University of Louisville head football coach Jeff Brohm added 24 mid-year transfers who have enrolled in classes for the winter semester and will available to compete in spring practice, which will begin in March. Dates will be released later.
Brohm added 10 players on the defensive side of the football and 14 offensive players. On defense, the Cards signed seven defensive backs, two defensive linemen and one linebacker, while on offense, UofL inked six offensive linemen, three wide receivers, two tight ends and running backs, and one quarterback.
The Cards also added five high school signees in December in running back Isaac Brown, linebacker Trent Carter, defensive end Maurice Davis, offensive lineman Ransom McDermott, and wide receiver JoJo Stone who are also enrolled in classes for the winter.
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown/Previous School
Tyler Baron Defensive Line 6-5 260 Sr. Knoxville, Tenn./Knoxville Catholic/Tennessee
Peny Boone Running Back 6-1 235 Sr. Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King/Toledo
Ja’Corey Brooks Wide Receiver 6-3 190 Sr. Bradenton, Fla./IMG Academy/Alabama
Donald Chaney Running Back 5-10 210 Jr. Homestead, Fla./Belen Jesuit/Miami
Izayah Cummings Tight End 6-3 230 Sr. Louisville, Ky./Male/Kentucky
Victor Cutler, Jr. Offensive Lineman 6-3 300 R-Sr. West Monroe, La. / West Monroe
Jordan Guerad Defensive Lineman 6-3 295 R-Jr. Valricico, Fla./Bloomingdale/FIU
Jurriente Davis Linebacker 6-1 236 R-Sr. Greensboro, N.C./Dudley/Texas A&M
Tayon Halloway Defensive Back 6-1 190 So. Virginia Beach, Va./Green Run/North Carolina
Caullin Lacy Wide Receiver 5-10 190 Sr. Mobile, Ala./Faith Academy/South Alabama
Tamarion McDonald Defensive Back 6-2 200 Sr. Memphis, Tenn./Whitehaven/Tennessee
Daeh McCullough Defensive Back 6-1 180 R-Fr. South Bend, Ind./St. Joseph/Oklahoma
Antonio Meeks Wide Receiver 6-2 190 So. Lilburn, Ga., Shiloh/Tuskegee
Jonathan Mendoza Offensive Line 6-9 310 R-Sr. Westhampton Beach, N.Y./Westhampton Beach/Yale
Rasheed Miller Offensive Line 6-7 310 R-Jr. Lake Wales, Fla./Lake Wales/Georgia Southern
Monroe Mills Offensive Line 6-6 315 R-Sr. Columbia, Mo./Father Tolton/Texas Tech
Tahveon Nicholson Defensive Back 5-11 180 Jr. Jacksonville, Fla./Riverside/Illinois
Pete Nygra Offensive Line 6-4 295 R-Jr. Indianapolis, Ind./Brownsburg/Northern Illinois
Blake Ruffin Defensive Back 6-4 205 R-Jr. Louisville, Ky. /Trinity/Eastern Illinois
Jaleel Skinner Tight End 6-5 210 So. Greer, S.C./IMG/Miami
Corey Thornton Defensive Back 6-1 190 R-Sr. Miami, Fla./Booker T. Washington/UCF
Tyler Shough Quarterback 6-5 230 R-Sr. Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton/Texas Tech
Reuben Unije Offensive Line 6-5 310 R-Sr. Bradenton, Fla./IMG Academy/Houston
Wesley Walker Defensive Back 6-1 205 R-Sr. Lewisburg, Tenn./Ensworth/Tennessee
Tyler Baron
Defensive Line
6-5, 260, Senior
Knoxville, Tenn./Knoxville Catholic/Tennessee
Before Louisville: Named to the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl Midseason All-America Team … selected SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week (vs. Virginia, 9/2/23) … named to 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List … voted to the 2023 Preseason All-SEC Third Team (Athlon) … played four seasons at Tennessee … has two seasons to play one … played in 47 games with 18 starts and logged 100 career tackles with 26.0 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, four passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery that was returned for a TD in his career … comes from a family with a college football history and was a four-star local prospect before enrolling at Tennessee … recorded 5.0 sacks in 2023, which is a career high … made three tackles to reach 100 for his career in loss to No. 1 Georgia … also added a TFL and a QB hurry against the Bulldogs … credited with two tackles, half a TFL and a career-high two pass breakups at No. 14 Missouri, the first of which resulted in a Jaylen McCollough interception on the first drive of the game … dominant in win vs. UConn, posting three tackles, two TFLs and a 24-yard fumble return for a touchdown right before halftime … finished with three tackles and half a TFL in road win at Kentucky … posted another solid performance in win vs. Texas A&M… credited with two tackles, including his fifth sack of the season, and a QB hurry … made two tackles, including his fourth sack of the year, and added a career-high three QB hurries in win over UTSA… had three total tackles in SEC opener at Florida … made three solo tackles, including a sack in win over Austin Peay … tabbed SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week after an impressive performance in season-opening victory vs. Virginia, setting a new career-high with two sacks while also recording 2.5 TFLs and three total tackles … starred at defensive end with appearances in all 13 games and three starts in 2022 … starts came vs. Ball State, Pitt and Akron … logged 22 total tackles and ranked third on the team in tackles for loss with 6.5 … added 2.5 sacks for a loss of 19 yards and ranked second among UT defensive linemen in pass breakups with six … came off the bench and contributed four tackles in the Orange Bowl victory over Clemson … had one of his best performances of the year in win over Missouri, setting a career high with four tackles for loss and a sack … made two tackles, including half a sack for a five-yard loss in win vs. No. 19 Kentucky… recorded a pair of tackles and a QB hurry in win over Akron (9/17) … was disruptive throughout in road win at No. 17 Pitt (9/10), posting four tackles, two TFLs, a sack, a forced fumble and a QB hurry … his strip sack at the end of the first half led directly to a UT field goal … played in all 13 games with five starts in 2021 … starts came in the first four games of the year and in the Music City Bowl … collected 30 tackles, including seven for loss and four sacks to go along with two pass breakups and two QB hurries … tied a season high with four tackles in the bowl game, including 0.5 for loss, vs. Purdue … made one tackle and had one QB hurry in win vs. Vanderbilt … notched two tackles and had half a sack in win vs. South Alabama… had four tackles and a big sack in the fourth quarter of win at No. 18 Kentucky … made three tackles at No. 4 Alabama … logged one sack in win vs. South Carolina… tallied three tackles and a PBU at No. 11 Florida… recorded three tackles and half a sack in shutout win over Tennessee Tech … had four tackles and a career high 2.5 TFLs against Pitt … made his first-career start in season-opening win vs. Bowling Green (9/2), finishing with two tackles, one sack, one QBH and one PBU … nne of the top defensive reserves on the squad in his debut season who played in all 10 games in 2020 … played on 250 snaps according to PFF … totaled 21 tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack … had three tackles and recorded his first-career sack vs. No. 6 Florida … made three tackles vs. No. 2 Alabama … credited with a career-high five tackles at No. 3 Georgia … made his Tennessee debut in season-opening win at South Carolina (9/26), posting two tackles which both went for a loss.
High School: Rated as a four-star prospect and the nation’s fourth-ranked strongside defensive end in 247 composite rankings … member of ESPN300 … played his senior season at Knoxville Catholic High School, just a few minutes away from UT’s campus, after transferring from The Ensworth School in Nashville … led Knoxville Catholic to the DII-AAA quarterfinals in the 2019 state playoffs … 2019 Tennessee DII-AAA All-State selection … selected to play in the 2020 Polynesian Bowl … 2018 Nashville Area Division II East/Middle All-Region Team … named defensive line MVP of The Opening Regional at Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee … totaled 105 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and nine sacks in 2019 … credited with 46.5 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks as a junior in 2018 … full name is Tyler Patrick Baron … born on Oct. 22, 2001 … son of Jessica Baron and Patrick Abernathy … has two brothers, Jordan and Woody … majoring in communication studies … recipient of the Brenda Lawson Athletic Scholarship and the Sarah Booth Reid Men’s Athletic Endowed Scholarship.
