An Updated Look at Louisville Football's 2023 Roster

There have been several moving pieces since spring ball ended, so let's take another look at the roster for the Cardinals next season.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Spring ball for the Louisville football program is well in the rear view mirror, but there have been a handful of moving pieces since practice ended back in April.

The Cardinals have seen eight players transfer out since the end of spring ball, but have also welcomed 13 via the portal since mid-April. As of June 4, Louisville is sitting at an 82-man scholarship roster for the 2022 season.

There's still plenty of time to fill those final three spots, but for now, let's take a look below at the current scholarship players suiting up for the Cardinals in 2023:

Quarterback

  • Evan Conley (6-2, 210, Sr.)
  • Brock Domann (6-2, 225, Sr.)
  • Jack Plummer (6-5, 215, Sr.)
  • Brady Allen (6-5, 215, R-Fr.)
  • Pierce Clarkson (6-1, 190, Fr.)

Quick Hit: Longtime starter Malik Cunningham might be gone, but the quarterback room for the Cardinals is in good shape. Plummer is an above average Power Five starter who has familiarity with Brohm, Domann is a quality backup, and bringing in Clarkson and Allen boasts the overall depth of the room.

Running Back

  • Isaac Guerendo (6-1, 225, Gr.)
  • Jawhar Jordan (5-10, 180, R-Jr.)
  • Maurice Turner (5-10, 185, So.)
  • Keyjuan Brown (5-9, 205, Fr.)

Quick Hit: This past season, we saw before out very eyes the importance of a deep running back room. Jordan and Guerendo will be a great one-two punch at the position next season, especially given how the former performed down the stretch of 2022, while Turner and Brown give the Cardinals quality depth.

Wide Receiver

  • Jimmy Calloway (6-0, 190, Sr.)
  • Jamari Thrash (6-0, 180, R-Jr.)
  • Jadon Thompson (6-2, 185, Sr.)
  • Ahmari Huggins-Bruce (5-11, 170, Jr.)
  • Chris Bell (6-2, 225, So.)
  • Kevin Coleman Jr. (5-11, 180, So.)
  • William Fowles (6-3, 205, Fr.)
  • Cataurus Hicks (5-10, 170, Fr.)
  • Jahlil McClain (5-10, 180, Fr.)

Quick Hit: The wide receiver room has been flipped completely on its head, but there is a lot of potential here in year one. Thrash is a proven commodity, Huggins-Bruce has had flashes in his first two years, and Coleman showed out in the spring. Thompson and Calloway will likely round out the main crop of receivers.

Tight End

  • Joey Gatewood (6-5, 220, 6th)
  • Duane Martin (6-2, 260, Jr.)
  • Nate Kurisky (6-3, 230, So.)
  • Jamari Johnson (6-5, 260, Fr.)

Quick Hit: The tight end position will look wholly different in 2023, and not just because of a shift in offensive approach. Several contributors at the position have moved on, and the room as a whole has limited pass-catching experience. As of right now, their day one starter is likely going to be walk-on Josh Lifson.

Offensive Line

  • Eric Miller (6-7, 305, 6th)
  • John Paul Flores (6-4, 305, R-Sr.)
  • Bryan Hudson (6-4, 305, R-Sr.)
  • Vincent Lumia (6-3, 290, R-Sr.)
  • Willie Tyler (6-6, 320, R-Sr.)
  • Joshua Black (6-2, 280, R-Jr.)
  • Renato Brown (6-4, 315, R-Jr.)
  • Michael Gonzalez (6-4, 305, Jr.)
  • Austin Collins (6-3, 290, R-So.)
  • Lance Robinson (6-4, 290, R-So.)
  • Trevonte Sylvester (6-5, 285, R-So.)
  • Makhete Gueye (6-7, 300, R-Fr.)
  • Izaiah Reed (6-5, 295, R-Fr.)
  • Sam Secrest (6-6, 305, R-Fr.)
  • Luke Burgess (6-8, 300, Fr.)
  • Joe Crocker (6-6, 310, Fr.)
  • Madden Sanker (6-4, 310, Fr.)

Quick Hit: The offensive line will also look a lot different in 2023, but should still be an elite unit. Four impact players are moving on, but Louisville does retain a pair of starters in Hudson and Brown, as well as a key reserve in Gonzalez. Louisville also added several quality starter and depth pieces via the portal, especially after the spring.

