Report: Rutgers DE Wesley Bailey, Miss. State OL Makylan Pounders to Visit Louisville

The Cardinals continue to be active with hosting transfer portal visitors.

Sep 7, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs offensive lineman Makylan Pounders (66) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program is making a concerted effort to bolster their play on the line of scrimmage through the transfer portal, and their two most recent visitors are a reflection of that.

Former Rutgers defensive lineman Wesley Bailey and former Mississippi State offensive lineman Makylan Pounders are both set to visit the Cardinals this Friday, according to 247Sports' Jody Demling.

Monday, Dec. 9 marked the first day of college football’s 30-day winter transfer portal window. So far, Louisville has seen 15 players of their own enter the portal, while landing a trio of commitments from Purdue offensive tackle Mahamane Moussa, WKU linebacker Darius Thomas and FIU offensive guard Naeer Jackson.

Bailey saw action in just four games this season for Rutgers before taking a redshirt. During that span, he logged eight tackles, one for loss, a sack and a pass deflection.

While the 6-foot-5, 265-pound edge rusher didn't see much time on the field this year, he had previously started all 25 games for the Scarlet Knights over the 2022 and 2023 seasons. In that two-year span, he logged 57 tackles (27 solo), 13 for loss, 7.5 sacks, five pass deflections and four fumble recoveries. Before that, the Ottawa, Ontario native didn't see any action as a true freshman in 2020, and played in seven games during the 2021 season.

As for Pounders, he played one season at Mississippi State after starting his career at Memphis. In his lone season with the Bulldogs, the 6-foot-5, 310-pound left tackle played in 11 games while making seven starts, and allowed just three sacks and 19 total pressures over 334 pass block snaps and 574 total blocking snaps.

The Byhalia, Miss native played in just three games for Memphis as a true freshman in 2021, then made seven appearances and two starts in 2022. During his final season with the Tigers in 2023, he allowed only a single sack and 12 pressures in 399 pass block and 673 total blocking snaps.

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 of Makylan Pounders: Mark J. Rebilas - Imagn Images)

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