RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The college football preseason is the best (and only) time for conjecture, speculation and predictions about the regular season.
It’s a time for the renewed hope that your favorite team will go undefeated and win a national championship. Nothing has been proven, so everything is possible.
Louisville’s offseason moves have certainly rejuvenated Card Nation for what should be one of the best years yet under head coach Jeff Brohm . The squad is loaded at each skill position, highlighted by running back Isaac Brown , another transfer starting quarterback and a true rotation of tight ends, with strong depth at the defensive line spot.
The Cardinals also have a manageable schedule, with two of their most difficult games — No. 10 Ole Miss and No. 20 SMU — coming in the first three weeks of the season. Getting out of the first month of the regular season unscathed gives UofL a good chance to run the table. It’s a bold declaration with the Cardinals’ season opener against the Rebels fast approaching on Sept. 6.
In the spirit of being bold, here are 10 predictions for Louisville’s 2026 season:
RB Isaac Brown will be a Heisman finalist
During ACC Kickoff, Virginia head coach Tony Elliott said Lamar Jackson was the last person he’s seen at Louisville with the speed that Isaac Brown has . Jackson is Louisville’s only Heisman winner and, 10 years later, Brown will get an invite to New York City. The junior burst onto the scene with a record-setting freshman season in 2024 and, despite missing four games, was less than 100 rushing yards from another 1,000-yard campaign last year. Brown will stay healthy and put up enough highlight-worthy numbers to be a Heisman finalist.
Louisville will have two 1,000-yard receivers
Wide receivers coach Deion Branch was extremely complimentary of his group and relished its depth. He believes the Cardinals have four to five receivers who can be the team's main pass-catcher. Tre Richardson , TreyShun Hurry and Lawayne McCoy are the projected starters and more than capable playmakers. Richardson, in particular, has been a 1,000-yard receiver at every school he’s been to , including an injury-riddled 2025 season at Vanderbilt. Now healthy, Richardson has a strong case to keep his streak alive and be joined by Hurry or McCoy in reaching 1,000 receiving yards. Louisville has never had two receivers reach 1,000 yards, so it would mark a program first.
Louisville will win its first ACC championship
The Cardinals have been clamoring for another trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, after making the ACC championship game in 2023. They fell to Florida State , 16-6, and have finished sixth and seventh, respectively, in the standings each of the past two seasons. Louisville’s bad luck with head-scratching losses late in the season will end as the group puts together enough strong performances to not only make the conference title game but win it for the first time.
UofL will make the College Football Playoff quarterfinals
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In winning the conference, Louisville will have a strong enough resume to make the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. The Cardinals won’t be in the top four but will surely have the necessary momentum to make noise in the CFP and, thanks to Brohm’s ability to gameplan in bigger games, record a first-round victory to reach the quarterfinals.
Louisville will reach 11 wins during the regular season
In achieving an ACC championship and CFP appearance, Louisville will also record its first win over the Mustangs en route to the program’s first 11-win season since 2013. After the first month of the regular season, the Cardinals’ most difficult games will be on the road against NC State and Georgia Tech . Brohm won in Raleigh, North Carolina, during his first season and has yet to lose to the Yellow Jackets during his tenure with the Cardinals. Injuries are inevitable and will be the only cause for UofL to lose a game during the final stretch of the regular season.
DL Clev Lubin will be top 10 nationally in sacks
In his first season with Louisville, Lubin had no problem adjusting and becoming the defense's driving force. He led the unit in sacks (8½) in 2025 and, with Mark Ivey calling plays and coaching the defensive line, he can beat that number this year. Lubin is a high-energy player, which works well with a high-energy coach in Ivey, who thrives in being as aggressive as needed. Together, they will make Louisville’s defense a force and put Lubin in position to be among the nation’s best at getting to the quarterback.
QB Lincoln Kienholz will have at least 500 rushing yards
In addition to the talent at the skill position, the running threat quarterback Lincoln Kienholz adds makes the offense even more explosive. The Ohio State transfer has run drills with the running backs and practiced run plays during fall camp. Brohm made it clear that Kienholz will be used in the run game and, given his athleticism, he’ll put up big rushing numbers. Jackson's program record of 1,601 yards is safe, but Kienholz will become the first UofL QB since Malik Cunningham (838 yards in 2021, 565 in 2022) to top 500 yards rushing.
UofL will score at least 41 points (again) to beat Kentucky in Governor’s Cup
Louisville has won back-to-back Governor’s Cup games over Kentucky via two high-scoring performances. The Cardinals scored 41 points in both games, just 18 points shy of a record 59-point performance against the 'Cats in 2006, and shut out the 'Cats at home last season. Louisville has more offensive firepower this season than in past years, while UK's Will Stein is in his first season as a head coach, which comes with its own growing pains. It’s a formula for another rivalry win for the Cards.
TE Brody Foley will become Louisvill...
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