Peny Boone
Running Back
6-1, 235, Senior
Detroit, Mich./Martin Luther King/Toledo
Before Louisville: Played two seasons at Toledo and one season at Maryland … has one season of eligibility remaining … rushed for 1,843 yards and 18 touchdowns in two seasons at Toledo … became Toledo’s first Offensive Player of the Year since Logan Woodside in 2017, and just the third ever in school history in 2023 … turned in one of the finest seasons ever by a Rocket running back in 2023 and ranks among the national leaders in rushing yards per carry (7.43-2nd), total rushing yards (1,400-5th), rushing yards per game (113.2-7th), rushing touchdowns (15-8th) and total touchdowns (16-11th) … rushed for 211 yards and two scores against Western Michigan and a 186 yards and a pair of touchdowns versus Central Michigan … three-time MAC West Offensive Player of the Week … totaled eight 100-plus yard rushing performances … averaged 129.8 yards per game in eight league contests against MAC schools … finished third on team with 443 yards rushing in 2022 at Toledo…rushed for 52 yards on 12 carries vs. LIU in his Rocket debut… totaled two rushing touchdowns in the win over UMass… 41 rushing yards on eight carries at Ohio State… did not play due to injury vs. CMU… rushed for a previous career-high 84 rushing yards vs. Kent State …rushed for 172 yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries in 2021 at Maryland….totaled a season-high 42 yards against Michigan State….played in four of Maryland’s five games in 2020, rushing for 86 yards on 19 carries in a reserve role.
High School: 18th-ranked running back in the country according to Rivals…rushed for 1,282 yards on 129 carries and 22 touchdowns as a senior in 2019….won two state championships at Martin Luther King High School in Detroit….High school coach was Ty Spencer … parents are George and Cortrice Boone … Younger brother of former NFL running back Zurlon Tipton…Major is university studies.
Ja’Corey Brooks
Wide Receiver
6-3, 190, Senior
Bradenton, Fla./IMG Academy/Alabama
Before Louisville: Played three seasons at Alabama, catching 57 passes for 896 yards and 10 touchdowns …. appeared in 36 career games … veteran wideout who suffered an upper body injury in the LSU matchup that has limited his playing time in 2023… caught three passes for 30 yards … contributed one kickoff return for 19 yards … also added a blocked punt and one tackle on special teams … selected as a special teams player of the week by the Alabama coaching staff for his play against Ole Miss … added one reception for a two-yard gain from his wide receiver post against Ole Miss … caught one pass for three yards against Mississippi State … hauled in one pass for a 25-yard gain and a Tide first down versus Arkansas … led Alabama and tied for third in the SEC with eight receiving touchdowns during the 2022 season … averaged a team-high 17.3 yards per catch to rank sixth in the conference … caught 39 passes for 674 yards to go with the eight scores … added seven kickoff returns for 106 yards to go with a blocked punt on special teams … selected by the Crimson Tide coaches as a special teams player of the week for his output against ULM and Auburn … named an offensive player of the week by the Alabama coaching staff for his play against Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Mississippi State and LSU .. caught three passes for 33 yards with a long of 16 against Texas … converted two first downs and added a three-yard reception to move the Tide into position for the game-winning field goal … blocked a punt by the Warhawks that resulted in a Tide scoop and score for six against Louisiana-Monroe … added one reception for 29 yards from his receiver post …led all receivers with six catches for 117 yards and two scores – all of which came in the first half against Vanderbilt … found the end zone from 21 and 34 yards away … recorded six catches for 89 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee … converted three first downs to go with his score from seven yards out … also caught a two-point conversion… led all pass-catchers with 74 yards on the night versus Mississippi State… helped the Tide convert a first down on each of his three receptions with a long catch of 40 yards. targeted a game-high and season-high 17 times against LSU … paced UA with 97 yards and a touchdown across his seven catches … found the end zone from 41 yards away for the score … accumulated 133 all-purpose yards by day’s end against Auburn … returned three kickoffs for 57 combined yards with a long of 24 … added a team-high tying four receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown from his wide receiver post … recorded his team-leading eighth touchdown of the year as part of his two catches for 51 yards versus Kansas State … worked in all 15 games in 2021, recording 15 catches for 192 yards and two touchdowns … all his receptions and yards came across the final six games of his rookie campaign … also added a blocked punt by season’s end … named one of the special teams players of the week by the UA coaches for his play at Texas A&M and Mississippi State … blocked an Aggie punt early in the third quarter that was returned for an Alabama touchdown … the score pulled the Tide to within seven coming out of the halftime break … recorded his first career catch for a gain of nine yards against New Mexico State … totaled 49 yards and a score on his two receptions against Auburn … caught the game-tying touchdown with just seconds remaining to send the game to overtime … led all wideouts with 66 yards on his four catches against Cincinnati … found the end zone for a 44-yard score while also converting a pair of first downs … targeted a team-high tying nine times versus Georgia, finishing with six catches for 47 yards on the night.
High School: Five-star receiver according to the 247Composite and PrepStar … PrepStar’s No. 20 player on the Top 150 Dream Team and the second-rated wideout in the country according to the magazine … rated as the Composite’s No. 34 prospect nationally, the No. 2 wide receiver and the ninth-rated player from Florida … the No. 34 player on the Rivals250 as a four-star recruit and the No. 4 wideout nationally by the site … a four-star pass-catcher according to 247Sports who is listed as the No. 50 player on the Top247 list … 247Sports lists him as the No. 4 wide receiver recruit in the country and the 10th-rated player from Florida … the No. 50 player on the ESPN300 and No. 5 overall wide receiver nationally by ESPN.com … selected to the All-American Bowl roster … put together a huge 2019 season that saw him catch 99 passes for 1,281 yards and 18 touchdowns as he led Booker T. Washington to a state title … began his high school career being coached by Gerald Cox at Booker T. Washington High School in Miami … attended IMG Academy for his final prep season where he was coached by Bobby Acosta … signed with Alabama over Miami and Florida along with Auburn, Georgia and Tennessee among others.
Donald Chaney
Running Back
5-10, 210, Junior
Homestead, Fla./Belen Jesuit/Miami
Before Louisville: Played three full seasons at Miami … has two years of eligibility remaining … rushed for 852 yards and six scores in 25 games at Miami … caught 17 passes for 162 yards in his career with the Hurricanes … enjoyed impressive rebound season for Hurricanes after missing nearly all of 2022 to injury…started two games and saw action in 11, missing just one…ranked third on Hurricanes with 478 rushing yards…averaged 5.1 yards per rush, carrying 94 times (second-most on team)…had 38 yards on eight carries with one touchdown run in season opener against Miami (Ohio) …tallied seven carries for 73 yards with one touchdown in win over Bethune-Cookman…started at Temple and posted 61 yards on nine attempts, including long run of 25 yards, in road win over Owls…had dominant outing against Georgia Tech, recording first career 100-yard game…totaled a career-high 24 carries for 106 yards against Yellow Jackets… recorded 63 yards on 17 attempts in 2OT win over Clemson …carried 12 times for 85 yards and season-long run of 29 yards at Florida State … saw action in only one game while recovering from offseason surgery in 2022…made first appearance of the season rushing for eight yards on two carries against Pittsburgh … saw action in first two games of season before suffering season-ending injury in 2021… rushed for 44 yards on 11 carries with one touchdown…Added one catch…had seven carries for 23 yards in season opener against Alabama … totaled 21 yards on four carries, including one touchdown rush, in win over Appalachian State … played in all 11 games in first collegiate season during 2020 season…ranked third on Hurricanes with 322 rushing yards, averaging 4.7 yards per carry on 68 carries…scored three rushing touchdowns…added 11 receptions for 143 yards in first season…made career debut in season opener against UAB, rushing for 52 yards on eight carries…averaged 6.5 yards per carry and had long rush of 33 yards in win over Blazers…scored first two rushing touchdowns of career in romp of rival Florida State … finished with seven carries for 35 rushing yards, including scoring runs of 2 and 5 yards…Added 15-yard reception against Seminoles… led Hurricanes with 43 rushing yards in win over Virginia …had 1-yard touchdown run and finished with 10 carries against Cavaliers… posted career-high 143 all-purpose yards – including career-high 62 rushing yards and career-high 81 receiving yards – in win at Duke…averaged 6.9 yards per carry against Blue Devils (nine carries) and tied for team lead with four receptions, including long reception of 56 yards… finished with 44 receiving yards on three receptions in 2020 Cheez-It Bowl against Oklahoma State … added six carries for 50 yards against Cowboys in season finale.
