*TO UPDATE*
I finally received an official visitor list this week, so I wanted to provide a short update.
Jahlil McClain was not initially confirmed, but he was spotted in some of the other recruits’ social media videos. I also understand that Jamari Johnson will be visiting this weekend at some point. He is/was to make an official visit to Oregon. Jeff Brohm and Ryan Wallace finding a way to spend time with him is pretty important. He is a key player in the class. Cardinal Authority also reports that Texas A&M transfer cornerback Marquis Groves-Killebrew is visiting. He’s a former four-star who calls Louisville his “hometown.”
An updated list of transferred recruits and high school recruits can be found below.
Dillon Johnson – running back
The Mississippi State running back had a solid career for the Bulldogs in their Air Raid offense. He finished that year averaging 70 total yards per game while splitting time. Johnson has shown great ability to catch the ball and he runs very hard.
Jadon Thompson – Wide Receiver
Thompson is a transfer from Cincinnati where he finished the 2022 season as the third receiver. Thompson is 6-2/190 and has shown good speed on a 100-yard kickoff return this year. UofL need talent and depth at wide receiver, so Thompson would add a nice play as an outside receiver if he joins the team.
Myles Slusher – Defensive back
I still have an idea of Ron English’s defense, but they seem to be looking for versatile guys who can play safety and the nickel. Slusher fits this mold very well. He can play it safe or line up in the slot and he also has 9 tackles for loss in his career, some of them coming as an outside rusher. Slusher is one of my favorites from the guys they brought in this weekend.
Storm Duck – Cornerback
Duck led UNC in interceptions with three and also stopped nine passes on the season. He’s been a playmaker for their defense since returning a pick for a touchdown as a true freshman, but he’s struggled with injuries on his team. I was high on him as a rookie and hoped he landed in Louisville because his cousin was a star for Bryan Brown as a cornerback at App State. Duck would be a great veteran addition for UofL.
Jimmy Calloway – Wide Receiver
Admittedly, I don’t know much about Calloway because he didn’t have many takes in Tennessee. He has good size and claimed a time of 4.42 forty as a rookie. As I pointed out, UofL needs depth at the receiver, and using the portal to do that isn’t a bad idea.
Achan Help – Edge
Strong points
Akana wasn’t on the radar until halftime at the bowling game yesterday. He is a 4-star 6-4/225 advantage from Utah who has decided to give UofL his last official visit before heading to Colorado for a visit. After some research, it appears he has ties to some of St. John Bosco’s Polynesian players and will also play in the Addidas All-American game with a handful of current commitments. I don’t know if that’s why he came, but he didn’t have an offer from UofL or Purdue, so that’s all I could think of.
However, could Jeff Brohm hire a linebackers coach who recruited him from elsewhere? It’s an obvious possibility. Regardless of how the connection was made, it would be huge for UofL to add another top-100 defender.
George Burhenn – tight end
Strong points
Burhenn is a current Purdue commitment who was a finalist for Mr. Football in Indiana. He’s got a good size at 6-5/225 and he’s a pretty good athlete judging by his strengths. I believe Burhenn has other options he can choose from, but UofL needs tight ends and they can take another high school player instead of using the portal.
* ORIGINAL POST*
Jeff Brohm is hosting his first major visiting weekend as Louisville’s football coach, and he’s starting off with a strong group of prospects. Brohm will have a mix of current and uncommitted rookie and high school transfers in town for the weekend.
I’ve put together a list of prospects using tweets and reports on the scouting website, but I’ll update the list if I get more information on the final list of expected players.
I think the Cards could walk away with a few new members of the Class of 2023 after this weekend.
TRANSFERS
Stephen Herron – Edge
Herron ended his senior year at Stanford with a solid performance as a passing thrower. He had 5.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and PFF credited him with 40 pressures on the quarterback. The former Trinity standout was slow to make a big impact for the Cardinal, but he’s amassed nearly 1,200 snaps at Standford and will bring a ton of experience to any defense.
