—The Louisville men’s soccer team kicked off its 2025 season with a 6-0 thumping of Southern Indiana Thursday night.
—The women’s team (2-1-0) also rolled on Thursday, blasting Detroit Mercy, 8-0.
—Louisville appears in two of the brackets in Sports Illustrated’s Bracket Bonanza feature.
—ESPN ranks the 100 best players in college football heading into the 2025 season, and has Isaac Brown at No. 45.
45. Isaac Brown
RB, Louisville, sophomore 2024 stats: 1,173 yards, 11 TD, 7.1 yards per carry 2024 postseason
ranking: NR
Brown emerged as one of the best backs in the country last season as a true freshman, winning ACC Rookie of the Year honors as a result. Not only did he set the school true freshman rushing record, but he also became the first true freshman to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. Only one other running back last season averaged more yards per carry than Brown’s 7.1. — Andrea Adelson
Five running backs are ranked ahead of Brown, which I could not disagree more with.
—The fourth-ranked Louisville volleyball team will play its alumni match Saturday afternoon at 2.
—The latest episode of the CC Podcast is here.
—Class of 2026 PG Tay Kinney has Louisville on his list of eight finalists. The Cards are considered by many to be the front-runner for Kinney’s services.
—We always talked about a water burial.
—A Sea of Blue previews the 2025 Louisville football team.
—The U of L men’s cross country team is picked to finish 12th in the ACC preseason media poll. The women’s team is picked to finish 11th.
—The Kentucky State Fair judges did not award a first-place ribbon in this year’s brownie competition because they said none of the 49 submissions were good enough to wear blue. That seems dumb.
—Will Wiggington of The Louisville Post has five bold predictions for the upcoming Cardinal football season.
4. Louisville will lead the ACC in total rushing yards
This is the bold prediction that I’m most confident will happen. Last season, Louisville technically finished 4th in the ACC in overall rushing yards because of Clemson playing an extra game, but, realistically, UofL finished 3rd. The Cards averaged 185.2 rushing yards per game, right behind Miami and Georgia Tech, sitting at 188.9 and 187, respectively.
For the first third-to-half of the 2024 season, Louisville was relying on running backs like Donald Chaney and Maurice Turner (before his injury) instead of Isaac Brown and Duke Watson. Once they came into the fold as the team’s bell cow running backs, the offense churned yards on the ground and became much more efficient as an entire unit. Below are the rushing-only stats for the main running backs last season for Louisville
Don Chaney: 50 carries, 178 yards, 3.3 YPC, 3 touchdowns
Maurice Turner: 27 carries, 136 yards, 5 YPC, 2 touchdowns
Keyjuan Brown: 47 carries, 243 yards, 5.2 YPC, 3 touchdowns
Isaac Brown: 165 carries, 1,173 yards, 7.1 YPC, 11 touchdowns
Duke Watson: 67 carries, 598 yards, 8.9 YPC, 7 touchdowns
Average stats for first three running backs: 41.3 carries, 185.6 yards, 4.5 YPC, 2.6 touchdowns
Average stats for Isaac Brown and Duke Watson: 116 carries, 885.5 yards, 8 YPC, 9 touchdowns
While this isn’t an exact science, the output for the running backs last season that were true Freshman compared to a mostly veteran group is astronomically different. If you recall from last year, Don Chaney was just unfortunately not a very good running back, Mo Turner had some pop but couldn’t stay on the field, and Keyjuan Brown was best suited to be a blocking or short yardage back rather than a workhorse.
The point is, once Louisville implemented Isaac Brown and Duke Watson as the running back tandem in its offense, the efficiency and capability of the entire unit reached a higher floor and ceiling. Now, with both running backs in the program for another season, gaining knowledge, muscle, and maturity, they’re poised to be one of, if not the best, running back duo in the country.
All of this is not to discount Keyjuan Brown, who has shown some promise in his first two seasons, and has had a great offseason, but he simply doesn’t have anywhere near the talent as the two rising sophomores. Keyjuan will be critical in certain moments this season, and I credit the coaching staff for retaining him, but he doesn’t have the ability to carry Louisville (no pun intended) to a College Football Playoff appearance like Isaac Brown and/or Duke Watson.
—It sounds like Spencer Rattler has a slight edge over Tyler Shough in the battle to be the starting quarterback in New Orleans.
—Louisville has extended a scholarship offer to Trinity football standout Sebastian Blue (2027).
—Kobe Rodgers is up next in Brooks Holton player-by-player preview series for the upcoming Louisville basketball season.