High School: A consensus four-star prospect by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals…ranked as the sixth-best running back and No. 46 player overall by Rivals.com…Rated the sixth-best running back and No. 42 player nationally by ESPN… listed as the No. 5 running back and No. 35 player overall by 247 Composite…selected to participate in the 2020 U.S. Army All-American Bowl…Participated in The Opening in the summer of 2019…leaves Belen Jesuit as the school’s all-time leading rusher having totaled 4,511 yards and 60 touchdowns on 442 carries over the course of five seasons…was a two-time Dade County Player of the Year…chose Miami over offers from Florida State, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas A&M, Michigan, Syracuse, Boston College and South Carolina.
Izayah Cummings
Tight End
6-3, 230, Senior
Louisville, Ky./Male/Kentucky
Before Louisville: Saw action in 47 career games, with four starts in four seasons at Kentucky … has one season of eligibility remaining … caught 18 passes for 293 yards and three scores during his UK career … also had two rushing attempts for 28 yards … was a two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member and was also named to the First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll as a freshman … graduated in December of ’23 with a degree in management … one of three representatives for UK football on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) in 2023… played in all 12 games with one start at Georgia during the 2023 season … totaled four catches for 98 yards … caught three passes for 43 yards at South Carolina, his first three receptions of the season … had a career-long 55-yard catch in the win over No. 9 Louisville … saw action in all 13 games with one starting assignment vs. Miami (Ohio) during the 2022 campaign … named to SEC Academic Honor Roll … moved from wide receiver to tight end during fall camp of the 2021 season …played in all 13 games with two starting assignments (Missouri and Georgia) … earned his first career start vs. Missouri … totaled 14 receptions (fourth on the team) for 195 yards (third on the team) and three scores … averaged 13.9 yards per catch … caught two passes for 27 yards, including a 22-yard TD at Vanderbilt … set career highs with four catches for 75 yards against Tennessee, including the second touchdown catch of his career … caught three passes for 22 yards at No. 1 Georgia … recorded his first collegiate touchdown pass, a 31-yard play in the fourth quarter, vs. UTC …caught first career pass for seven yards in the season opener vs. ULM … named to SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll … saw action in nine games (Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Missouri, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Florida and South Carolina) in 2020 … named to 2020-21 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll.
High School: Three-star prospect by all three major recruiting services … top-10 prospect in the state of Kentucky and rated the No. 86 wide receiver by 247Sports … named Kentucky Football Coaches Association 6A Player of the Year … candidate for Kentucky’s Mr. Football award … named to the 2019 Class of the Commonwealth by the Lexington Herald-Leader … first-team All-State by the Courier-Journal …three-year starter who finished his career with 109 receptions for 1,965 yards and 27 touchdowns …had a team-high 57 receptions for 1,100 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2019, helping the Bulldogs go 14-1 overall … named Class 6A Player of the Year by the Kentucky Football Coaches Association … helped Male advance to back-to-back appearances in the Class 6A State Championship … won the title in 2018 … combined for 23 receiving TDs in his last two seasons of football … ranked fifth in Class 6A in receiving yards and sixth in receptions despite playing three fewer games than the state leader … coached by Chris Wolfe … averaged nearly 20 yards per reception and 96.0 yards per game … ranked in the top 20 of all class levels in receptions and receiving yards … also an honor-roll student and participated in track and basketball … born in Louisville, Kentucky … Son of Andra and Natasha Cummings … has two sisters, Mia and Nia.
Victor Cutler, Jr.
Offensive Lineman
6-3, 300 / R-Senior
West Monroe, La. / West Monroe
Before Louisville: Played one season at Ohio State … transferred to Ohio State from Louisiana Monroe in the spring of 2023 and has one season of eligibility remaining… took part in the program’s 2023 spring drills …played 26 total snaps in five games for the Buckeyes in 2023 and then entered the transfer portal at the conclusion of the regular season … graduated from ULM in May 2022 with his degree in kinesiology … redshirted the 2019 season and then played in 29 games from 2020-22 and made 21 starts at three positions on the offensive line … started all 12 games at left tackle in 2022; started seven games at three positions (four at center; two at right tackle; one at left tackle) in 2021; started twice at right tackle in 2020.
High School: Played for coach Jerry Arledge at West Monroe and helped his team to a 28-2 record as a junior and senior.
Jordan Guerad
Defensive Lineman
6-3, 295, R-Junior
Valricico, Fla./Bloomingdale/FIU
Before Louisville: Has one year of eligibility remaining …named to Phil Steele’s Preseason All-Conference USA team and Athlon’s second team … Played in 12 games … recorded 38 total tackles and 7.0 tackles for loss … recorded 2.0 sacks … recorded season high three tackles in games versus Liberty, UTEP and Arkansas … appeared in 11 games in 2022, while making eight starts on the defensive line…logged 34 tackles (16 solo), including 5.5 tackle for losses…added with three sacks…rang up seven tackles at UTEP …notched six tackles and a sack vs. Louisiana Tech …posted four stops and a sack vs UTSA …logged three tackles, two TFLs and a sack vs. Middle Tennessee …rang up four stops vs. Florida Atlantic …posted three tackles against both UConn and at North Texas … appeared in five games as a reserve on the defensive line in 2021… recorded 11 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss… posted a season-best five stops at FAU.
High School: Product of Bloomingdale High School in Valrico, Florida… Helped lead Bloomingdale to a 12-1 record in 2020… earned 44 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and six sacks as a senior in 2020… also earned a scoop and score touchdown, forced fumble and blocked a field goal in 2020… scored two touchdowns on offense in 2020, one rushing as a quarterback and one receiving… rushing touchdown against Tampa Bay Tech in the 2020 state playoff semifinals was a game-winning score with 1.5 seconds remaining… has also been used as a quarterback on two-point conversation attempts for Bloomingdale… also recruited by UAB and Tennessee State among several others.
Jurriente Davis
Linebacker
6-1, 236, R-Senior
Greensboro, N.C./Dudley/Texas A&M
Played one season at Texas A&M … has one year remaining … played in three games, maintaining his redshirt season … finished the season with six tackles … Was in on four tackles in the season-opening win over New Mexico … Made a pair of tackles in the win over ULM … began his collegiate career at Hutchinson Community College where helped lead the Blue Dragons to a national championship and finished as a First-Team All-American with 41 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 7.0 tackles for loss and one interception … Transferred to Middle Tennessee State for the 2021 season and finished fourth on the team with 68 tackles, 3.0 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss … Played the 2022 season at Jackson State registering 58 tackles, including 38 solo takedowns.
Tayon Halloway
Defensive Back
6-1, 190, Sophomore
Virginia Beach, Va./Green Run/North Carolina
Before Louisville: Played two seasons at North Carolina … appeared in 10 games in 2023, totaling 19 tackles … recorded a season high four tackles against South Carolina … recorded three tackles in games against Syracuse and Pitt … provided depth at defensive back in 2022 … redshirted.
High School: A four-star prospect listed as the nation’s 188th-best player, the No. 24 cornerback and the No. 8 player in Virginia in the 247Sports Composite … ranked as the nation’s 208th-best player, the No. 23 cornerback and the No. 6 player in the state according to Rivals …tabbed as the nation’s 233rd-best player, the No. 29 cornerback and the No. 10 player in the state according to ESPN … member of the ESPN 300 … listed as the nation’s 200th-best player, the No. 25 cornerback and the No. 7 player in the state by On3 … team captain … tallied 46 receptions for 959 yards and 17 TDs as a senior … earned first-team All-Beach District honors at both wide receiver and defensive back … posted over 800 all-purpose yards and 15 TDs during a five-game junior season … named Beach District Player of the Year and first-team All-Tidewater … named first-team all-district at both wide receiver and defensive back … caught 69 passes for 814 yards as a sophomore … claimed honorable mention all-state and second-team All-Beach District honors … coached by Brandon Williams … son of Tonya and Donte Edwards.
