Three Louisville Players to Watch During Saturday's Week Six Matchup vs Virginia

Who are the top three Louisville players to watch during Saturday's upcoming game?

Sep 20, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott (L) shakes hands with Cavaliers offensive lineman Drake Metcalf (60) after a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal during the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

After stunning the nation with their upset win over Florida State last week, expectations are high for UVA heading into their next matchup on Saturday when they head to Louisville to face the Cardinals. Louisville is currently 4-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play — will the Cavaliers be able to throw them off their game?

The Cardinals possess some exceptional talent, and while defeating the Seminoles was a groundbreaking feat for UVA, Louisville is now chasing its biggest win of the season thus far, and they will stop at nothing to come out on top. Here are the top three Louisville players that Virginia will be facing this week:

1. WR Caullin Lacy

Sep 27, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Louisville Cardinals wide receiver Caullin Lacy (5) runs the ball on a kick-off return against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Senior wide receiver Caullin Lacy is hands down one of the Cardinals' greatest offensive assets. Known for making big plays, Lacy is certainly a player that Virginia must keep a close eye on once Saturday approaches. During his latest matchup against Pittsburgh, in which Louisville claimed a 34-27 victory, Lacy had eight receptions for 95 receiving yards. Head coach Jeff Brohm continues to look to his senior squad, including Lacy, to provide power and versatility on the field.

During Tuesday's press conference, UVA head coach Tony Elliott weighed in on what his program needs to do in order to take on Lacy an his teammates:

"... So, great opportunity. Great challenge for our returner, Cam [Ross], kind of going head to head. I think one and two in the conference are battling, but he got to do a great job fundamentally. We got to play with great effort. We got to get great kicks. Our kickers got to kick the ball. Our punters got to punt it right where we want it based off the coverage, and everybody's got to be on top of their game when we get to punting situations on Saturday. Ideally, you would say, like offense, let's not punt, but that's very hard to do."

2. WR Chris Bell

Sep 27, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Louisville Cardinals wide receiver Chris Bell (0) celebrates his touchdown against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

One of the most prominent Louisville players to make headlines this season is senior Chris Bell. On Monday, it was announced that the star wide receiver was named East-West Shrine Bowl Offensive Player of the Week — let that speak for itself. During his latest matchup, he received 10 passes for 135 yards and posted one touchdown.

Each year seems to have gotten progressively better for Bell. He's become more consistent, he's built up more power, and it's evident that his confidence on the field has grown. Bell is currently playing in his prime, and between his immense size and explosive nature, he will be a tough competitor for Virginia to go up against.

3. RB Isaac Brown

Sep 27, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Louisville Cardinals running back Isaac Brown (1) runs the ball against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Although Isaac Brown is listed as a "game time decision" for this weekend's matchup, he has the potential to be a powerful force on the field. During his last game, Brown was not at full strength and is still recovering from his injury, but he still managed to pull off some numbers last week. He posted 14 rushes for 20 yards and caught four passes for 16 yards.

Brown is questionable right now, but it's only a matter of time before he bounces back. He's only a sophomore, so he has plenty of time to get himself back to the form the Cardinals have seen before.