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.

A football lies on the turf of L&N Stadium during Louisville's spring game. / Jared Anderson - Louisville Report

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

With the Cardinals now shifting into game-planning mode for the Governors, Louisville Report decided to take another shot at projecting Louisville's two-deep depth chart for the 2024 football season.

Quarterback

1. Tyler Shough (6-5, 230, Gr.)
2. Pierce Clarkson (6-1, 190, So.)

Quick Hit: Just like in spring ball, fall camp confirmed what we already knew heading into the season: Shough will be the starting quarterback. While there were some moments where he was *too* aggressive, he was head and shoulders better than every one else in fall camp. Right behind him, the battle for the backup spot got a little tighter, mainly because there still wasn't a super clear QB2. For now, Clarkson has a hold on that title.

Running Back

1. Maurice Turner (5-10, 190, Jr.)
2. Donald Chaney Jr. (5-10, 210, R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: It seems that Louisville is likely going to use a running back by committee approach in 2024. Turner is had come a long way as an all purpose back and took big step forward, while Chaney and his gritty play style provides a change-of-pace options. Don't count out Isaac Brown getting in the mix, too.

Wide Receiver

1. Ja'Corey Brooks (6-3, 195, R-Sr.)
2. Jadon Thompson (6-2, 190, Sr.)

1. Cataurus Hicks (5-10, 180, R-Fr.)
2. Jahlil McClain (5-11, 180, R-Fr.)

1. Chris Bell (6-2, 220, Jr.)
2. Jimmy Calloway (6-0, 190, R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: Losing Caullin Lacy for a large chunk of the upcoming season certainly hurts. That being said, Brooks and Bell continued to look the part all throughout fall camp. Someone will have to step up for Lacy, though. While Thompson is likely the next best receiver, Hicks probably gets the nod as the starting slot receiver - though both were consistent in the open practices.

Tight End

1. Mark Redman (6-6, 255, Gr.)
2. Jamari Johnson (6-5, 265, R-Fr.)

Quick Hit: We finally got our first glimpse of Redman after he spent the spring at his old school. While he was a bit slow to start the fall, he really started to pick things up towards the end. Additionally, Jamari Johnson continues to get better with each practice, and his potential is extremely high.

Left Tackle

1. Monroe Mills (6-7, 315, Gr.)
2. Trevonte Sylvester (6-6, 280, R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: Building on a great outing in spring ball, Mills put together a very good fall camp, and should be one of the better blindside blockers in the ACC this fall. Right behind him, Sylvester seems to have carved out a bigger role than he did last season, and should be more than just a trick play lineman.

Left Guard

1. Michael Gonzalez (6-4, 305, Sr.)
2. Madden Sanker (6-5, 310, R-Fr.)

Quick Hit: Louisville is in very good shape at left guard. Gonzalez has been one of the Cardinals' best linemen during his four years on campus, and is their highest-graded returner on the line per PFF. Additionally, Sanker - who is Louisville's highest-rated OL signee in program history - was regularly with the twos at guard and center in the spring.

Center

1. Pete Nygra (6-4, 300, R-Jr.)
2. Victor Cutler (6-3, 300, Gr.)

Quick Hit: Bryan Hudson heading off to the NFL is a massive loss, but fortunately, Nygra continues to get better both in his play and leadership, and should be quality center in ACC play. Also, while Cutler did look a lot better than he did in spring ball, but don't rule out either Sanker or Austin Collins to get some run here.

Right Guard

1. Renato Brown (6-4, 315, R-Sr.)
2. Austin Collins (6-3, 295, R-Jr)

Quick Hit: Whether it's Brown or Collins who gets the nod in week one, Louisville is in good shape. Brown is an experienced veteran, but spent most of camp with the twos working his way back from a season-ending injury last year. Collins took over the reigns with the ones in camp, and looked great at multiple spots on the line.

Right Tackle

1. Jonathan Mendoza (6-9, 310, R-Sr.)
2. Rasheed Miller (6-7, 310, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: It was a bit of the same story at right tackle in fall camp. Mendoza has an absolutely hulking frame, and that size translated onto the field during the open practices, but was dinged up early on. That left for Miller to get his fair share of the starting reps in the beginning of camp, and he held his own.

Defensive End

1. Ashton Gillotte (6-3, 275, Sr)
2. Ramon Puryear (6-3, 275, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: Gillotte established himself as one of the best edge rushers in all of college football last season, and bringing back for another season was a huge win for the program. With various injuries on the line, Puryear bumped back to the edge, but excelled at several spot in camp.

