By Vinny Porco
Following news Thursday morning of star running back Isaac Brown‘s intention to enter the NCAA transfer portal, Louisville football’s roster continues to bleed out.
The portal officially opened Friday morning at 12 a.m. EST and is set to close on Jan. 16, 2026.
Two more key pieces of Louisville’s defense have announced their intention to transfer since the portal’s opening.
First reported by Pete Nakos of On3 Sports just after 3 p.m. Friday, starting safety Corey Gordon Jr. intends to enter the current transfer portal cycle. In his single season at Louisville, the transfer from Baylor University recorded 53 combined tackles and three tackles for loss.
This news was followed up just after 6 p.m. Friday with another report from On3 Sports, this time from Hayes Fawcett, announcing that star linebacker Antonio Watts is also entering the transfer portal.
Notching four seasons at Louisville in 2025, Watts now has a career total of 123 combined tackles, 19 tackles for loss, three sacks, three interceptions and four forced fumbles going into his redshirt senior season. He especially made his presence known in the 2025 season, picking off quarterback Carson Beck in Louisville’s upset win over the College Football Playoff semifinalist Miami Hurricanes and snagging a highlight redzone interception in the Cardinals’ ACC opener to prevent Pitt from scoring.
The departures of Gordon and Watts mean the Louisville football staff will need to pursue supplemental talent to fill gaps in the secondary and linebacker rooms. This comes as an added challenge to a staff that already must reckon with a slew of defensive line departures and the thinning of nearly every offensive position group.
Feature Photo by Vinny Porco / The Louisville Cardinal