—Not sure what all the fuss is about.
—The SEC is officially moving to a 9-game conference schedule in 2026, and the ACC (despite having 17 teams) is expected to follow suit. Will the Governor’s Cup survive the change?
—The CJ has the details on the new contracts for Brian Kloman and Peyton Siva.
—The Louisville defense doesn’t have the big names it did a year ago, but that might work out in the Cards’ favor.
—ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg has a pair of Louisville defensive linemen on his list of potential breakout stars for this season.
Jordan Guerad and Rene Konga, DTs, Louisville Cardinals
Class: Seniors
Height/weight: Guerad 6-foot-2, 295 pounds; Konga 6-foot-4, 300 pounds
2024 stats: Guerad 10 games, 22 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery; Konga 11 games (6 starts), 20 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks
ESPN recruiting snapshot: Guerad three stars, No. 128 defensive tackle, No. 294 in Florida (signed with Florida International); Konga three stars (signed with Rutgers)
Louisville’s defense will be under the microscope this fall after an up-and-down 2024 season, and the front will be replacing NFL draft pick Ashton Gillotte and several others. The Cardinals picked up some experience in the portal but will lean on returnees Guerad and Konga to solidify the interior. Guerad delivered some of his best performances in big games against Miami, Clemson and Washington in the Sun Bowl, where he was named Lineman of the Game. Konga will enter his sixth college season after spending four at Rutgers.
Coach’s take: “They’ve been in our system now, they understand it, if they stay healthy, they can do a really good job and make some plays for us in there and be a solid component,” Cardinals coach Jeff Brohm told ESPN. “They have similarities. Jordan has some initial quickness and has strength and power. Rene is bigger, but he actually can run pretty well.”
—In a move that is DEFINITELY not a direct reaction to the SEC not having a team in the CFP title game in either of the last two years, the College Football Playoff selection committee will begin using enhanced metrics to help evaluate schedule strength and how teams perform against their slate.
The only current metric that attempts to utilize schedule strength? It’s the one created by ESPN, which owns the TV rights to the CFP and is a partner of the SEC. Sure.
—Louisville freshman Freshman Nikita Sheremet clocked a 21.75 to advance to Saturday’s 50m free semis at the World Junior Championships, tying the fastest time ever for a junior swimmer.
—Cole will join the radio show this afternoon at 4.
—USA Today ranks the 25 best uniforms in college football.
—For Isaac Brown, the game is slowing down. His run to stardom isn’t.
—Athlon ranks the ACC as the third-best conference in college football for 2025.
—The Athletic looks back at Lee Corso’s legendary run on College GameDay, which is about to come to an end.
—Mikel Brown Jr. says the only thing on his mind right now is winning a national championship.
—Jaleel Skinner is ready to step up at tight end this season.
—One member of The Athletic’s college football panel has Louisville making the CFP.
—Athlon ranks all 136 projected starting quarterbacks in the FBS and has Miller Moss at No. 35.
35. Miller Moss, Louisville
Louisville coach Jeff Brohm is two-for-two at developing successful transfer quarterbacks after solid seasons by Jack Plummer (2023) and Tyler Shough (‘24). Can Moss make it three in a row? The USC transfer isn’t lacking for talent as a former four-star prospect but had an up-and-down stint under center in Los Angeles last year. In nine games, Moss threw for 2,555 yards and 18 touchdowns to nine picks before losing his starting job to Jayden Maiava. With one of the deepest backfields in the nation, along with a standout receiving corps at his disposal, Moss should be an effective distributor in Brohm’s attack. Expect the staff to get the most out of his talent.
—The CJ projects the Louisville football depth chart heading into week one.
—First place Lou City has not lost a regular season home match in over a year and will look to continue that streak Saturday night at 8 against New Mexico United. CC readers can get discounted tickets here.
—On3 reports that Duke is playing QB Darian Mensah $4 million for this season.
—I had to watch until I heard him say it.
—It’s the first Friday of the 2025 Kentucky High School football season, and the CJ staff is previewing the evening’s biggest matchups here. We’ll have Kent Taylor on the radio show at 3 to discuss.
—Ryan Wallace says he’s satisfied with the offseason progress of Louisville’s tight end room.
—Better know a Cardinal: Dylan Desbiens.
—Miami has designated its Oct. 17 game against Louisville as its “Pink Game.”
—And finally, happy last weekend of 2025 before the U of L athletics season gets rolling. Get that last second quality time in with the people you love a lot, but not as much as you love the Cards.