Nose Tackle

1. Thor Griffith (6-2, 320, Gr.)
2. Jared Dawson (6-2, 305, R-Jr.)

Quick Hit: Griffith was one of the Cardinals' biggest recruiting wins so far this offseason, as the Harvard product's athleticism is off the charts, and his NFL potential is immense. That being said, he was slightly banged up through much up fall camp, leaving others to get more opportunity. While Rene Konga took large steps forward and even took some reps with the ones, Dawson will likely be the backup here.

Defensive Tackle

1. Dezmond Tell (6-1, 295, Sr.)
2. Jordan Guerad (6-2, 295, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: Tell has been one of the unsung heroes on Louisville's defensive line for several seasons now, and his impact was felt in the middle of the line during fall camp. As for Guerad - who was Louisville's third-highest-graded defensive tackle transfer per PFF - he was finally able to see the field after being limited in the spring, and looks to be an underrated difference maker this season.

Leo (DE/LB)

1. Myles Jernigan (6-3, 235, R-Sr.)
2. Tramel Logan (6-4, 247, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: Louisville added several impact lineman via the spring transfer portal window, and they all figure to have some sort of role this season. In fall camp, Jernigan was the one who most consistently was starting opposite of Gillotte in the open practices. But expect Logan to get plenty of run as well after he was finally able to join the program midway through practice and seems to turn heads.

Middle Linebacker

1. T.J. Quinn (6-1, 230, R-Jr.)
2. Jurriente Davis (6-1, 235, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: Linebacker might not be the deepest spot on Louisville's defense, but it's better than it was this time last year. Quinn comes back after a breakout season where he led the Cardinals in tackles, and seems primed to repeat that performance. That being said, Davis built on a solid spring and was arguably the most physical inside backer in fall camp.

Weakside Linebacker

1. Stanquan Clark (6-3, 230, So.)
2. Dan Foster Jr. (6-3, 225, R-Sr.)

Quick Hit: While Quinn was last year's breakout player for Louisville, Clark is well on his way to be that player in 2024. After showing flashes of brilliance as a true freshman, his performance in the spring and fall suggests he could be in line for a massive 2024. T.J. Capers could get some decent run in this season, but Foster - a transfer from Texas State - was added in the spring window specifically to bolster the depth.

STAR

1. Benjamin Perry (6-3, 205, R-Jr.)
2. Antonio Watts (6-2, 225, Jr.)

Quick Hit: This linebacker/safety hybrid position in Ron English's defense is arguably the X-Factor on that side of the ball, and Louisville has a massive playmaker here in Perry. Though he was somewhat limited with a minor wrist injury, so that paved way for Watts to have yet another noteworthy fall camp. Look for Tamarion McDonald to potentially cycle in here as well.

Cornerback

1. Quincy Riley (6-0, 185, R-Sr.)
2. Tayon Holloway (6-1, 190, R-So.)

1. Corey Thornton (6-1, 190, Sr.)
2. Tahveon Nicholson (5-11, 180, Sr.)

Quick Hit: Riley is finally starting to get credit as one of the best cornerbacks both in the ACC and the FBS. He certainly looked the part in fall camp, with his elite blend of upper tier football IQ and athleticism paving the way for arguably the best performance by a Card in the fall. That being said, the three transfer newcomers in Thornton, Nicholson and Holloway have stoof out since the momemt they got on campus in the spring.

Free Safety

1. M.J. Griffin (6-1, 200, R-Sr.)
2. Tamarion McDonald (6-2, 195, Sr.)

Quick Hit: Don't forget about Griffin. After having to miss all of the 2023 season and spring ball due to injury, he finally made his return to the practice field. There was some slight rust to knock off, but he quickly started to find his form again. Paired with McDonald, who excelled in the spring and made plays in various roles in the fall, free safety is very deep for the Cards.

Strong Safety

1. Devin Neal (6-0, 210, Sr.)
2. D'Angelo Hutchinson (6-3, 195, Jr.)

Quick Hit: Despite starting the season as a backup, Neal was able to earn Third-Team All-ACC honors, and continued to look the part with the ones in fall camp. Behind him, Hutchinson on a great spring ball with a great fall camp, and should be in the main safety rotation this season.

(Photo via Jared Anderson - Louisville Report)

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