Report: Louisville DE Xavier Porter to Enter Transfer Portal

Porter is the fourth defensive lineman for the Cardinals to declare their intention to enter the transfer portal.

Louisville Cardinals defensive lineman Xavier Porter (58) high fives fans as he heads back into the locker room after their game against the Austin Peay Governors on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024 at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville, Ky. The Louisville Cardinals beat the Austin Peay Governors 62-0. | Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville football defensive end Xavier Porter plans to enter his name into the transfer portal, according to On3's Pete Nakos.

Porter is the fourth scholarship defensive lineman for the Cardinals to announce his intentions to enter the portal, following tackle Selah Brown plus edge rushers A.J. Green and Micah Carter. Though it appears that the latter has a chance to not enter following a "great meeting" with executive director of football personnel and recruiting Vince Marrow.

He's also the 10th Louisville player to announce his intentions to enter the portal following the Cardinals' win over Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl, and the 13th scholarship player overall.

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

Porter's decision to enter the portal does not come as a complete surprise given recent developments with the coaching staff. On Tuesday, it was reported that co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Mark Hagen would not be retained for next season.

The 6-foot-2, 280-pound lineman also had trouble getting any sort of playing time while at Louisville. In his two years with the program, his only appearance was four special teams snaps in the 2024 season opener against Austin Peay as a true freshman.

The native of Tampa, Fla. was a high three-star prospect coming out of high school, ranked as the No. 678 recruit in the Class of 2024, per the 247Sports Composite. Porter held offers from Auburn, Florida State, Michigan, Oklahoma, Penn State, Tennessee and others before committing to Louisville in the summer of 2023.

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

(Photo of Xavier Porter: Clare Grant - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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