Projecting Louisville's Two-Deep Depth Chart Following Fall Camp

With fall camp now in the books, we take a guess as to what the Cardinals' two-deep depth chart will look like for their season opener.

Nov 30, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals running back Isaac Brown (25) runs the ball during the third quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program's three-week long fall camp is now officially in the books, and their season-opener against Eastern Kentucky is just under two weeks away.

With the Cardinals now shifting into game-planning mode for the Colonels, Louisville Cardinals On SI decided to take another shot at projecting Louisville's two-deep depth chart for the 2025 football season.

Quarterback

1. Miller Moss (6-2, 210, R-Sr.)
2. Brady Allen (6-6, 220, R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: Just like in spring ball, fall camp confirmed what we already knew heading into the season: Moss will be the starting quarterback. Sure, there were a couple open practices where he was hit-or-miss, but his overall command of the offense and ability to keep them on schedule is lightyears better than anyone else on the roster. As for the battle for the backup spot, while I think Adams is the more toolsy player, the staff loves Allen, and he has way more experience with the playbooks.

Running Back

1. Isaac Brown (5-9, 190, So.)
2. Duke Watson (6-0, 180, So.)

Quick Hit: Brown didn't get a ton of run in fall camp, but he didn't have to. He's coming off a 1,173-yard season as a true freshman, and is already one of the best running backs in the sport. That being said, look for Watson to build on his great true freshman campaign as well, as he was one of the top performers in camp. Additionally, Keyjuan Brown and newly-converted RB Shaun Boykins Jr. looked good in camp as well.

Wide Receiver

1. Chris Bell (6-2, 220, Sr.)
2. Dacari Collins (6-4, 215, R-Sr.)

1. Antonio Meeks (6-1, 195, Sr.)
2. TreyShun Hurry (6-2, 195, Jr.)

1. Caullin Lacy (5-10, 190, R-Sr.)
2. Kris Hughes (5-11, 195, R-So.)

Quick Hit: Like at running back, Louisville has a deadly one-two punch at wide receiver. Bell is one of the top returning wideouts in the ACC, and looked like an NFL-caliber receiver at times in fall camp. Lacy didn't get a ton of run last season due to his collarbone injury and subsequent redshirt, but the slot regularly displayed his shiftiness and burst in camp. As for the third starting wideout, Meeks has made a massive amount progress since the start of spring ball, and looks the part of a starting D1 receiver. That being said, Collins and Hurry are sure to get a fair amount of reps this season as well.

Tight End

1. Jaleel Skinner (6-5, 230, Jr.)
2. Nate Kurisky (6-3, 240, R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: Louisville entered fall camp with some questions at tight end, but Skinner seems to have answered them. He took a much-needed step forward in spring ball, then followed that up by being by far the most consistent playmaker in the fall. But even with Skinner appearing to take the TE1 job, expect veteran Nate Kurisky and portal pickup Jacob Stewart to rotate in and out plenty. Additionally, Davon Mitchell and walk-on Hamilton Atkins have gotten some fullback reps this offseason.

Left Tackle

1. Makylan Pounders (6-5, 310, R-Sr.)
2. Trevonte Sylvester (6-6, 280, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: Louisville rotated their offensive line fairly often during the open fall camp practices, but towards the end, Pounders was the regular starting blindside blocker. It doesn't come as a complete shock, as he provides some SEC starting experience from his time at Mississippi State. That being said, Sylvester performed well last season here after Monroe Mills got hurt, and did start fall camp as the first team left tackle before Pounders jumped him.

Left Guard

1. Lance Robinson (6-4, 290, R-Sr.)
2. Carter Guillaume (6-2, 285, Fr.)

Quick Hit: Robinson wasn't able to play at all last season due to an injury suffered in fall camp, but the staff has always been super high on him, and he's showed why this offseason. He had a really good spring, then followed that up with a great fall. But don't be surprised if Guillaume becomes a key part of the offensive line rotation, as the SEMO transfer had moments in both the spring and fall where he really shined. 

Center

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

Quick Hit: The center spot for Louisville brings back a big time piece, and who will likely be the heart of soul of the offensive front next season. Of the all the returners on the line, Nygra was the Cardinals' highest-graded played in 2024, per PFF (71.1), and he was by far the best O-lineman in the fall. Cutler spent half of the open practices sidelined with a nagging injury, but routinely the second string center - although Michael Flores got a decent amount of reps with the twos as well. 

Right Guard

1. Rasheed Miller (6-7, 310, R-Sr.)
2. Jordan Church (6-4, 310, R-So.)

Quick Hit: Miller got a lot of run at right tackle last season before getting hurt midway through the year, and seemed to carry that momentum into spring ball. That being said, midway through fall camp, he slid over one spot, and seemed to do fairly well in this role. Church is a candidate to crack the main offensive line rotation as well given how he performed both at FAU and in camp.

Right Tackle

1. Mahamane Moussa (6-4, 305, R-Sr.)
2. Naeer Jackson (6-6, 310, R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: Moussa didn't get as much run in the spring as he'd like due to injury, but was able to show what he can do in fall camp. He got reps at both tackle spots in camp, and seems to have settled nicely on the right side. As for Jackson, he saw reps at nearly every spot on the line during camp. But after potentially being a starter at right guard early in camp, he was eventually moved to right tackle after Miller switched spots.

