Six Standout Performances from Louisville's Fall Camp

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Practice is still ongoing, but the fall camp portion of the 2025 preseason for the Louisville football program is now complete.

With classes at the University of Louisville resuming this Monday, the Cardinals will soon phase into their regular season practice schedule in preparation for their season-opener on Aug. 30 vs. Eastern Kentucky.

The third fall camp in the Jeff Brohm era featured several standout performances from old and new players alike, as they hope to build on a strong 9-4 showing in 2024.

Here are six of the most noteworthy performances from fall camp, three on each side of the ball and listed in alphabetically by last name:

WR Chris Bell

Heading into the 2025 season, Louisville has one of the best wide receiver tandems in Chris Bell and Caullin Lacy. While certainly stood out in camp at times, the former seems to taken yet another step forward in terms of his physicality, route running and body control.

"I think this dude is going to tear the lid off of it and be really, really good to great," college football analyst David Pollock recently said of Bell. "If that makes Louisville's offense great in the ACC, why can't they be a challenger? Why can't they be in the mix? Because I think he is a really talented young guy out wide, that if he gets good quarterback play, he'll put up some stupid numbers."

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound pass catcher has steadily gotten better in each of his previous three years in college, and is coming off of his best season to date. He caught 43 passes for 737 yards and four touchdowns in 2024, all of which were second on the team to Ja'Corey Brooks.

CB Rodney Johnson Jr.

The cornerback is undoubtedly is what has the most questions on the entire team, but Johnson isn't one of them. He was one of the surprise standouts in spring ball earlier this year, and built on that momentum with a fall camp that was just a strong.

"I'm really excited about him," cornerbacks coach Steve Ellis said of Johnson. "He looks about 26 years old, but he's a really good dude, serious about football, really mature. That's one good thing about him. I love what he's working with, he's got a competitive spirit. Just exciting to have him a part of this unit."

Transferring in from Southern (FCS), the 6-foot-2, 200-pound corner logged 43 tackles (23 solo), 6.0 for loss, five pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble last season. He earned a Second-Team All-SWAC nod from Phil Steele for his efforts.

DE Clev Lubin

While Lubin didn't earn a ton of first team reps back in the spring, he started running with the ones a lot more in fall camp. Even running against the starting offensive line, the Coastal Carolina transfer's twitchy and explosive nature was on full display throughout camp.

"He's a nonstop guy," defensive line coach Mark Hagen said of Lubin. "He's like the Energizer Bunny out there, he's just full go all the time. When guys get lazy in parts of the game when the game drags, that's when he's going to beat his opponent and come up with big place for you. That's what I love about him."

The 6-foot-3, 245-pound edge rusher's 12.0 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks not only led the Chanticleers last season, but were fourth and third, respectively, in the Sun Belt. He also collected 44 total tackles (24 solo), three pass breakups, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery for a touchdown, earning First-Team All-Sun Belt honors.

TE Jaleel Skinner

Louisville entered fall camp with three quality options at tight end, and Skinner is the one who was able to separate himself the most from the pack. He was the one who made the most plays in fall camp, whether they be routine or spectacular, and has taken a massive step forward with his consistency.

"I think Jaleel has some unique ability in terms of the athlete that he is," quarterback Miller Moss said of Skinner. "He's 6-6, can stretch field, can really run, and his handle on the playbook has really come a long way. I'm proud of him."

A former top-150 prospect, he showed early promise as a true freshman at Miami, catching nine passes for 129 yards and a touchdown. However, he's been quiet since then, logging only a nine-yard catch in year two with the Canes, then just a four-yard catch last season with the Cardinals.

RB Duke Watson

We already know that Isaac Brown is the best player on Louisville's team, and as such, he didn't see a ton of reps in fall camp. But even if he did, it would have been hard for him to have a better showing in camp than Duke Watson, who made tremendous progress in terms of speed and explosiveness.

"I knew the plays, but I was really just getting the ball and running on instinct," Watson said of his freshman season. "Now, I can let the blocks set up, I know what's going on, I know what the defense is doing, I look at rotations. I definitely learned way more than I learned last year. It should add to my game."

Despite being the No. 2 option behind Brown, and not logging double-digit carries until the 10th game of the 2024 season, Watson still had a great true freshman year. The 6-foot-0, 180-pound running back rushed for 597 yards and seven touchdowns, and caught five passes for 60 yards and a score. His 8.91 yards per carry ranked No. 1 in the FBS among players who played in 75 percent of a team's games and averaged 4.0 carries per game.

LB/S Antonio Watts

Watts had been spring ball and fall camp standout during his first three years on campus, and was finally able to parlay that into a career year in 2024. Once again, he's continued to build on that progress with a stellar outing in fall camp - especially in pass coverage.

"He's got a lot of reps and a lot of experience, ... I think he's a big man who can run, I think he's smart, and I think he works hard and plays hard. So I'm happy for him," defensive coordinator Ron English said of Watts.

Watts broke out in 2023, then during the 2024 season - his first as a starter at STAR - he put together a very underrated season. He tallied 51 tackles, seven for loss, a forced fumble and four pass breakups - including one that clinched the Sun Bowl.