Caullin Lacy
Wide Receiver
5-10, 190, Senior
Mobile, Ala./Faith Academy/South Alabama
Before Louisville: Played four seasons at South Alabama … has one year of eligibility remaining … caught 208 passes for 2,521 yards and 13 touchdowns … recorded 91 passes for 1,316 yards and seven touchdowns … led the Sun Belt Conference in receiving yards … named first team All-Sun Belt Conference in 2023 … posted eight 100-yard receiving games … ranked fifth in the nation in receiving yards, fifth in the nation in receptions and 12th in the nation in all-purpose yards …tallied two touchdown games against Oklahoma State and Central Michigan … scored five touchdowns of 30 or more yards … caught a season high nine passes for 103 yards versus Southern Miss and nine for 89 against Troy … grabbed seven receptions for a season best 156 yards and a score against Lousiana-Monroe … saw action in 13 games, all starts in 2022… recorded 21 returns for 189 yards, averaging 9.00 yards per return and scored a touchdown… finished with a team-high 65 receptions for 816 yards, with six touchdowns … recorded a career-high 12 receptions for 133 yards against ULM (10/15)… caught seven passes twice, against Troy (10/20) and WKU (12/21) in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl… registered six receptions against Nicholls (9/3) and Old Dominion (11/26)… recorded his return touchdown against Louisiana Tech (9/24) … saw action in 11 games in 2021, earning six starts including the first two games of the season against Southern Miss and Bowling Green … Ended the season with 291 yards on 41 receptions … had 10 games of two or more receptions, including a season-best eight receptions for 63 yards against Bowling Green … hauled in five receptions three times, including in the season opener against Southern Miss for 67 yards … appeared in all 11 of the Jaguars’ contests, earning a start in the season finale against Troy in the annual “Battle For The Belt” in 2020 … ended the season with 98 yards on 11 receptions … ranked fifth on the team with 318 all-purpose yards … totaled a season-high 100 all-purpose yards in the match-up with the Trojans, which included a season- and team-best 38 yards on four rushes … caught four passes for a season-high 32 yards at 15th-ranked Coastal Carolina … posted a season-long 28-yard catch in win over Texas State in USA’s Sun Belt Conference opener.
High School: Earned three stars from 247Sports.com and two from Rivals.com … lettered four years in football, basketball and track at Faith Academy … helped FA to a 17-6 record and back-to-back berths in the state 5A playoffs his final two years at the prep level … carried 228 times for 1,842 yards and 23 touchdowns his senior season, including running for 100-plus yards on 10 occasions … added 13 receptions for 129 yards and another two scores as the Rams finished with an 11-1 mark following a first-round victory in the state playoffs … earned first-team all-state and all-region honors, and was chosen the region’s Offensive Most Valuable Player … also was a finalist for the 5A Back of the Year and an honorable mention selection on AL.com’s Super All-State Team… had career highs of 309 yards rushing and five touchdowns in defeat of Mobile Christian School … ran for 216 yards and two scores in season-opening victory over Bayside Academy … recorded 195 yards and a pair of touchdowns on just 10 carries in win over Vigor High … posted 180 yards rushing in win over Satsuma High and 163 yards in defeat of Lumberton HS, scoring twice in each contest … ran for 159 yards and three touchdowns in victory over Jackson High … Had 147 yards rushing and a touchdown in first-round playoff win over Charles Henderson HS … recorded 1,081 all-purpose yards and scored 21 touchdowns as FA went 6-5 after qualifying for postseason action during junior season … rushed for 747 yards and 15 scores on only 85 attempts … posted 151 yards and a pair of touchdowns on just six attempts in season-opening victory over Bogue Chitto HS … carried 14 times for 137 yards and four scores in defeat of LeFlore HS … also scored twice in contests against Wilcox Central HS, Jackson High and Mount Olive HS.
Personal: Full name is Caullin Stefan Lacy … Born Dec. 22, 2001, in Mobile, Ala. … Son of Quincy and Shanta Lacy … Is the middle of three boys … Favorite food is chicken … Favorite subject is math … Likes to play sports and games in his free time.
Tamarion McDonald
Defensive Back
6-2, 200, Senior
Memphis, Tenn./Whitehaven/Tennessee
Before Louisville: Played four seasons at Tennessee … has one year of eligibility remaining … appeared in 42 career games … recorded 116 tackles and four interceptions … started all 10 games at STAR this season and ranked fifth on the team with 40 total tackles in 2023 … tied for third on the team with five passes defended (four PBU, one INT) this season … did not play in the final two games of the season vs. Georgia or Vanderbilt due to injury … tallied four tackles in Homecoming win vs. UConn… posted two solo tackles and a pivotal pass breakup on a fourth down play in win at Kentucky (10/28) … led the Vols with a career-best 10 total tackles at No. 11/8 Alabama… earned his 20th career start vs. Texas A&M, posting two solo tackles and logging a pass breakup on the game’s final drive … posted three solo tackles and a pass breakup against South Carolina … made a season-high seven tackles, nabbed his first interception of the year, logged his first-career sack and had a career-high two TFLs vs. UTSA… started (STAR) at Florida, played 50 defensive snaps and finished the game with three total tackles … filled the defensive box score with five tackles, one TFL, one quarterback hurry and one pass breakup in home opener vs. Austin Peay… started the season opener vs. Virginia (9/2) at STAR and logged three tackles with half a TFL … the starter in all 13 games for the Vols at the STAR position in 2022 … finished fourth on the team in tackles with 56, including 39 of the solo variety … ranked second on the squad in pass breakups with six and had four tackles for loss and two interceptions … came up big in start vs. Clemson in the Orange Bowl, recording five tackles and a key interception in the fourth quarter with the Vols leading 28-14 … snared eight tackles, including his 50th of the season, and a tackle for loss in the victory at Vanderbilt while also breaking up two passes … finished with six total tackles – five solo – at South Carolina… posted four solo tackles while breaking up a pass in the win against Missouri … made his 10th career start at No. 3 Georgia, recovering his first career fumble on the Bulldogs’ opening drive … finished with six tackles vs. Georgia … notched a QB hurry and a pass breakup to go along with two tackles in the win over No. 19 Kentucky … tied for the team lead with four solo tackles in the win over UT Martin… posted a career-best nine tackles and added a tackle for loss in the epic win vs. No. 3 Alabama … started and logged five tackles and a PBU in the win at No. 25 LSU … made one solo tackle and had his first QB hurry of the season in the victory over No. 20 Florida … had three tackles and a TFL of 12 yards against Akron, while also recording a PBU … recorded three tackles in win at No. 17 Pitt (9/10) and logged a TFL on the Panthers’ opening drive … started the season opener vs. Ball State at STAR and picked off the Cardinals on the first play of the game, setting up UT’s first TD of the year one play later … played in 12 games as a reserve defensive back and special teams contributor in 2021, totaling nine tackles, one TFL and one interception on the year … had a career-high five tackles, all solo, and a PBU in the win at Missouri … recorded his first-career interception and TFL in win vs. Tennessee Tech … posted two tackles vs. Pittsburgh, both coming on special teams … saw action in season opener against Bowling Green, recording one tackle on special teams … played in seven games in 2020 and made one start at safety as a true freshman … Totaled 11 tackles and one pass breakup on the year … Underwent shoulder surgery in June 2020, rehabbed and was cleared to practice in October … Earned first-career start in win at Vanderbilt, finishing with two tackles and his first-career PBU … Made one tackle against No. 6 Florida and had two tackles at No. 23 Auburn … Tallied two tackles at Arkansas and two tackles against No. 2 Alabama … Notched one tackle in his collegiate debut against Kentucky.
High School: Rated as a three-star prospect and the nation’s 38th-ranked outside linebacker in 247 composite rankings … starred at Whitehaven High School in Whitehaven, Tennessee, located in the Memphis area … helped lead Whitehaven to the state semifinals in 2019 and the state title game in 2018 … 2019 Memphis Commercial Appeal Dandy Dozen … 2019 Tennessee Class 6A All-State Team … 2018 Memphis Commercial Appeal All-Metro Defensive first team selection … Selected to play in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game … totaled 90 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles and a defensive touchdown as a junior in 2018 … integral part of a Whitehaven defense that allowed just 5.4 points per game and produced seven shutouts during the 2019 season … full name is Tamarion De’Kel McDonald … born on March 25, 2002 … mother is Fern McDonald.
