Report: Louisville RB Shaun Boykins Jr. to Enter Transfer Portal

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Another local product for the Louisville football program is deciding to play somewhere else.

Running back Shaun Boykins Jr. plans to enter his name into the transfer portal, his representation told On3's Pete Nakos.

Boykins is the first Louisville player to announce his intentions to enter the transfer portal following the Cardinals' season-ending win over Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl this past Tuesday. He's the fourth scholarship player overall, following safety Daeh McCullough, quarterback Brady Allen and fellow Louisville native defensive tackle Selah Brown.

Under recently-adopted NCAA guidelines, the 14-day portal window will not officially open until Jan 2. This is the only opportunity for players to enter the portal following the removal of the spring transfer window.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound running back spent most of the season down on the depth chart, but was able to get some extended run late in the season as injuries to the room piled up. Against Kentucky, Boykins ran for 101 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, helping the Cards win that game 41-0. He finished the season with 37 rushes for 190 yards and a score in four games.

The Radcliff (Ky.) North Hardin star was a wide receiver coming out of high school, and the No. 7 prospect in the state, per 247Sports, in the Class of 2024. He played in just one game during his true freshman season last year, and between mounting injuries at running back and a crowded wide receiver room, Louisville made the decision to switch him to running back during fall camp.

"He's got some traits to him that you just can't coach," running backs coach Chris Barclay said of Boykins in fall camp. "I hesitate to draw comparisons a lot, but I think his athletic profile is very, very similar to Isaac Guerendo. In the sense that, he's a receiver in high school, low running back, little, kick returner, straight line guy, track guy, big speed, runs as fast as Isaac can but is 212 pounds."

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 al three seasons under Brohm, doing so for the first time since 2012-14.

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