Analyzing Louisville's Biggest Remaining 2025 Recruiting Needs (2024)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - As many know by now, the Louisville football program has been very active out on the recruiting trail in the 2025 cycle this month. They've landed six commitments over the last two weeks, and their 2025 class ranks as high as the No. 39 class in the nation.

But, Louisville isn't done yet. The class currently only has 12 public verbal commitments, which is roughly half of what a normal-sized recruiting class looks like. 32 scholarship players are entering their final year of eligibility, then when you take into account the early entrants into NFL Draft as well as players lost to the transfer portal, that number is sure to be much high.

Based on Jeff Brohm's first two recruiting cycles as the head coach, Louisville will likely address most of their departures via the portal and won't add many more high school prospects. That being said, what are some of their biggest remaining needs in the class?

Let's take a look at their 2025 high school recruiting class by position below, then analyze where the Cardinals need to go from here.

Incoming Prospects

QB: Mason Mims
RB: Jaylin Brown
WR: Jordan Allen, LeBron Hill
TE: Grant Houser
OL: Jake Cook, Gradey Anthony

Players Entering Final year

QB: Tyler Shough
RB: None
WR: Ja'Corey Brooks, Caullin Lacy, Jadon Thompson
TE: Izayah Cummings, Duane Martin, Mark Redman
OL: Renato Brown, Victor Cutler, Michael Gonzalez, Jonathan Mendoza, Monroe Mills, Rasheed Miller, Lance Robinson

Defense

Incoming Prospects

DT: None
DE: Dillon Smith
LB: Caleb Matelau
CB: Antonio Harris, Josh Johnson
S: Micah Rice

Players Entering Final Year

DT: Thor Griffith, Jordan Guerad, Rene Konga, Dezmond Tell
DE: Ashton Gillotte, Myles Jernigan, Richard Kinley II, Tramel Logan, Ramon Puryear, Mason Reiger
LB: Jurriente Davis, Dan Foster Jr.
CB: Quincy Riley, Tahveon Nicholson, Corey Thornton
S: M.J. Griffin, Tamarion McDonald, Devin Neal

First we'll start on the offensive side of the ball, and there's already a couple spots herewhere Louisville is good at for the rest of the cycle. While Tyler Shough has just one year left, the Cardinals are good at quarterback. Pierce Clarkson is waiting in the wings to take over in 2025 (or be a contingency plan in 2024), Brady Allen could serve as the backup option in '25, Deuce Adams will have a year under his belt and Mims has been trending upwards. Louisville has good depth at quarterback.

Louisville is also good for this class at running back. Unless someone declares early for the NFL Draft or enters the transfer portal next offseason, the Cardinals are in line to bring back their entire running back room, on top of bringing in Jaylin Brown. It's a deep room that doesn't need anymore bodies numbers-wise.

Over at wide receiver, while someone will have to step up in lieu of Ja'Corey Brooks and Caullin Lacy graduating, from a numbers perspective, Louisville is in good shape here. The Cards are still in the mix for prospects like Carl Jenkins Jr. and Montavin Quisenberry, but wideout - as of right now - is not a major need. Unless Chris Bell has a breakout campaign and declares for the draft.

Eventually, Louisville will likely need to add one more tight end to make up for attrition at the position. That being said, the future of the position seems bright. Jaleel Skinner, Jamari Johnson and Nate Kurisky will all still be on campus in 2025, plus Dylan Mesman has a high ceiling. Like with wide receiver, the Cards will need another body here, but it's not a top concern.

Now, what *is* a top concern for 2025 is offensive line. While Louisville does have a couple O-line commits in the fold and Jake Cook's stock has been skyrocketing, they are in line to graduate seven players here - four of whom are projected starters. Chastan Brown and Cameron Gorin remain top '25 targets for Louisville, but even if they land both, they Cards will still be dipping into the portal for linemen.

Over on defense, there's one very, very glaring need on the defensive line. Not only does Louisville have just one commitment in the cycle on the D-line, but 10 players from this area of the field are entering their final year of eligibility. Louisville is involved with several '25 lineman, such as C.J. May, Kyler Garcia, Tyrone Burrus and Kalen Edwards, but they'll need a lot more help even of they go 4-for-4 here. Defensive line is arguably the biggest remaining need for the Cardinals in the 2025 class, and will likely have to back fill a lot of departures via the portal.

At face value, linebacker doesn't seem like it'll been a big need for the 2025 class as of right now. But if either Benjamin Perry or T.J. Quinn wind up having good 2025 seasons and declare for the NFL Draft, it'll certainly become an area that Louisville needs to look at. But that's more so for later down the road and not necessarily a need they need to address right this second.

In the secondary, there's already some anticipated moving pieces. Louisville will be graduating three corners and three safeties, and have already landed commitments from two corners and a safety. There aren't any juniors that (as of right now) are expected to declare for the NFL early, but purely from a numbers standpoint, they'll need to keep adding more.

That being said, Louisville is in the mix with several '25 prospects in the secondary here. Jontae Gilbert and Ben Hanks Jr. are elite corners that the Cardinals are battling for, as are JaDon Blair and Antonio Branch at safety. Though it'll be tough to win these recruiting battles for the aformentioned prospects.

(Photo of Mason Mims via Pittsburgh Sports Now)