Projecting Louisville's Two-Deep Depth Chart Following Fall Camp

With fall camp now in the books, we take a guess as to what the Cardinals' two-deep depth chart will look like for their season opener.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville football's three-week long fall camp is now officially in the books, and their season-opener in Atlanta, Ga. against Georgia tech is just under two weeks away.

With the Cardinals now shifting into game-planning mode for the Yellow Jackets, Louisville Report decided to take another shot at projecting Louisville's two-deep depth chart for the 2023 football season.

Quarterback

1. Jack Plummer (6-5, 215, Sr.)
2. Brock Domann (6-2, 225, Sr.)

Quick Hit: Just like in spring ball, fall camp confirmed what we already knew heading into the season: Plummer will be the starting quarterback. There were some overzealous moments during the scrimmages, per Brohm, but he was still better than every one else. The real question is: who will be back up? Brock Domann is the incumbent backup and looked solid in fall camp, but Pierce Clarkson, Brady Allen, and even Harrison Bailey all had standout moments in camp.

Running Back

1. Jawhar Jordan (5-10, 185, R-Jr.)
2. Maurice Turner (5-10, 190, So.)

Quick Hit: Considering Jordan was Louisville's leader in rushing yards last season, it's a no brainer that he is the clear-cut starter in 2023. Plus, he looked as fast and as agile as ever in the fall. Behind him, while Isaac Guerendo will undoubtedly have a role because of his size and specific skill set, Turner was arguably better this entire offseason, as he has multiple impressive practices in the spring and fall.

Wide Receiver

1. Jamari Thrash (6-1, 180, R-Jr.)
2. Jimmy Calloway (6-0, 190, R-So.)

1. Ahmari Huggins-Bruce (5-10, 170, Jr.)
2. Kevin Coleman Jr. (5-11, 180, So.)

1. Chris Bell (6-2, 225, So.)
2. Jadon Thompson (6-2, 185, Jr.)

Quick Hit: With the help of a boosted offensive line to give the QBs more time, we got to see what the retooled wide receiver corps can do. Unsurprisingly, Thrash is WR1 and will be one of the top pass catchers in college football. But guys like Huggins-Bruce, Coleman and Bell all showed what they can do in this new pass heavy offense.

Tight End

1. Josh Lifson (6-3, 235, Gr.)
2. Jamari Johnson (6-5, 265, Fr.)

Quick Hit: Tight end is arguably the most thin position on the entire roster due to the lack of prior experience, but the fall showed that it might not be in as dire of a spot as thought. Lifson seems to have made a good transition to the new system, but watch out for Johnson to potentially take over the position later in the season. Also keep an eye out for Nate Kurisky and Joey Gatewood to get involved.

Left Tackle

1. Eric Miller (6-7, 305, R-Sr.)
2. Willie Tyler III (6-6, 320, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: Offensive tackle was a huge target in the spring portal window for Louisville, and the newcomers here have performed well in camp. Miller and his prior knowledge of the system during his time at Purdue bodes well for Louisville, as does the fact that he has also taken some snaps at right tackle too. Tyler, a former starter at Rutgers, also looked impactful and dominating in fall camp.

Left Guard

1. John Paul Flores (6-4, 305, R-Sr.)
2. Madden Sanker (6-5, 310, Fr.)

Quick Hit: Flores looked good in the spring after coming over from Virginia not long after the 2022 season ended, and that head start carried over into the fall as well. Louisville isn't as deep at guard as they are at tackle, so while we should expect some cross-training here, Sanker could carve out a year one role due in part to the fact that he is the highest-ranked OL to ever sign with the Cardinals.

Center

1. Bryan Hudson (6-5, 305, R-Sr.)
2. Austin Collins (6-3, 290, R-So.)

Quick Hit: Even with all the quality around him, both new and returning, Hudson is still without a doubt the best lineman on the roster. Considering that he is also the "traffic cop" for the line as the center, that should help the OL bounce back from a slightly disappointing 2022. There's not a ton of options behind him though, although Collins has come through in the past for the Cards.

Right Guard

1. Michael Gonzalez (6-4, 305, Jr.)
2. Joshua Black (6-2, 280-R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: Hudson might be the best lineman, but Gonzalez is the line's X-Factor. With so many new additions on the outside, a lot of Gonzalez's reps came here at right tackle. Regardless of where he lined up, the returning starter excelled in fall camp. On top of that, Black seems to have taken a step forward, and had some days in camp where he saw first team action.

Right Tackle

1. Renato Brown (6-4, 315, R-Jr.)
2. Lance Robinson (6-4, 295, R-So.)

Quick Hit: The spot on the line was already in good shape with Brown coming back, who is one of the three returning starters from last year with Hudson and Gonzalez. Plus, he has gotten some work on the inside at guard, so that could be something to watch. If he does bounce inside for a play, Lance Robinson has looked very good since transferring from Houston.