Interior Defensive Line

  • Jeffery Clark (6-0, 276 R-Sr.)
  • Jermayne Lole (6-3, 320, R-Sr.)
  • Ramon Puryear (6-3, 260, R-Jr.)
  • Dezmond Tell (6-1, 290, Jr.)
  • Jared Dawson (6-2, 305, R-So.), 
  • Selah Brown (6-2, 285, So.)
  • Rodney McGraw (6-6, 260, So.)
  • Tawfiq Thomas (6-4, 310, So.)
  • Saadiq Clements (6-5, 260, Fr.)
  • William "Woo" Spencer (6-5, 315, Fr.)

Quick Hit: There are plenty of questions here, but a fair amount of potential as well. Tell performed well at nose last season and Clark is quality addition, but Lole has suffered season-ending injuries in two straight years and McGraw saw limited action at Penn State. Dawson and Thomas will have to take some steps forward, and Brown and Puryear are shifting to the inside of the line.

Defensive End

  • Stephen Herron (6-4, 240, R-Sr.)
  • Ashton Gillotte (6-3, 270, Jr.)
  • Mason Reiger (6-4, 250, Jr.)
  • Victoine Brown (6-4, 250, R-So.)
  • Ryheem Craig (6-3, 235, R-So.)
  • R.J. Sorenson (6-4, 260, R-So.)
  • Kameron Wilson (6-2, 220, R-So.)
  • Popeye Williams (6-3, 245, So.)
  • Micah Carter (6-5, 260, Fr.)
  • Adonijah Green (6-6, 225, Fr.)

Quick Hit: Louisville might be losing Diaby, but there is still two-deep talent on the edges. Gillotte is only getting better and had a monster spring, Herron was a standout at Stanford, Williams has a plethora of upside, plus Reiger was a key reserve.

Linebacker

  • Gilbert Frierson (6-1, 215, R-Sr.)
  • Keith Brown (6-1, 235Jr.)
  • Jaylin Alderman (6-1, 230, Jr.)
  • Benjamin Perry (6-3, 205, R-So.)
  • Jackson Hamilton (6-0, 220, R-So.)
  • T.J. Quinn (6-0, 230, R-So.)
  • Antonio Watts (6-2, 225, So.) 
  • Stanquan Clark (6-2, 225, Fr.)

Quick Hit: Linebacker might be the biggest question mark on the whole roster, especially at the inside backer position where there is very limited returning production. That being said, the STAR position in the new 4-2-5 scheme - manned by guys like Perry and Frierson - should be a bright spot in the middle area of the field.

Cornerback

  • Storm Duck (6-1, 200, R-Sr.)
  • Quincy Riley (6-0, 185, R-Jr.)
  • Trey Frankin (5-10, 180, R-Jr.)
  • Jarvis Brownlee, Jr. (6-0, 190, Jr.)
  • Derrick Edwards III (5-11, 180, R-So.)
  • Marquis Groves-Killebrew (6-0, 180, R-Fr.)
  • Marcus Washington Jr. (6-1, 185, R-Fr.)
  • Aaron Williams (6-2, 185, Fr.)

Quick Hit: There is both talent and potential here. Brownlee has taken massive strides in spring ball, Riley was an underrated component of the secondary last season, Duck is already an All-ACC defender, plus Groves-Killebrew, Washington and Williams all have the upside to be able to contribute immediately.

Safety

  • Cam'Ron Kelly (6-2, 210, Gr.)
  • Devin Neal (6-0, 205, Jr.)
  • M.J. Griffin (6-1, 210, R-Jr.)
  • Josh Minkins (6-2, 195, Jr.)
  • Shavarick Williams (6-0, 190, Jr.)
  • D'Angelo Hutchinson (6-3, 195, So.)

Quick Hit: Safety for Louisville has a very impressive two-deep on the roster. Not only are they bringing back their starters in Griffin and Minkins, but Kelly and Neal both have the experience and reps that will allow the Cardinals to continuously rotate on the back end and keep bodies fresh.

Special Teams

  • Placekicker Brock Travelstead (6-1, 205, Jr.)

Quick Hit: Kicking will be very different for the Cardinals in 2023, as both their starting kicker and punter entered the portal. Travelstead still gives Louisville a quality option for field goal kicking and kickoffs, but they'll likely have to go to a walk-on for punting.

(Photo of Jeff Brohm: Jared Anderson - Louisville Report)

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Matthew McGavic
MATTHEW MCGAVIC

McGavic is a 2016 Sport Administration graduate of the University of Louisville, and a native of the Derby City. He has been covering the Cardinals in various capacities since 2017, with a brief stop in Atlanta, Ga. on the Georgia Tech beat. He is also a co-host of the 'From The Pink Seats' podcast on the State of Louisville network. Video gamer, bourbon drinker and dog lover. Find him on Twitter at @Matt_McGavic