Jeff Brohm Calls Louisville's Tight End Transfer Additions 'Vital to Our Success'
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - While the Louisville football program's first year under head coach Jeff Brohm was more so known for their defense and running game, historically, Brohm has more so been known for his prowess on the offensive side of the ball, and specifically the passing game. A crucial component of these high-flying offenses was strong play out of the tight end spot.
While at both Western Kentucky and Purdue, the tight end was a prominent fixture of Brohm's passing attack, and he had three tight ends drafted to the NFL before returning to his alma mater. Tyler Higbee was drafted in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Brycen Hopkins went in the same round in the 2022 NFL Draft, then Payne Durham was taken in the fifth round of last year's draft. Over their combined college careers, the trio amassed 324 receptions for 4,274 yards and 51 touchdowns.
However, in Brohm's first year with the Cardinals, the tight end spot was the unquestioned weak spot on the offensive side of the ball, if not the team as a whole. For the season, Louisville's entire tight end room combined to haul in just 35 catches for 377 yards and five touchdowns. Combined with inconsistent quarterback and receiver play all season, and Louisville finished with the No. 56 passing offense in college football last season art 236.6 passing yards per game.
Given how important the position has been to his offenses in the past, Brohm and his staff have worked hard to address it in the offseason via the transfer portal, and believes that they have vastly improved the tight end room.
"I think that position is vital to our success," Brohm said earlier this month. "When you look into a lot of great football teams, a lot of great NFL teams, they got great tight ends. You got to have somebody that can control inside the hashes, can stretch the field vertically if you have to, make physical catches in between linebackers and safeties, and we want that. So we've worked hard to, at least on paper, improve that position."
In the winter transfer portal window, Louisville added three tight ends to their 2024 roster: San Diego State's Mark Redman, Kentucky's Izayah Cummings and Miami's Jaleel Skinner. Cummings and Skinner have both already made it to campus as midyear enrollees, while Redman is finishing the semester with the Aztecs and will join in the summer.
All three players have the potential to be major contributors next season, but Redman is the odds-on favorite to be named TE1 when Louisville kicks off the season against Austin Peay on Saturday, Aug. 31. The 6-foot-6, 255-pound is coming off of the best season of his career, catching 37 passes for 394 yards and three touchdowns to lead SDSU in all three categories, and be named Second-Team All-Mountain West.
Don't count out Skinner, either, especially because of his talent ceiling. The former top-150 prospect had a promising true freshman campaign in 2022, catching nine receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown in nine games. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound tight end saw minimal playing this past season, playing just 25 offensive snaps across two games, logging only a nine-yard catch against Bethune-Cookman.
Cummings might not be as experienced as the latter two, but as a local product, he could be saving his best for last. The 6-foot-3, 232-pound tight end and Louisville (Ky.) Male alum caught just four passes for 98 yards last season, but all of his production came in the final two games of the season, which included a 55-yard reception in the Governor's Cup against Louisville.
The position battle won't consist of just these three. Nate Kurisky ended his 2023 campaign strong and finished with 18 receptions for 141 yards and two scores, Duane Martin was the best blocker on at the position, and Jamari Johnson's raw talent gives him a high upside. Not to mention that four-star Class of 2024 prospect Dylan Mesman is joining the fold.
Put it all together, and Brohm thinks the competition at tight end - when coupled with the various upgrades Louisville has made at wide receiver - will help jump start the Cardinals' passing game in 2024.
"I just think, in general, we feel like we've once we get to the summer, we're going to have more weapons at that position," Brohm said. "It'll provide great competition, we can utilize those guys, and that can help us in our passing game. It can be little more efficient, a little more explosive, and help our receivers get a little bit more open, and I think we need that. Without question, that's a very important position in our offense."
(Photo of Mark Redman: Orlando Ramirez - USA TODAY Sports)
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