Louisville LB Ben Perry, OL Luke Kandra and CB Rance Conner Enter Transfer Portal

The trio entered the portal in the hours following the Cardinals' reported hiring of Jeff Brohm.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The transfer portal was certainly busy for Louisville football in the hours following the program's reported hiring of Jeff Brohm as their new head coach.

Linebacker Benjamin Perry, offensive lineman Luke Kandra and cornerback Rance Conner have each entered their names into the transfer portal, they all announced Tuesday. None of them will play in Louisville's upcoming bowl.

Louisville has now seen 10 players enter the transfer portal following the end of the regular season. The trio joins running backs Trevion Cooley and Jalen Mitchell; offensive lineman Max Cabana; defensive linemen Caleb Banks, Henry Bryant and Zach Edwards; and linebacker K.J. Cloyd.

Perry, a 6-foot-2, 212-pound outside linebacker, saw his role on Louisville's defense take a large step forward in 2022. Playing in all 12 games while starting 10, the redshirt freshman collected 42 total tackles (30 solo), one tackle for loss, three pass breakups and three quarterback hurries. The Country Club Hills, Ill. native saw action in just three games during his first season in 2021, tallying three tackles between 24 combined snaps on defense and special teams.

"With so much uncertainty I feel that it’s best for me and my family to explore my options," Perry posted to Twitter. "Had an amazing experience in Louisville and want to thank the University for giving me the opportunity to play."

Kandra, a 6-foot-4, 314-pound offensive guard, was a key part of Louisville's offensive line rotation this past season. While an ankle injury limited the sophomore to just eight games, that also came with a pair of starts against Pitt and Kentucky. The Cincinnati, Ohio native was the third-highest rated lineman on the roster according to Pro Football Focus, sporting a grade of 72.3, 

"Thank you to the #BoBs for being apart of my life and I will forever be a BoB," Kandra posted to Twitter. "I will forever be grateful for my time and everyone at Louisville."

Conner, a 5-foot-10, 186-pound corner, saw little time during his two seasons at Louisville. The redshirt freshman played 41 snaps in six games this season, tallying a tackle against UCF, and interception against Florida State and a fumble recovery against Boston College. The Miami, Fla. native played just two snaps during the 2021 regular season, but saw a significant role in the First Responder Bowl against Air Force, logging four tackles on 43 snaps.

"I will be entering into the transfer portal with 3 years of eligibility left, seeking different opportunities, education, lifelong relationships, and experiences," Conner posted to Twitter. "I feel it is best for a new start somewhere else thankful for the man above."

The Cardinals finished the regular season at 7-5, and 4-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Louisville, ironically, will face Cincinnati in the Fenway Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 11:00 a.m. EST.

(Photo of Benjamin Perry: Joe Robbins - Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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