⚡ CFB Dashboard

- Isaac Brown has averaged 8.8 yards per carry with 21 percent of his attempts gaining at least 10 yards, making his health the key condition behind projections that he leads Louisville in touchdowns and all-purpose production. - Both analysts projected dual-threat quarterback Lincoln Kienholz to lead Louisville in total yards, with one setting 3,500 combined passing and rushing yards as the benchmark for a productive offense. - Tulsa transfer Brody Foley is back to health after offseason injuries and enters 2026 as a potential scoring surprise after producing seven receiving touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns last season. - Edge rusher Clev Lubin returns after leading Louisville with 8.5 sacks, and the Cardinals' depth around him could prevent opponents from concentrating protection solely on him. - Jeff Brohm said defensive back Jabari Mack is eligible and available for the Ole Miss opener after Mack recorded two interceptions in each of the past two seasons.

- CardinalAuthority's two preseason projections both place Louisville at 10-2, with that record expected to keep the Cardinals in the ACC Championship and College Football Playoff races. - The schedule's decisive opening stretch features top-10 Ole Miss in Week 1 and SMU in Week 3, while Louisville avoids ACC preseason favorite Miami during the regular season. - Louisville's projected ceiling is 11-1 to 12-0 because of its talent, size and depth, with a 3-0 start viewed as the point at which an undefeated run becomes realistic. - The projected floor is 7-5 to 8-4 if the rebuilt offensive line struggles and the passing game around Lincoln Kienholz develops slowly, especially if Louisville drops the early Ole Miss and SMU games. - Louisville is 11-8 in one-score games under Jeff Brohm and remains a narrow favorite in several 2026 matchups, adding volatility to a roster viewed as strong on both sides of the ball.

- Louisville enters the neutral-site Ole Miss opener as a 6.5-point underdog with four new offensive-line starters and only 250 career passing yards from first-time starting quarterback Lincoln Kienholz. - Louisville's established offensive advantage is the backfield, where Isaac Brown averaged a national-best 8.8 yards per carry last season and Keyjuan Brown averaged 7.3. - Louisville's ACC-leading 2025 pass defense faces an Ole Miss offense that led the SEC at 313.3 passing yards and 498.7 total yards per game last season. - Louisville edge Clev Lubin enters the matchup with a 91.4 PFF grade that the article identifies as the best among ACC players at his position.

- Injury: Louisville football will play Ole Miss on Sunday; Cardinal Sports has five takeaways from the Jeff Brohm press conference this morning www.on3.com

- QB/LB: Louisville football QB Lincoln Kienholz has waited three years for this moment; he will get his first start on Sunday night against Ole Miss www.on3.com

- LB: Projecting Louisville's defensive depth chart going into season opener The season opener is Sunday in Nashville.

- LB: Projecting Louisville's offensive depth chart going into season opener The season opener is Sunday in Nashville.

- Louisville regained an experienced linebacker through a legal eligibility ruling, adding needed depth to the position before the season. - Ben Perry is viewed as one step below a dependable starter but capable of filling the role effectively if Louisville loses a first-team linebacker.

- Louisville's unofficial opener projection places Lincoln Kienholz at quarterback, Isaac Brown at running back, Tre Richardson, LaWayne McCoy and TreyShun Hurry at receiver, and Brody Foley at tight end. - The projected Louisville offensive line is Lance Robinson, Eryx Daugherty, Evan Wibberley, Johnnie Brown III and Cason Henry from left to right, with Robinson also listed as the backup center. - Louisville's projected defensive front pairs edge rushers Clev Lubin and AJ Green with tackles Demeco Kennedy and Joshua Donald, while Stanquan Clark and T.J. Capers lead the linebacker projection. - The projected Louisville secondary starts Tayon Holloway and Kaleb Beasley at corner, DJ Waller and Koen Entringer at safety, and Antonio Watts at the STAR position.

- Louisville returns corners Holloway and Mack, while Waller's length gives him the developmental ceiling to become the secondary's shutdown option. - Beasley held the practice edge in the safety competition, and Louisville expects the eventual starter to bring SEC experience to the communication-heavy quarterback role in the back end.

- Louisville's new co-defensive coordinators Mark Ivey and Steve Ellis replace Ron English in 2026, with Ivey taking defensive play-calling responsibility for the first time in his career. - Louisville's edge rotation pairs Clev Lubin and AJ Green with North Carolina transfer Tyler Thompson, whose seven sacks last season add proven pass-rush production alongside Lubin's 8.5 sacks and Green's four. - Louisville's aggressive defense allowed several explosive offensive plays in its first preseason scrimmage but rebounded sufficiently in the second to draw praise from coaches, leaving consistency under the new play-caller an opening-game question.

- Louisville views Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss as an unusually difficult opening test because he combines high-end talent with proven production. - Louisville's rebuilt defense must also contain Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy, one of the nation's most productive returning players. - Co-defensive coordinator Mark Ivey considers the matchup an immediate measuring stick for Louisville's rebuilt defense and believes a strong performance would materially raise the unit's confidence. - Ivey plans to coach from the sideline while Louisville's defensive staff uses a collaborative game-planning process to put the unit in position against Ole Miss's high-output offense.

- RB: Louisville football running back Isaac Brown is healthy and ready for the opener against Ole Miss, according to coach Jeff Brohm www.on3.com

- RB: Louisville football running back Isaac Brown is one of the most dynamic running backs in college football for the Cardinals www.on3.com

- DL: Louisville football edge rusher Clev Lubin is chasing big goals this season as the leader of the Cardinals' defense www.on3.com

- Intel: A transcript of what Louisville football coach Jeff Brohm had to say before Ole Miss game.

- Intel: A few notes heading into the opener Louisville Football: Ole Miss week notebook Louisville football opens the season on Sunday against Ole Miss.

- Practice: 👋 Good to have the Redmans out at practice today #GoCards