Daeh McCullough
Defensive Back
6-1, 180, R-Freshman
South Bend, Ind./St. Joseph/Oklahoma
Before Louisville: Played one season at Oklahoma … has four seasons of eligibility remaining … lone appearance came in season opener vs. Arkansas State.
High School: A consensus four-star recruit … ranked No. 299 on the ESPN300 … touted as the No. 19 safety in the class by ESPN, No. 26 by 247, No. 32 by Rivals and No. 74 by On3 … ranked the No. 3 prospect in the state of Indiana by 247Sports and ESPN, No. 6 by Rivals and No. 12 by On3 … registered 60 tackles, one sack and an interception in seven games as a senior in 2022 … totaled 24 tackles, two interceptions, two pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and one tackle for loss his junior season … brother (Dasan) transferred to OU from Indiana in January and plays linebacker … father (Deland) coaches running backs at Notre Dame … chose Oklahoma over Cincinnati and Indiana.
Antonio Meeks
Wide Receiver
6-2, 190, Sophomore
Lilburn, Ga., Shiloh/Tuskegee
Before Louisville: Has two seasons of eligibility remaining … caught 74 passes for 1,437 yards and 11 touchdowns in two seasons at Tuskegee … recorded 43 receptions for 745 yards and five touchdowns … one of the most explosive receivers in the SIAC for the second straight year in his sophomore season, averaging 17.4 yards per catch … ranked fourth in the SIAC and 33rd in the country in receiving yards per game (77.3), and 38th in the nation in receiving yards (745), fifth in the SIAC and 63rd in the country in receptions per game (4.4), as well as fifth in the league and 86th in the nation in receiving touchdowns (5) … had his first 100-yard receiving game of the year in the season opener against Fort Valley State, catching 6 passes for 149 yards and one touchdown … also had four receptions for 119 yards and two scores against Central State, nine catches for 179 yards and one score against Edward Waters, five catches for 92 yards on the road at Savannah State, and eight catches for 73 yards and one score against Miles… grabbed 31 passes for 692 yards and six touchdowns.
Jonathan Mendoza
Offensive Line
6-9, 310, R-Senior
Westhampton Beach, N.Y./Westhampton Beach/Yale
Before Louisville: Played four seasons on the offensive line at Yale … has one season of eligibility remaining … named Honorable mention All-Ivy selection in 2022… started at right tackle… helped Bulldogs lead the Ivy League in rushing and total offense … appeared in three games in 2021 … no season due to COVID-19 in 2020 … served a role as reserve offensive lineman in 2019.
High School: 2017 Suffolk County Champion… 2017 Long Island Champion…2018 All-County… 2018 2nd Team All-Long Island… 2018 3rd Team All-State… 2018 Academic All-Division… 2018 Westhampton Beach Offensive Lineman of The Year… 2018 Westhampton Beach Trahan Award… team captain…11 consecutive varsity starts at right tackle … son of Sonia Dagel and Arthur Mendoza.
Rasheed Miller
Offensive Line
6-7, 310, R-Junior
Lake Wales, Fla./Lake Wales/Georgia Southern
Before Louisville: Played three seasons at Georgia Southern, earning second team All-Sun Belt Conference second team honors in 2023 … has two seasons of eligibility remaining … started all 13 games at right tackle … was on the field for 886 total snaps (809 offense, 77 special teams) … named a second-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection … selected third-team all-conference by College Football Network and Phil Steele … earned the start at right tackle in the opener against The Citadel, playing 69 snaps … played 65 offensive snaps in the win over UAB and 41 at Wisconsin … played 58 total snaps in the win at Ball State … on the field for 44 offensive snaps in the win over Coastal Carolina … played 79 total snaps at James Madison … played 71 offensive snaps in the win over ULM … played 76 total snaps in the win over Georgia State … played 62 offensive snaps at Texas State and 79 at Marshall … played all 76 offensive snaps against Old Dominion … was in for all 68 offensive snaps at App State … played 52 offensive snaps against Ohio in the Myrtle Beach Bowl … played in nine games, starting one in 2022 … was on the field for 105 total snaps (52 offense, 53 special teams) … made his first collegiate start in the opener against Morgan State, playing 52 total snaps … Saw action on special teams in the win at Nebraska … missed the next four games with a hand injury … returned to play special teams in the win over No. 25 James Madison … blocked for field goals and PATs in the win at Old Dominion and against South Alabama … played two snaps on special teams against Marshall and eight in the overtime win over App State … was in for three snaps on special teams in the Camellia Bowl against Buffalo … played in three games in 2021 … played 14 total snaps (three on offense, 11 on special teams) … made his collegiate debut against Arkansas State, playing three offensive snaps late … played nine snaps on special teams in the win at Texas State … played briefly on special teams at App State … made the Honor Roll in the spring for posting a 3.00 GPA or higher.
High School: Played for Coach Tavaris Johnson at Lake Wales High … named honorable mention all-county by The Ledger … helped paved the way for Johnny Richardson, who set a Lake Wales single-season mark with 2,491 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns … No. 158th-ranked offensive tackle in the nation by 247 Composite … born Rasheed Marquis Miller on May 20 in Lake Wales, FL … son of Rita Miller and Errol Miller.
Monroe Mills
Offensive Line
6-6, 315, R-Senior
Columbia, Mo./Father Tolton/Texas Tech
Before Louisville: Has one season of eligibility remaining …played two seasons at Texas Tech, both as a starter … quickly developed a role as the starting right tackle during his first season as a Red Raider in 2022 … started in 10 games at right tackle, missing three games midway through Big 12 play due to an ankle injury … held out of the lineup over a three-game stretch against West Virginia, Baylor and TCU … ranked fourth on the team with 856 total offensive snaps, all of which came at right tackle … was Texas Tech’s highest-graded offensive lineman according to Pro Football Focus (63.4) … allowed only one sack over 524 opportunities according to PFF, finishing with a 97.5 pass blocking efficiency … had a pass blocking grade at 70.0 or higher against four power-five foes in N.C. State, Texas, Oklahoma and in the TaxAct Texas Bowl versus Ole Miss … put together his highest pass blocking rating of the year in the overtime win over Texas (78.1) … also a member of the Red Raiders’ field goal protection unit … spent two seasons at Oklahoma State before transferring to Texas Tech … appeared in two games during his tenure in Stillwater, which came late in Oklahoma State’s win over Kansas in 2021 and then in the 2020 regular-season finale at Baylor … combined for 24 snaps during those two games (19 on offense, 5 on special teams) … joined the Red Raiders prior to the start of spring practices.
High School: Attended Father Tolton Catholic High School in his hometown of Columbia, Mo. … one of the best offensive lineman in the state of Missouri prior to suffering a knee injury that kept him sidelined for his entire 2019 senior season … previously played both ways as a junior, earning All-State and All-District honors … also wrestled at Tolton, finishing his junior campaign with a record of 41-8 and placing third in Class 1 at 285 pounds … part of his school’s chess club as well … rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN … ranked by Rivals as the No. 23 player out of Missouri … was also No. 25 and No. 27 in the state-wide rankings by 247 Sports and ESPN as well … received 20-plus scholarship offers, choosing Oklahoma State over offers from Arkansas State, Central Michigan, Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Missouri, Rutgers, Toledo and Tulane and interest from the likes of Cincinnati, Duke, Kentucky, Louisville, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Penn State, Texas, Wisconsin … born in Columbia, Mo. … son of Mike Mills and Amy Mills … has two siblings, Montgomery and Margot … hopes to one day become a business owner… enjoys fishing, hunting, and hiking in his spare time … earned bachelor’s degree in business management in August 2023.
