Transfer Defensive Linemen Rodney McGraw, Stephen Herron Commit to Louisville

The Cardinals land their first prospects out of the transfer portal in this cycle.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After losing a few players to the transfer portal, the Louisville football program was finally able to benefit from the portal in the current recruiting cycle, as both former Penn State defensive lineman Rodney McGraw and former Stanford defensive end Stephen Herron announced Sunday that they have committed to the Cardinals.

McGraw, a 6-foot-5, 263-pound lineman who can play both on the edge and in the middle of the line, saw very little on-field action during his time as a Nittany Lion. After redshirting his true freshman season in 2021, he saw action in five games this season, but played just 12 defensive snaps and recorded only a single tackle on the year. The Elkhart, Ind. native is a former top-500 prospect in the Class of 2021, ranking as the No. 441 prospect in the nation.

Herron, a 6-foot-3, 237-pound edge rusher, was one of Stanford's best defensive players during the 2022 season. Starting all 12 games as a senior, he led the team in sacks with 5.5, while also logging 37 total tackles (17 solo), 6.5 tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles. He played a crucial role in Stanford's 16-14 road upset of then-No. 19 Notre Dame, logging two sacks and a forced fumble

In four seasons and 30 total games out west with the Cardinal, the New Albany, Ind. native and Trinity HS alum collected 72 tackles (39 solo), 13.0 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks and three forced fumbles. The local product is a former four-star prospect, ranking as the No. 141 player in the Class of 2019.

Defensive end was not a huge area of need in the transfer portal at this point in time, but the two commitments give the Cardinals a huge boost in depth. With YaYa Diaby graduating, Herron will likely slide into his starting spot, and McGraw gives the Cardinals additional size and upside at the position.

Louisville is in line to return six defensive ends from their 2022 squad - including starter Ashton Gillotte - while also bringing in true freshmen Micah Carter and Saadiq Clements.

McGraw and Herron are expected to sign on Wednesday for the first day of the early signing period, and arrive on campus following the end of the 2022 fall semester. Louisville finished the 2022 season with an overall mark of 8-5 (4-4 in ACC), including a 24-7 win in the Fenway Bowl over Cincinnati.

(Photo of Stephen Herron: Christopher Hanewinckel - USA TODAY Sports)

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