Report: Two Transfer Defenders to Visit Louisville

The duo are in line to visit the Cardinals on Tuesday.

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

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Max Klare isn't the only player currently slated to visit the Louisville football program this week.

According to 247Sports' Jody Demling, former Southern cornerback Rodney Johnson and former Purdue defensive lineman Damarjhe Lewis are both set to take visits to the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Spending the last three years at Southern after starting his career at Stephen F. Austin, Johnson is coming off of his best season in college. Playing in 12 games while starting 11, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound corner logged 43 tackles (23 solo), 6.0 for loss, five pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble. He earned a Second-Team All-SWAC nod from Phil Steele for his efforts.

The New Orleans native collected 97 tackles and 14 pass breakups during his three seasons with Southern. He also competed for the Jaguars' track and field team, running a 10.65 in the 100-meters, a 21.97 in the 200-meters, and helped post a 40.45 in the 4x100 meter relay - all earlier this calendar year.

As for Lewis, he spent the majority of the first half of the 2024 season sidelined due to injury, but found a way to make an impact when he returned to action. In five games, the 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive tackle logged 14 tackles (seven solo) and three for loss, all of which were career-bests.

The Griffin, Ga. native spent his first year of college in 2020 at Indiana before transferring to Purdue. He played in all 12 games of the 2021 season, collecting eight tackles (three solo), one for loss and a pass breakup. However, he had to miss the entire 2022 season due to an ankle injury suffered in fall camp, and played in just the first two games of the 2023 season after re-injuring his ankle.

Monday, Dec. 9 marked the first day of college football’s winter transfer portal window, and have until Saturday, Dec. 28 to enter. So far, Louisville has seen 17 players of their own enter the portal, while landing six transfer commitments.

Louisville finished the 2024 regular season, the second under head coach Jeff Brohm, with an 8-4 overall record and 5-3 mark in ACC play. The Cardinals will cap off the year with a matchup against Washington in the Sun Bowl on New Year's Eve.

(Photo via Jared Anderson - Louisville Cardinals On SI)

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