By Vinny Porco
First reported by Pete Nakos and Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports late Sunday night, star running back Isaac Brown is set to return to the Cardinals for his junior season.
Brown first announced his intention to enter the NCAA transfer portal Thursday.
Announcing himself as a “DO NOT CONTACT” recruit, many believed Brown to be intent on transferring to a predetermined destination.
This comes as a significant relief to Louisville after a transfer portal exodus of skill players to go along with the same with many other position groups.
Brown rushed for 884 yards and seven rushing touchdowns over the course of nine games.
Also reportedly returning per Nakos and Fawcett is Cardinals linebacker Antonio Watts. Watts announced his intention to transfer Friday, deciding to stay just one day later on Jan. 3.
Additionally, the Cardinals added two players via the transfer portal Saturday.
Kentucky defensive back DJ Waller Jr. became the first player to commit to U of L from the transfer portal, announcing his commitment in a post Saturday evening on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
Waller’s post notably included a photo of himself with Louisville’s Executive Director of Football Personnel and Recruiting Vince Marrow, whose last job was with the Kentucky Wildcats as recently as the 2024 season.
The Cardinals have also made a splash at the quarterback position, acquiring Lincoln Kleinholz. Kleinholz backed up Heisman Trophy candidate Julian Sayin for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2025, nearly winning the starting job in the preseason.
This comes as a much-needed supplement to a nearly empty quarterback room awaiting recruit Briggs Cherry.
The Louisville football staff can breathe just a bit for now, but will still need to plug major holes left by NFL, graduate and transfer portal departures.
The current NCAA transfer portal cycle closes Jan. 16.
Feature Photo by Vinny Porco / The Louisville Cardinal
