255, Gr.)
  2. Jaleel Skinner (6-5, 210, Jr.)

Quick Hit: Tight End was unquestionably the weak spot on the offense, but it received a major upgrade. While he won't join the program until the summer, Redman should be a consistent go-to option in the passing game to help move the stick. Skinner also showed flashes while at Miami, and has the potential to thrive in Brohm's system. Don't rule out returners Jamari Johnson and Nate Kurisky to make impacts in some form, either.

Left Tackle

  1. Monroe Mills (6-6, 315, R-Jr.)
  2. Rasheed Miller (6-7, 310, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: While Louisville does lose an impact starter here in Willie Tyler, Mills provides no talent and production drop-off. Not only was he On3's No. 4 offensive tackle to enter the portal, he has chemistry with Shough while at Texas Tech. Additionally, Miller was an All-Sun Belt performer while at Georgia State.

Left Guard

  1. Michael Gonzalez (6-4, 305, Sr.)
  2. Lance Robinson (6-4, 295, Gr.)

Quick Hit: Louisville is in very good shape at left guard. Gonzalez has been one of the Cardinals' best linemen during his four years on campus, and is their highest-graded returner on the line per PFF. Robinson could easily win the starting job at right tackle, but has the versatility to play inside as well, and did a good job in the Holiday Bowl.

Center

  1. Pete Nygra (6-4, 295, R-Jr.)
  2. Victor Cutler (6-3, 300, Gr.)

Quick Hit: Bryan Hudson - the 2023 ACC Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner - was the heart and soul of Louisville's offensive line, and his loss will undoubtedly be felt. Fortunately, Nygra was one of the best centers in the MAC while at Northern Illinois, and should help with the transition. Cutler is a versatile option, and will likely be the backup center in 2024.

Right Guard

  1. Renato Brown (6-4, 315, R-Sr.)
  2. Austin Collins (6-3, 290, R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: Brown is a experience veteran for Louisville's offensive line, and losing him to a freak injury midway through last season was a huge blow. Fortunately, Austin Collins filled in for Brown at right guard very nicely, and both are coming back for 2024. Collins could also see time at center.

Right Tackle

  1. Jonathan Mendoza (6-9, 310, Gr.)
  2. Reuben Unije (6-5, 310, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: Right tackle is arguably the deepest on the line for Louisville. The starting spot will likely come down to Mendoza and Robinson, and for now I'm giving the edge to Mendoza. With a hulking frame like the Yale transfer has, you find ways to utilize him. However, don't count out Unije, as he was an efficient starter at Houston.

Defensive End

  1. Ashton Gillotte (6-3, 270, Sr.)
  2. Mason Reiger (6-4, 250, Sr.)

Quick Hit: Louisville is stacked on the edges heading into 2024, especially at the true D-end spot. Gillotte established himself as one of the best edge rushers in all of college football last season, and bringing back for another season was a huge win for the program. Behind him, Reiger has been the unsung hero on the defensive line the last two seasons.

Nose Tackle

  1. Thor Griffith (6-2, 320, Gr.)
  2. Dezmond Tell (6-1, 290, Sr.)

Quick Hit: While Louisville's various additions on offense might garner more headlines, landing Griffith is arguably one of the Cardinals' biggest recruiting wins so far this offseason. The Harvard product's athleticism is off the charts, and his NFL potential is immense. But still expect Tell to get some regular run, as he is coming off a productive campaign as the incumbent starter at nose. 

Defensive Tackle

  1. Jordan Guerad (6-3, 295, R-Sr.)
  2. Jermayne Lole (6-3, 310, Gr.)

Quick Hit: As big of a recruiting win as landing Griffith was, one of Louisville's more underrated portal commitments was flipping Guerad from Minnesota, as the former FIU product is PFF's third-highest-graded defensive tackle transfer. However, the competition at this spot will still be fierce, as Lole was finally able to stay healthy and had his best season since 2020.

Leo (DE/LB)

  1. Tyler Baron (6-5, 260, R-Sr.)
  2. Adonijah Green (6-6, 225, So.)

Quick Hit: Gillotte is just one leg of arguably the best one-two edge rusher punch in the ACC heading into next season. Baron is coming off of a career year at Tennessee, and flipping his transfer commitment from Ole Miss was a huge recruiting coup. As for Green, he has a very high upside, and could be in for a breakout 2024.

Middle Linebacker

  1. T.J. Quinn (6-1, 230, R-Jr.)
  2. Jurriente Davis (6-1, 235, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: The linebacker position for Louisville wound up being much more productive for Louisville than expected, and T.J. Quinn is a massive reason why. He made plays all over field, and wound up leading the Cardinals in tackles by a wide margin with 92. Davis didn't see a ton of playing time last season at Texas A&M, but is a former First-Team JUCO All-American.

Weakside Linebacker

  1. Jaylin Alderman (6-1, 230, Sr.)
  2. Stanquan Clark (6-3, 230, So.)

Quick Hit: Alderman was able to bounce back from a 2022 campaign where he had next to no impact on the team, and turned a tremendous 2023 season as Louisville's fourth-leading tackler and second-leading tackler for loss. Clark showed flashes of brilliance as a true freshman, and could be in line for a massive 2024. Also, don't count out T.J. Capers to get in the mix here.

STAR

  1. Benjamin Perry (6-3, 205, R-Jr.)
  2. Tamarion McDonald (6-2, 200, Sr.)

Quick Hit: This linebacker/safety hybrid position in Ron English's defense is arguably the X-Factor on that side of the ball, and Louisville has two massive playmakers here. Depending on the down and distance, expect Perry and McDonald to rotate in-and-out fairly often. Perry can make plays both in the box and in coverage and is coming off of a career year, and McDonald has been very productive at Tennessee over the last two seasons.

Cornerback

  1. Quincy Riley (6-0, 185, R-Sr.)
  2. Tahveon Nicholson (5-11, 180, Sr.)
  1. Corey Thornton (6-1, 190, Sr.)
  2. Tayon Holloway (6-1, 190, R-So.)

Quick Hit: While he doesn't get the proper credit for it nationally, Riley is one of the best corners in the ACC and all of college football, and getting him to come back for another year is a huge win for the secondary. While Louisville is losing Jarvis Brownlee to the draft, they reloaded here in the portal. UCF's Thornton has great length and production as a boundary corner, and Illinois' Nicholson is very impactful in the slot. UNC's Holloway should get in the mix as well, as should returners Trey Franklin, Aaron Williams and Marcus Washington.

Free Safety

  1. Wesley Walker (6-1, 210, R-Sr.)
  2. Devin Neal (6-0, 210, Sr.)

Quick Hit: One reason that Louisville's secondary could be extremely deadly in 2024 is their two-deep at both safety spots. Walker is coming off of two strong seasons at Tennessee, and also has ACC experience after starting his career at Georgia Tech. Plus, Neal was able to earn Third-Team All-ACC honors despite starting the season as a backup.

Strong Safety

  1. M.J. Griffin (6-1, 210, R-Sr.)
  2. Blake Ruffin (6-4, 205, R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: Don't forget about Griffin. He was one of the biggest reasons for Louisville's defensive turnaround during the final year of the Scott Satterfield era, and he will be itching to get back on the field after missing all of 2023 with a leg injury. Ruffin will give him plenty of competition, as the rangy Eastern Illinois transfer was one of the best defensive backs at the FCS level last season

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

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