It’s unclear where the UofL stands here only because Herron has options, but he hasn’t been public about those options. The UofL’s first visit is a good sign and I have a feeling he will announce his engagement soon.
Zavion Thomas – Wide Receiver
The former Louisville clerk is looking for a new home after a stellar season as a punt returner for Mississippi State. Thomas has an exceptional top speed and has shown this year that he can run on contact. He is currently ranked fifth in the nation in punt return average. I imagine he’s looking for a new home because he couldn’t get a lot of wide receiver snaps for MSU.
I was very high on Thomas as a rookie and basically lost my mind live on Mike’s show when he opted out. Although he hasn’t made an impact as a receiver, his skills as a returner give a good glimpse of what he can do when it comes to making big plays.
Everyone needs super fast receivers, so I don’t know if UofL will get a commitment this weekend, but they must be feeling good about getting a visit just days after hitting the portal. Familiarity won’t hurt either. With the cards needing a lot of help from the receiver, Thomas could be sold to play immediately.
Devin Neal – Defensive back
UofL need another veteran defensive back to help replace Tre Clark and Kenderick Duncan from a secondary that has a solid gap between their veterans and young players. The loss of Rance Conner at the gate leaves a nickel spot open and the safety group has only second-year players behind the starters. Neal would bring a veteran addition as well as a player who can play safety as well as the nickel.
Neal hails from Lexington but hasn’t been recruited much as he bonded with Baylor fairly quickly and stayed with them even through their coaching change. He would bring great versatility to the UofL defense and he’s had a solid season this year. Neal finished the year with 41 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble. He did a bit of everything for the Bears.
Neal only announced an offer from Louisville but he probably has other options. However, returning to his home country with good playing time should help the Cards. I wouldn’t be surprised if he called this weekend.
McGraw would be a potential portal depth addition, which I was personally hoping to see. The UofL and other teams across the country will have numbers issues due to players leaving and it would be worthwhile for them to consider adding transfers that might just need a fresh start. McGraw only played 12 snaps at Penn State but he’s 6-5/270 and I’ll take that on a high school draft player.
Both Purdue and UofL offered McGraw in high school, and he went to Louisville as a freshman. The familiarity won’t hurt him as he knows the new staff and the school well. Lance Taylor extended an offer from West Michigan, but McGraw announced no further offers.
UNENGAGED RECRUITS
Daylen Austin – Cornerback
Strong points
LSU’s current signing has been teased as a potential rookie by Aaron Williams and Pierce Clarkson since the summer, but didn’t appear to be on the radar for a visit until this week. Austin is one of the best corners in the country and his size and speed would be a huge boost for the secondary.
Austin won’t sign until the end of the period, so UofL will have time to develop a relationship with him. He will also play in the Under Armor All-American game with Madden Sanker and William Fowles next month.
Edwin Joseph – Athlete
Strong points
Joseph is making his second visit to campus after being delighted with his visit in November. Louisville appears to be signing Joseph as a defensive back, but he can play both sides of the ball. New staff can see him as a real athlete that they can relate to once he’s on the training ground. Florida State looks like the team to beat here with Miami as a possible option for him as well. Auburn also recently received him for a visit.
Keyjuan Brown – running back
Strong points
Brown is a former Purdue hire who left the class after Jeff Brohm took the UofL job. He didn’t make any other visits as a rookie, so I think there’s a good chance he’ll join the Louisville class after his visit. Brown is a solidly built fullback with good speed and quickness. He rushed for 7,476 yards, 84 touchdowns and averaged 9.3 yards per carry as a three-year-old starter playing 6-AA football at Georgia. His numbers and highlights certainly make you feel good about him as a guy who could add to the running room if he commits and signs.
COMMITTED RECRUITS
Pierce Clarkson – Quarterback
Stanquan Clark – Linebacker
Madden Sanker – Offensive Lineman
Luke Burgess – Offensive Lineman
Cataurus Hicks – Wide Receiver
William Fowles – Wide Receiver
Adonijah Green – Edge
Aaron Williams – Cornerback
Rayquan Adkins – Cornerback
Micah Carter – Defensive end
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