Defensive End

1. Wesley Bailey (6-5, 265, R-Sr.)
2. Justin Beadles (6-5, 270, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: While Louisville loses a lot of production and experience on the edges, they're actually in a very good spot here. Bailey has had an underrated collegiate career up to this point while at Rutgers, and looked the part in both spring and fall. Additionally, Beadles looked much better than expected in fall camp after being added in the spring portal window.

Nose Tackle

1. Denzel Lowry (6-1, 290, R-Sr.)
2. Rene Konga (6-4, 300, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: Louisville might not be as deep at the tackle spots, but they should still be an impact in the middle of the line. Lowry, a multi-year starter at Old Dominion, has made a seamless transition to Louisville, and was a dominant force at times in fall camp. While he was slowed at times by injury last season, Konga was much better than many anticipated, and figures to still be a massive part of the interior lineman rotation.

Defensive Tackle

1. Jordan Guerad (6-2, 300, R-Sr.)
2. Jerry Lawson (6-2, 295, R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: Guerad also flew under the radar last season, thriving in his new home. The FIU transfer missed most of the first half of the season due to injury, but once healthy, he slowly became an impact playmaker on the defensive line - and followed that up by doing the same in fall camp. Lawson was one of the top tackles at the FCS level, although the Abilene Christian native did seem to have a better spring ball than fall camp - not to mention he did take some reps on the edges.

Leo (DE/LB)

1. Clev Lubin (6-3, 250, R-Jr.)
2. A.J. Green (6-6, 250, R-So.)

Quick Hit: A transfer from Coastal Carolina, Lubin was one of the top players to enter the portal, and landing him was a massive win for UofL. While he was running with the twos in spring ball, he eventually started running with the ones in the fall, with his twitchy and explosive nature producing game-wrecker potential. But don't count out Green having an impact season, as he rotated in with the ones often, and has NFL-level potential. He just has to keep his weight up.

Middle Linebacker

1. T.J. Quinn (6-1, 235, R-Sr.)
2. Kalib Perry (6-3, 230, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: While the linebacker spot certainly had its ups-and-downs last season, but Quinn coming back for another season is a big deal considering he's led the team in tackles for two straight years. He'll just have to improve his coverage abilities, which he very much worked on this offseason. His backup in Perry has a good amount of SEC experience during his time at Tennessee, although he didn't see a ton of run in fall camp due to a hand injury.

Weakside Linebacker

1. Stanquan Clark (6-3, 235, Jr.)
2. T.J. Capers (6-2, 225, R-So.)

Quick Hit: While it was Quinn who led the team in tackles, Clark is undoubtedly Louisville's top returning defensive player. He is an extremely athletic and versatile defender, and was able to showcase some much improved coverage abilities in the fall after missing the spring with a shoulder injury. Behind him, Capers got increased reps in the fall due to Perry's injury, and the former five-star prospect has the potential to have a breakout year based on what he has put together in the spring and fall.

STAR (LB/S)

1. Antonio Watts (6-2, 225, R-Jr.)
2. Nigel Williams (5-11, 200, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: Watts put together a good first year as the starter at STAR last season, a linebacker/safety hybrid position, and has built on that with a very strong offseason. In fact, like prior springs and fall, he was one of Louisville's top performers in this camp. That being said, depth is a concern here. Williams, a very late portal addition, got reps as the backup here throughout camp.

Cornerback

1. Rodney Johnson Jr. (6-2, 200, R-Sr.)
2. Tayon Holloway (6-1, 190, R-Jr.)

1. Jabari Mack (6-1, 185, R-Sr.)
2. Rae'mon Mosby (6-0, 190, R-Fr.)

Quick Hit: Undoubtedly, cornerback has the most question marks for Louisville, but it might not be as big of a concern as we think. Johnson, a transfer from Southern, built on his strong spring with a fall that suggests he could be an All-ACC caliber guy. Mack got a good amount of reps with the ones in fall, and certainly made the most of them after having a quiet spring. Holloway was reinstated to the team just ahead of fall camp, and while he had a slow start, the pseudo-starter from last year eventually got back into the swing of things. Also, Mosby and Antonio Harris could be in line for big roles as well.

Free Safety

1. JoJo Evans (6-1, 200, R-Sr.)
2. Corey Gordon Jr. (6-2, 195, R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: When it's all said and done, it wouldn't be surprising if Evans was Louisville's most impactful transfer. Coming over from FIU, the All-Conference USA defender was one of the top defensive backs at the G5 level. While he played a little timid at first, he played much more aggressively towards the end of the open fall camp practices, and made several plays. Additionally, Gordon was one of Baylor's top defensive backs last season, and this certainly showed in both spring and fall. Expect him to be the go-to reserve safety.

Strong Safety

1. D'Angelo Hutchinson (6-3, 200, Sr.)
2. Daeh McCullough (6-2, 195, R-So.)

Quick Hit: While Evans very much has a chance to be Louisville's best safety next season, don't count out Hutchinson. He is coming off of a breakout 2024 season as the go-to reserve on the back end, and looked very comfortable during the fall in his new role as the starter. While Blake Ruffin, a former FCS All-American, should get some run thsi season, it was McCullough who got most of the backup reps behind Hutchinson in the fall.

(Photo of Isaac Brown: Jordan Prather - Imagn Images)

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