LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The 2026 college football season might still be a few months away, but Louisville has long been generating a good amount of hype for year four under head coach Jeff Brohm. Between how they were able to retain talent and how they attacked the transfer portal, the Cardinals have routinely been mentioned as a preseason top-25 candidate, and even a squad that could contend for the ACC or make the College Football Playoff.
As you can imagine, Louisville sports an extremely talented overall roster for this upcoming season. With the summer months almost here, some of their top talent is starting to get some offseason/preseason recognition.
Earlier this week, On3 released their list of the top 100 players in college football for the 2026 season , and three members of the Cardinals made the cut. Running back Isaac Brown came in at No. 29, defensive end Clev Lubin was No. 41, while linebacker/safety Antonio Watts was placed at No. 67.
Louisville is set to face eight top 100 players this upcoming season, according to On3 . Ole Miss boasts three (RB Kewan Lacy, DL Will Echoles, QB Trinidad Chambliss), Florida State (WR Duce Robinson, DL Mandrell Desir) and Kentucky (DL Tavion Gadson, OT Lance Heard) sport two, and SMU has one (OT P.J. Williams ). Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith, Oregon QB Dante Moore , Notre Dame CB Leonard Moore, South Carolina DE Dylan Stewart and Miami WR Malachi Toney round out the top five overall.
While Brown was limited by a couple lower body injuries this past season as a sophomore, he still wound up having a productive campaign. The 5-foot-9, 190-pound all-purpose back ran for 884 yards and seven touchdowns on 101 carries, with his 8.8 yards per carry leading all of the FBS, while also catching 13 passes for 48 yards. Add in his freshman All-American season in 2024, and Brown has already rushed for 2,057 yards and 18 touchdowns, as well as caught 43 passes for 200 yards and a score.
Transferring in from Coastal Carolina last offseason, Lubin made an immediate impact for the Cardinals in 2025. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound edge rusher collected 61 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and five pass breakups, earning Third-Team All-ACC honors in the process. He also generated 64 quarterback pressures according to Pro Football Focus, which was the sixth-most in all of the FBS.
A multi-year starter for Louisville, Watts has been a crucial component of the defense from the STAR position. While his 2025 season was cut short due to a knee injury suffered on Nov. 14 vs. Clemson, the 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker/safety still logged 41 tackles (21 solo), 6.5 for loss, 2.0 sacks, a team-best three interceptions, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles.
Year four under head coach Jeff Brohm is scheduled to kick off against Ole Miss on Sunday, Sept. 6 from Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/louisville as Three Cardinals Named to On3's List of Top 100 Players Heading Into 2026 Season .