Tahveon Nicholson
Defensive Back
5-11, 180, Junior
Jacksonville, Fla./Riverside/Illinois
Before Louisville: Played three seasons at Illinois … has two seasons of eligibility remaining … played in all 12 games and started 11 games at cornerback in 2023 … credited with 36 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, six pass breakups, one fumble recovery, and two forced fumbles on the season … named Athlon Preseason All-Big Ten fourth team … selected PFF Preseason All-Big Ten third team … named Academic All-Big Ten in 2022 … Illinois’ Howard Griffith Impact Player Award winner … started the first 10 games at cornerback … missed the last three games with an injury … recorded 19 tackles, 1.0 TFL, one interception, six pass breakups, and one force fumble on the season … tallied a career-high six tackles and first career TFL and interception at Wisconsin … selected Academic All-Big Ten in 2021 … credited with 11 tackles and two pass breakups in eight games played, including two starts.
High School: Three-star recruit by 247 … Two-star recruit by Rivals … rated as the No. 1 prep school athlete in the nation by 247 Composite … recorded four interceptions and one forced fumble at Palmetto Prep Academy … also played wide receiver for Palmetto Prep Academy … played at Palmetto Prep Academy after high school career at Lee HS … played for head coach O.J. Small at Lee … tallied five interceptions and one forced fumble during his high school career … scored 28 touchdowns during his high school career, including two interception returns and one punt return.
Pete Nygra
Offensive Line
6-4, 295, R-Jr.
Indianapolis, Ind./Brownsburg/Northern Illinois
Before Louisville: Played three seasons at Northern Illinois …owns two seasons of eligibility … appeared in 28 career games, making 23 starts … started all 12 games at center for the No. 2 rushing team in the MAC in 2023 … named second team All-MAC by the Phil Steele … played every snap in 2023 … started 11 of 12 games at center in 2022; ranked second on the team in total snaps (758) as a redshirt freshman … did not allow a sack in 328 passing attempts while snapping to four different quarterbacks in 2022 … named NIU’s Freshman of the Year at postseason banquet … allowed just one hit on the quarterback all season … led the NIU offensive line with a 95% effort grade for the season … NIU ranked second in the MAC and 34th nationally in rushing offense with 190.4 yards/game … led the MAC and ranked 10th in the country in fewest sacks allowed with just 12 surrendered all year for an average of 1.0/game … best performances came against Vanderbilt with an 84 % overall grade and 97 % effort and at Western Michigan with 84 % overall/96 % effort … PFF graded him at 80 % or higher three times, topped by an 83.4% mark against Ball State … earned Academic All-MAC and CSC Academic All-District honors … Saw action in three games in 2021 – at Buffalo (11-17), versus Western Michigan (11-23) and in the Cure Bowl (12-17) game versus Coastal Carolina in Orlando … used primarily as an extra blocker in Huskies’ “jumbo” package.
High School: Ranked the No. 1 center in the state of Indiana by 247Sports … helped lead the Bulldogs to conference title in 2018 and state playoffs in 2020 … three-time varsity letterwinner and two-time team captain (2019 and 2020) … named team Most Valuable Player in 2020 and best offensive lineman in each of the last two years … member of the National Honor Society … active with Special Olympics, Beggars for the Poor and Family Promise … born on August 29 in Danville, Indiana … son of Susan and Mike Nygra.
Blake Ruffin
Defensive Back
6-4, 205, R-Junior
Louisville, Ky. /Trinity/Eastern Illinois
Before Louisville: Played three seasons at Eastern Illinois … has two seasons remaining … started all 11 games at safety during the 2023 season… earned second team All-America honors by the Associated Press and third team All-America honors by Stats Perform… was a first team All-Big South/OVC Football Association selection at defensive back… finished year second on team with 63 tackles making 45 solo stops… had three games with double figure tackles with a high of 13 at Northwestern State which included eight solo tackles… had ten tackles in Mid-America Classic win over Illinois State… had ten tackles at Southeast Missouri… led Big South-OVC in interceptions with four including interceptions to seal wins against Illinois State and Northwestern State… had four tackles for loss and one sack with sack in season opening shutout win at Indiana State… had one forced fumble and one fumble recovery as part of a defense that ranked second in the FCS in turnovers gained during the regular season… tacked on four pass break-ups… named Big South-OVC Defensive Player of the Week following road win at Northwestern State … suffered season ending injury at the start of fall camp missing entire season with a medical redshirt in 2022 … appeared in all 11 games making one start at safety in the final regular season game against Murray State as a freshman in 2021… finished the year with 31 tackles including 20 solo stops… had a season high seven tackles at Austin Peay… had five tackles, all solo in final game against Murray State… had two tackles for loss with one each in win at Tennessee Tech and against Murray State… had two fumble recoveries with one at SEC member South Carolina and in final game against Murray State… had five pass break-ups on the year with three at Dayton.
High School: Played football for coach Bob Beatty at Trinity HS… part of a defensive unit that allowed just five points per game during 2020 season while holding opponents to negative three rushing yards per game and 77 passing yards per contest… named honorable mention All-State… named All-Area as a senior after helping lead team to Kentucky Class 6A State Championship with a 10-0 record… made three tackles in state championship game… as a junior helped lead team to Kentucky Class 6A State Championship as team posted a 13-2 record… team captain.
Tyler Shough
Quarterback
6-5, 230, R-Senior
Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton/Texas Tech
Before Louisville: Played three seasons at Texas Tech … owns one season of eligibility … passed for 2,922 yards and 20 touchdowns … threw for 746 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023 … named to Shrine Bowl 1,000 list (7/19) … named to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list … named to the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award preseason watch list … pushed the Red Raiders to an undefeated record as the starting quarterback in 2022 … appeared in seven games overall with five starts, all wins … missed six games early in the season due to a shoulder injury suffered during the opener against Murray State … came off the bench for two games before returning to the starting role for the final four contests … now 8-1 as a starting quarterback at Texas Tech and 12-4 over his collegiate career … is a perfect 8-0 as a starter at Texas Tech in games he has finished … closed the year 106-of-177 overall for 1,304 yards and seven touchdowns … averaged 243.8 passing yards per game in contests he started as well as 300.0 yards of total offense per game … of his 106 completions, 46 went for 10 yards, 21 resulted in 20 yards, 12 were for 30 yards and three finished at 40 yards or longer … part of a Texas Tech offense that became only the second program since 1996 to have three different quarterbacks throw for at least 1,000 yards in a season … also rushed for 269 yards and four touchdowns on 72 carries … was the Red Raiders’ third-leading rusher and ranked fourth for total carries … had at least 10 carries in three of his final four starts of the season with the lone exception being nine attempts in that span against Oklahoma … had at least 30 rushing yards in all four of those games with two games with 70 or more yards and one 100-yard performance … received a 74.1 offensive grade by Pro Football Focus, which led the quarterback room and ranked third on the offense … credited with playing in 403 offensive snaps by PFF … was 11th in the league for passing yards and 12th overall for touchdown passes, completions and passing attempts at the end of the season … ranked tied for sixth in the league with 12 completions of 30 or more yards … posted the second-highest single game amount for total offensive yards among league players with his performance versus Oklahoma … departed the season opener versus Murray State (9/3) early in the second quarter following a shoulder injury … was 6-of-10 passing to that point for 154 yards and a touchdown to go along with one rushing attempt for 17 yards … injury kept him on the sidelines for the next six games until he returned late in the loss to Baylor (10/29) … played only in the final few series, finishing 1-of-2 for seven yards with four rushes for negative-21 yards versus the Bears … came off the bench again a week later at TCU (11/5), completing 9-of-22 passes for 78 yards and a score while rushing seven times for nine yards and another touchdown … returned to the starting lineup against Kansas, leading the Red Raiders to a victory to start a four-game winning streak to end the season after completing 20-of-33 passes for 246 yard and a touchdown to go along with 12 rushes for 76 yards and another score … extremely accurate in the road win at Iowa State, finishing 15-of-21 overall for 141 yards and a touchdown … lone score came via a late four-yard fade pass to Baylor Cupp in the fourth quarter that proved to be the game-winner … also rushed 14 times in the win for 33 yards … recorded the best passing performance of his career to close the regular season, throwing for a career-high 436 yards on 31-of-50 passing versus Oklahoma … set career highs for not only passing yards in the overtime win but also completions and attempts … had two touchdown passes in the victory with both coming in the second half … wrapped