RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesLouisville football will face arguably its toughest two opponents of the season within the first three weeks of the 2026 campaign.
The Cardinals open the year against Ole Miss in Nashville before hosting SMU two weeks later. The front-heavy slate puts an even greater emphasis on fall camp , which began Aug. 6.
The weeks leading up to the season opener will be the first true look at how everyone meshes and what the team’s identity will be after a handful of injured players were out during the spring. Although more than half of its rostered players are newcomers, UofL returned several key players, many of whom will be counted upon early to help the newer players get acclimated.
And with a strength of schedule that ranks 58th nationally, per ESPN , Louisville will need to play with a sense of urgency right away to achieve its goals of winning the ACC and making the College Football Playoff .
Here are the five players who will be the most influential in making that happen:
1. Isaac Brown, RB
The running backs room has the most continuity of all offensive positions, and that starts with Brown . The junior is coming off an injury-riddled 2025 season and will look to show what he can do with a full season as an upperclassman. In addition to carrying and catching the ball out of the backfield, Brown has worked to improve the intangibles: pass protection and vocal leadership. He’s shown growth in both areas and continues to take positive strides as the face of the Cardinals’ offense.
Brown was out all of Thursday's first practice of fall camp and most of Saturday's second practice , so his health will be something to watch.
2. Lincoln Kienholz, QB
The Ohio State transfer will have plenty of weapons around him, but he’ll need to know what to do with them to operate the Cards’ offense. Kienholz never having seen significant snaps as a college quarterback is of concern, and there will be a learning curve, but he has enough talent and support to help with some of those growing pains. His versatile skill set as a dual-threat quarterback also gives him an advantage that previous signal-callers under head coach Jeff Brohm didn’t have. Since Kienholz arrived on campus in January, he has worked to become the leader of the offense. And he'll have an opportunity to make a statement right away against Ole Miss.
3. Clev Lubin, DL
It didn’t take Lubin long last season to establish himself as the biggest influence on the success of Louisville’s defense. He’s been praised for his work ethic and intensity , which spreads to his teammates. The Cards getting Lubin back for his final year of college was one of their biggest offseason wins, though it was never in doubt. Despite losing most of its defensive starters, UofL reloaded in the transfer portal. But it’ll be on Lubin to help direct that side of the ball if the Cards are going to be a dominant defensive force again.
4. Antonio Watts, LB/S
The redshirt senior’s career has been filled with clutch, highlight-worthy plays, among the most notable being the game-winning pass breakup in the 2024 Sun Bowl. Last year, his season was cut short by three games due to injury. Watts, who reversed course on transferring during the offseason, also missed spring practices to recover, but he was still influential as one of the leaders of the defense. Now healthy, he’ll be expected to continue being a playmaker for Louisville, which will be key against the high-powered offenses on the early-season schedule.
5. Tre Richardson, WR
Richardson missed the spring season with a foot injury but is full go as of June. He’ll be slightly behind the other receivers but should have no problems getting reacclimated to live reps over the next few weeks. Known for his speed, Richardson has been the leading receiver at every school he’s played for, including a year of SEC experience in 2025. Brohm referred to the Vanderbilt transfer as an X-factor for the squad. The expectation is for Richardson to replace Chris Bell, now with the Miami Dolphins, as the go-to receiver in the Cards’ explosive offense. And his level of experience will help a first-time starting quarterback in Kienholz work through his growing pains.
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Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at [email protected] and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville football's 5 most important players heading into 2026 season
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