Louisville Cardinals Position Groups Ranked Among ACC and National Leaders

The Louisville Cardinals football program is looking strong heading into year four under head coach Jeff Brohm. With the retention of impact players like Isaac Brown and Clev Lubin, and the addition of transfers like Tre Richardson and Koen Entringer, the team has a great amount of talent from a position-by-position basis. However, some position groups are certainly better than others. According to Phil Steele's College Football Preview magazine, the Cardinals' running backs are ranked as the best in the ACC and third-best nationally, behind only Missouri and Texas. Steele praises the duo of Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown, who were electric last season despite missing several games due to injury. The Cardinals' receivers and tight ends are ranked sixth in the ACC and 28th nationally, while their offensive line is ranked seventh in the conference and 35th nationally. The quarterback room, however, ranks 11th in the league and 60th nationally, due in part to the fact that Lincoln Kienholz has never been a starter. Despite this, Steele believes the offense has the potential to make some noise this season, citing the return of the top running backs and the addition of a quarterback who is a run threat. On the defensive side of the ball, Steele is high on the Cardinals' secondary, ranking them third in the ACC and 21st nationally. The unit returns cornerback Tayon Holloway and adds seven transfers, including Koen Entringer. The defensive line, linebacking corps, and secondary are all ranked as top-five units in the ACC and top-25 units nationally. The linebacker room is ranked fourth in the conference and 21st nationally, while the defensive line is ranked fifth and 22nd nationally. Overall, Steele's rankings suggest that the Louisville Cardinals have a strong foundation for success this season.