the year by earning MVP honors of the TaxAct Texas Bowl with 353 yards of total offense in the win over Ole Miss (12/28) … completed 24-of-39 passes for 242 yards and a touchdown in the win, while setting career highs with 25 rushing attempts for 111 yards and two touchdowns … became the first Red Raider quarterback to rush for 100 yards in a game since 1976 when Rodney Allison totaled 106 yards on the ground versus Baylor … named the MVP of the TaxAct Texas Bowl after leading the Red Raiders to a 42-25 victory over Ole Miss … tabbed to the preseason watch lists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Reese’s Senior Bowl … recognized for his work in the classroom as part of the Academic All-Big 12 second team … a broken collar bone injury eventually limited him to only four starts in 2021 … had completed 64-of-92 of his passes for 872 yards and six touchdowns up to that point with 16 rush attempts for 14 yards and a pair of scores … finished with an impressive 69.5 completion percentage in his debut season … returned to practice late in the season but was not cleared for contact … made his Red Raider debut by completing 17-of-24 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown in the come-from-behind victory over Houston … first touchdown as a Red Raider came on a three-yard strike to Xavier White in the fourth quarter, extending Texas Tech’s lead to 31-21 with 2:05 remaining … rushed six times for negative-2 yards in the win, but did manage to find the end zone on the ground via an eight-yard scamper midway through the third quarter … was Texas Tech’s first touchdown as part of 31 unanswered points in the second half … connected on 12-of-22 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown the next week against Stephen F. Austin … touchdown was via a 75-yard deep strike to Erik Ezukanma on the opening drive of the game, marking the longest completion of his career … put together his first career 300-yard game to close non-conference play after completing 26-of-35 passes for 399 yards and four touchdowns … set career highs for completions, attempts, passing yards and matched his career mark for passing touchdowns in the win … found Travis Koontz for two of his touchdown passes, hitting the tight end on four-yard and one-yard scores … also connected with Trey Cleveland for a 28-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter and then Mason Tharp on a 25-yard scoring strike late in the third quarter … was 9-of-11 for 68 yards against Texas (9/25) at the time of his injury, which came after he dove into the end zone on a six-yard touchdown scamper … injury closed Texas Tech’s drive to start the second quarter … arrived in Lubbock following three years at the University of Oregon … was the Ducks’ starter at quarterback for their run to the Pac-12 Championship and an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl in 2020 … combined to complete 64.8 percent of his passes over his Oregon career, throwing for 1,703 yards and 16 touchdowns with only six interceptions … made 68 rushing attempts for 282 yards and two touchdowns over his 15 career games as well … bulk of those totals came as a sophomore in 2020 where he made all seven starts … started in all seven games at quarterback for a Ducks program that finished 5-2 overall … completed 63.4 percent of his passes overall (106-for-167) for 1,559 yards and 13 touchdowns with only six interceptions … added 66 carries for 271 yards and a pair of scores on the ground as well … threw for at least 200 yards in all five regular-season starts and hit the 300-yard mark twice … was among the Pac-12 and FBS leaders in several offensive categories, finishing seventh nationally in passing yards per completion (14.7), 12th in yards per pass attempt (9.34) and 15th in passing efficiency (160.4) … was the Pac-12 leader in all three categories and also ranked second in the league for passing touchdowns (13), passing yards (1,559), points responsible for (92) as well as fourth for completion percentage (63.5), passing yards per game (222.7) and points responsible for per game (13.1) … made his first career start versus Stanford (11/7), leading the Ducks to a win after throwing for 227 yards and a touchdown on 17-of-26 passing … found the end zone on the ground as well as part of 11 carries for a career-high 85 yards … rushed for 80-plus yards again the following week at Washington State, which included a 33-yard carry, the longest of his career … totaled 81 yards on nine carries versus the Cougars to go along with 312 passing yards and four touchdowns through the air on 21-of-30 passing … marked his first career 300-yard passing game … hit the mark again the following week against UCLA, finishing with a career-high 334 passing yards and three touchdowns on 19-of-30 attempts … put together another strong performance through the air with 285 passing yards and two touchdowns at Oregon State as well as his final rushing touchdown of the season … completed 14-of-26 passes in the regular-season finale at Cal, totaling 231 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 53 yards on a career-high 13 attempts … threw a pair of touchdown passes in the Pac-12 Championship win over USC as part of 8-of-15 completions for 91 yards … closed his Oregon career by completing 7-of-9 passes for 79 yards against Iowa State in the Fiesta Bowl served as the primary backup to eventual NFL first-round selection Justin Herbert in 2019 … saw action in five games, throwing for 144 yards and three touchdowns on only 12-of-15 attempts … inserted at quarterback against Auburn, Nevada, Montana, Colorado and at USC … impressed in the second half against Nevada, completing 8-of-9 passes for 92 yards and a pair of touchdowns … found eight different receivers in that performance … first career completion went for a touchdown after finding Jaylon Redd for a seven-yard score … was 1-for-2 later in the year for 14 yards versus Colorado and then 2-for-3 for 41 yards and another touchdown at USC … touchdown against the Trojans was a 36-yard strike in the fourth quarter to Mycah Pittman … redshirt season in 2018 … appeared in three games for a total of eight snaps … three appearances came against Portland State San Jose State and Oregon State.
High School: Attended Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz. … among the top quarterback prospects in the country coming out of high school … threw for 3,071 yards and 30 touchdowns with only five interceptions as a senior in 2017 … garnered first team 6A Premier League honors as well as first team All-Chandler Unified School District accolades … recognized as a first team scholar athlete by the National Football Foundation (NFF) Valley of the Sun chapter … previously totaled 2,079 passing yards and 27 touchdowns as a junior in 2016 … was an honorable mention All-Premier League recipient that season … participated in the Elite 11 camp with the nation’s top quarterback prospects … consensus four-star and top-300 prospect by the likes of ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports … rated as the No. 1 player in the state of Arizona by both Rivals and 247Sports … considered the No. 94 overall prospect in the 2018 class and the No. 6 pro-style quarterback by 247Sports … tabbed the No. 199 overall player in the class and the No. 6 pro-style quarterback by Rivals … pegged at No. 266 overall in the ESPN300 and the No. 2 player from Arizona … was the No. 1 prospect in Arizona and No. 40 overall in the 247Sports compositing rankings … chose Oregon over scholarship offers from Alabama, Arizona State, California, Colorado State, Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon State, South Carolina and Washington State … son of Glenn and Dana Shough … has a younger brother, Brady, who played safety at Northern Arizona University … has two older half-sisters, Beth Serino and Cori Clausman, who both live in the Los Angeles area … father was a football student-athlete at Cal Lutheran where he obtained his undergraduate degree … graduated from Oregon in only three years with two degrees in criminal justice and political science … earned his master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Texas Tech in December 2022.
Jaleel Skinner
Tight End
6-5, 210, Sophomore
Greer, S.C./IMG/Miami
Before Louisville: Played two seasons at Miami … has three years remaining … caught 10 passes for 138 yards and one touchdown in 11 career games … played in two games in 2023 …recorded one reception for nine yards against Bethune Cookman … saw action in nine games and made two starts in debut season at Miami in 2022… caught nine passes for 129 yards with one touchdown in freshman campaign…made career debut in season opener against Bethune-Cookman, catching one pass for 30 yards…caught one pass for 17 yards against MTSU …recorded 40 yards on three catches against North Carolina (Oct. 8)… added two passes for total of 30 yards in win at Virginia Tech …recorded eight yards on one catch against Duke …Made first start of career vs. Florida State …had one catch for four-yard touchdown – first score of career – in win at Georgia Tech …made second start of career vs. Clemson.
High School: Consensus four-star prospect by every major scouting service…Selected to play in 2022 All-American Bowl…checked in as No. 148 overall player in nation in ESPN300…ranked No. 2 tight end (H) and No. 19 player in state of Florida by ESPN…rated No. 103 player nationally and No. 3 tight end in high school class by Rivals…listed as No. 17 player in state of Florida by Rivals…rated No. 98 player overall and No. 3 tight end in 247Sports Composite Rankings…ranked No. 82 player nationally and No. 4 tight end nationally by 247Sports…played basketball and competed in track & field during high school…transferred to IMG Academy for final year after beginning career at Greer High School (S.C.)…chose Miami over offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma and Oregon.
