Rutgers Transfer OL Willie Tyler Commits to Louisville

After stops with Texas, Louisiana Monroe and Rutgers, the left tackle is ending his time in college with the Cardinals.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program has landed another commitment following their spring game, this time from out of the transfer portal.

Former Rutgers offensive lineman Willie Tyler announced Sunday that he has committed to play his final season of eligibility with the Cardinals. He chose Louisville over Arizona State, Mississippi State, Syracuse and Temple.

Tyler is the second player to commit to Louisville following their spring game on Friday night, where he was one a half dozen Division I transfers in attendance. Class of 2024 offensive lineman Ransom McDermott gave his verbal pledge on Saturday.

Related: Notes and Observations from Louisville's Spring Game

The 6-foot-6, 320-pound offensive tackle had a good senior season for the Scarlet Knights. Playing in 11 games with nine starts, all coming exclusively at left tackle, he allowed only four sacks, four quarterback hits and seven quarterback hurries in 564 total snaps played according to Pro Football Focus.

The Racine, Wisc. native had a winding road to get where he is now. Originally a defensive lineman coming out of high school, he spent his freshman year at Iowa Western Community College, where he made the switch to offensive line. He then committed to Texas, but saw no game action over the course of the 2019 and 2020 seasons with the Longhorns. He then transferred to Louisiana Monroe for the 2021 season, where he made nine starts at left tackle.

Related: Who's In, Who's Out and Who's Back for Louisville Football in 2023

With three starting offensive linemen for Louisville moving on due to graduation, and an impact reserve entering the portal, Tyler's addition fills an immediate need. He will likely compete with Luke Burgess for the backup left tackle job behind Michael Gonzalez.

Louisville has been incredibly active in the transfer portal since Brohm was hired as their head coach in December. While the Cardinals have lost 14 via the portal since the end of the regular season, Tyler is now the 14th to transfer in over the offseason.

The Cardinals finished their 2022 season with an overall mark of 8-5 (4-4 in ACC), including a 24-7 win in the Fenway Bowl over Cincinnati. They'll kick off their 2023 season against Georgia tech in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. on Friday, Sept. 1.

(Photo of Willie Tyler: Kyle Ross - USA TODAY Sports)

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