Defensive End

1. Ashton Gillotte (6-3, 270, Jr.)
2. Victoine Brown (6-4, 250, R-So.)

Quick Hit: if anything, fall camp only reinforced the notion that Gillotte is going to be a force to be reckoned with this fall. Like in the spring, there were times where he was completely unblockable no matter who was in front of him. There are some good options behind him, such as Mason Reiger, but Brown seems to be ahead of him right now after Reiger had to miss the spring with an injury

Nose Tackle

1. Dezmond Tell (6-1, 290, Jr.)
2. Tawfiq Thomas (6-4, 300, So.)

Quick Hit: Tell was an unsung hero of the defensive line last season, and now that he is in a scheme that highlights the talents of the defensive line, his efforts and potential were made known in fall. Thomas is also someone expected to be in the mix here after a good showing in camp, as is Selah Brown

Defensive Tackle

1. Ramon Puryear (6-3, 270, R-Jr.)
2. Jared Dawson (6-2, 305, R-So.)

Quick Hit: After transitioning from purely an edge rusher to an interior lineman, Puryear has exploded since the offseason began, and has been the regular first team option in practice. Dawson is someone whose impact should be highlighted in this scheme, but if healthy, watch out for Jermayne Lole and his potential here for the line.

Leo (DE/LB)

1. Stephen Herron (6-3, 240, R-Sr.)
2. Kameron Wilson (6-2, 230, R-So.)

Quick Hit: Herron did miss some time in fall camp with an injury, but when he was on the field, he proved to be a valuable commodity and didn't have a slow start like he did in the spring. While Popeye Williams and his super high ceiling will absolutely be a fixture of the rotation at this spot, the coaching staff is also very high on Wilson and the strides he has made in camp. 

Middle Linebacker

1. Keith Brown (6-2, 235, Jr.)
2. Jaylin Alderman (6-1, 230, Jr.)

Quick Hit: Inside linebacker is another spot that could be of concern in 2023 due to depth, but Brown could be one to watch. Coming over from Oregon after the spring, he did have a bit of a slow start to camp, but coaches raved about him as the fall progressed. After having a very silent 2022 campaign, Alderman could become dependable rotational piece here following some good moments in the spring and fall.

Weakside Linebacker

1. T.J. Quinn (6-1, 230, R-So.)
2. Jackson Hamilton (6-1, 220, R-So.)

Quick Hit: With all the linebacker defections Louisville experienced, someone was going to have to take a big step forward. That someone was Quinn, as he made numerous plays throughout the offseason, and could be in line for a breakout 2023. True freshman Stanquan Clark will likely get in the mix here too due to his super high ceiling, but the primary backup is probably going to Hamilton, as he made good progress in camp.

STAR

1. Benjamin Perry (6-3, 205, R-So.)
2. Gilbert Frierson (6-1, 220, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: For a multitude of reasons, Perry is probably going to be the most important player on the defense. He is tailor made for this linebacker/safety position, looked phenomenal in coverage and playing close to the line, and might even be called to play true safety at times with M.J. Griffin's injury. If that is the case, Frierson and Antonio Watts have both shown that they can be playmakers at this position.

Cornerback

1. Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (6-0, 190, Jr.)
2. Storm Duck (6-1, 200, R-Sr.)

1. Quincy Riley (6-0, 185, R-Jr.)
2. Trey Franklin (5-10, 185, R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: The efforts in fall camp made it easier to assign a two-deep here. Like in the spring, not only did Brownlee continue to play like he did in the spring, but Riley seems to have taken a large step forward as well. That's not to say that Duck looked bad, as he had his standout moments in camp as well. After those three, it's likely going to be Franklin and Derrick Edwards III rotating at corner, and these two should see some regular run as well after good fall showcases.

Free Safety

1. Devin Neal (6-0, 210, Jr.)
2. Cam'Ron Kelly (6-2, 210, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: Make no mistake: losing M.J. Griffin for likely the whole season is a massive blow for several reasons. That being said, Neal is also an experienced asset, and the Baylor transfer did look good towards the end of camp. However, it wouldn't be surprising to see Kelly start either, considering he himself was an All-ACC player at UNC.

Strong Safety

1. Josh Minkins (6-2, 200, Jr.)
2. Cam'Ron Kelly (6-2, 210, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: With Griffin out, Minkins' job holding down the back end becomes even more important. Fortunately, he did look good in the fall after having an injury of his own the spring. But because of depth issues, Louisville will likely have to utilize a three-man safety rotation, an that's not including the potential of having guys at STAR play here too.

(Photo of Louie: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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