Corey Thornton
Defensive Back
6-1, 190, R-Senior
Miami, Fla./Booker T. Washington/UCF
Before Louisville: Played four seasons at UCF … has one season remaining … appeared in 47 games with 38 starts … recorded 139 career tackles and four interceptions … registered 28 passes defended … played in 12 games in 2023 with 27 tackles and three interceptions … recorded three tackles and a pick in an 18-16 win over Boise State … totaled five tackles and an interception against Kansas State … credited with a season best six tackles against Texas Tech … appeared in 14 games, including 11 starts in 2022 … named third-team All-AAC selection by Pro Football Focus … finished seventh on UCF roster in tackles in 2022 with 50 … led Knights in pass breakups with seven … put together one of his best games against SMU with four tackles and two pass breakups in start vs. SMU; 5 solo tackles, 1 PBU in start vs. Temple … tallied eight tackles and a forced fumble at ECU … Also recorded eight tackles with a quarterback hurry at Memphis … selected third-team preseason All-AAC for ’22 by Athlon Sports … appeared in 12 games, starting six times at cornerback in 2021 … earned third-team All-AAC honors from Pro Football Focus … tied for third on the team with six pass breakups … added 32 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack … credited with five tackles versus Memphis and at SMU … played in and started all 10 games at cornerback as a freshman in 2020 … totaled 30 tackles, including 23 solo stops … added an interception and two pass break-ups … recorded seven tackles at South Florida … made season-high nine tackles with five unassisted in Boca Raton Bowl against BYU … named to 247 Sports’ Preseason True Freshman All-America Team
High School: Helped Booker T. Washington High School in Miami, Florida, to 25-21 victory over Jacksonville Bolles for Florida 4A state title in 2019 … helped Washington to 14-2 mark as senior in 2019 … assisted BTW to No. 1 final regular-season 4A ranking by Associated Press and No. 8 in all Florida divisions by FloridaHSFootball.com … played for coach Earl Tillman.
Reuben Unije
Offensive Line
6-5, 310, R-Senior
Bradenton, Fla./IMG Academy/Houston
Before Louisville: Played four seasons at Houston … has one season of eligibility remaining … named to East-West Shrine Bowl 1,000 … appeared in seven games as a junior … made two starts – both at right tackle … played in 213 snaps – all at right tackle … 80.9 pass block grade ranked fourth among AAC tackles per PFF (min. 200 snaps) … 73.1 overall grade ranked sixth among AAC tackles per PFF (min. 200 snaps) … started and helped Cougars to three-overtime win at UTSA … played season high 68 snaps at UTSA … made one appearance … played 23 snaps on offensive line vs. Grambling … started final six games of season at left tackle in 2020 … played 463 snaps at left tackle, 17 snaps on field goal/extra point … Did not allow a sack in 264 opportunities … helped UH rank fourth in the American in passing offense (265.8) … helped Cougars rank sixth in total offense (408.9) … paved way for 319 rushing yards vs. USF … recorded a season-best 79.0 offensive grade in 82 snaps at New Mexico Bowl … originally signed with Illinois in 2018 … spent 2019 season at Coahoma (Miss.) Junior College.
High School: 2018 four-star recruit by Rivals … three-star recruit by 247Sports … ranked No. 21 offensive tackle nationally by Rivals … rated No. 31 offensive tackle by ESPN … played senior season of high school at IMG (Fla.) Academy.
Personal: Earned Bachelor of Science in Sociology from UH … Hobbies include soccer, painting, innovating … has a 7-2 wingspan … has a podcast and a clothing line called UEREL.
Wesley Walker
Defensive Back
6-1, 205, R-Senior
Lewisburg, Tenn./Ensworth/Tennessee
Before Louisville: Played two seasons at Tennessee … has one season of eligibility remaining … spent his first three seasons playing at Georgia Tech and originally signed with the Yellow Jackets in December 2018 … played in 46 career games with 25 starts (23/13 at GT, 23/12 at UT) … Including the 2024 season, has one year of remaining eligibility … accumulated 185 tackles – 112 solo – with 11.0 tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, 12 pass breakups and three forced fumbles in his career, including his time at Georgia Tech … finished fourth on the team with 53 total tackles in 2023 … started at safety in each of the first 10 games of the season before missing the final two contests due to injury … led all players with nine tackles in loss at No. 14 Missouri … recorded a UT career high and team-leading nine tackles, including a TFL, in road win at Kentucky … tallied six tackles at No. 11/8 Alabama … had another extremely productive game in win over South Carolina (9/30), finishing with five solo tackles, a pass breakup and a QB hurry … finished with five tackles (four solo) in win over UTSA (9/23) … made three solo tackles and forced a fumble in SEC opener at Florida (9/16) … tallied an excellent all-around performance in win over Austin Peay, totaling six tackles, a TFL, a sack and a pass breakup while playing a team-high 81 snaps … started at safety in season opener vs. Virginia (9/2), finishing with four tackles and 1.5 TFLs … put together a strong first season at Tennessee in 2022, playing in all 13 games with two starts while picking up 36 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, five pass breakups, an interception and a sack … finished the season strong with his first career interception in the Capital One Orange Bowl against No. 7 Clemson, sealing the victory in the final two minutes … made his first start as a Vol at safety in the regular-season finale at Vanderbilt and finished with a season-high eight tackles, including 1.5 for loss … logged his third pass breakup of the season at No. 3 Georgia… played 35 defensive snaps vs. UT Martin, and posted three total tackles plus a PBU … logged three tackles and a pass breakup in the win over No. 3 Alabama… made three solo tackles while playing 25 defensive snaps in a victory at No. 25 LSU… posted three total tackles and landed his first-career sack for a seven-yard loss to force a pivotal turnover on downs in UT’s overtime win at No. 17 Pitt… debuted for the Vols in the season opener vs. Ball State, totaling four tackles in the victory … played in 10 games with eight starts at Georgia Tech in 2021 … Ranked sixth on the team in tackles with 45 – 24 solo – to go along with two pass breakups, one fumble recovery and two forced fumbles … Notched four tackles (three solo), forced a fumble and tallied a career-best two PBUs at Miami … Tallied a season-high 10 tackles in road win at Duke … Also had five tackles apiece in games against Pitt, Clemson and Northern Illinois … Added a fumble recovery vs. NIU in the season-opener … appeared in 10 games during the COVID-19 shortened season in 2020 … made five starts at nickel back … ranked fourth on the team with 48 tackles and four pass breakups … had multiple tackles in all 10 games and made at least five stops in 6-of-10 contests … made first-career start in home opener versus UCF and recorded five tackles and two pass breakups … twice recorded a season-high seven tackles – vs. Louisville and at NC State … had six stops apiece against Duke and Pitt … recorded tackles for loss in back-to-back games against Duke and NC State … redshirted after appearing in three games – The Citadel, at Virginia and then-No. 4 Georgia … finished the year with three tackles (two solo) … Recorded two tackles (one solo) at Virginia … also totaled a solo tackle against Georgia … enrolled at Georgia Tech in July 2019.
High School: Rated a four-star prospect and the No. 37 defensive back in the country by ESPN for the Class of 2019 … considered a three-star prospect by 247Sports and tabbed the No. 19 overall player in the state of Tennessee … also a three-star prospect by Rivals.com and their No. 18 player in the state … Rebounded from a season-ending injury as a junior in 2017 to be named all-region as a senior in 2018 … In addition to his all-region performance as a defensive back, also spent time on special teams returning kickoffs as a senior … returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown in Week 6 … tallied 10.5 tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in just four games during injury-shortened junior season … played wide receiver as a freshman in 2015, hauling in four receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown in six games, including a career-long 50-yard reception … full name is Wesley La’kease Walker … born on May 21, 2001, in Lewisburg, Tenn. … mother is Jasmine Abernathy … has one brother, Chris, and two sisters, Alaya and Kiki.
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