Now or never for Brohm’s Cards? Stars are aligned for breakthrough

By RUSS BROWN • Photos By Louisville Athletics

Jeff Brohm has had a successful, if not spectacular, run in his first three seasons as head football coach at the University of Louisville, winning at least nine games each year. Highlights along the way have been upsets over Notre Dame in 2023, Miami last season and the school's first appearance in the ACC championship game in 2023. But there's also always been a jaw-dropping bad loss or two that have prevented the Cardinals from reaching a truly special season.

Maybe that's about to change. Will this be the breakthrough year when Brohm guides U of L to a pair of historic firsts -- an ACC title and a spot in the College Football Playoffs (CFP)? If not, it's fair to question whether those milestones will ever happen because everything is lining up for the Cards this season.

Brohm has more depth and quality players to work with than ever, having added a 34 transfers in a portal class that is rated one of the best in the nation and retained key players from last season's 9-4 club.

There are plenty of offensive weapons to cause opposing defensive coordinators sleepless nights -- playmakers like All-American running back Isaac Brown and his backup, Keyjuan Brown; wide receivers Tre Richardson, a Vanderbilt transfer, and Lawayne McCoy, from Florida State; and former Ohio State quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, a mobile dual threat passer and runner who brings a dimension Brohm hasn't had at Louisville. Kienholz has drawn praise from Brohm and his brother, offensive coordinator Brian Brohm, during spring practice and fall camp, both for his physical skills and his ability to quickly grasp the offense.

"It's been a long three years sitting the bench," Kienholz said of his time with the Buckeyes. "Not getting a lot of playing time when I feel like I should have. And I feel like now's my time."

Brohm also believes he has the best defense in his U of L tenure, led by preseason All-American edge rusher Clive Lubin, who led the team with 8 1/2 sacks in 2025; veteran linebacker Stanquan Clark; and defensive back Koen Entringer, a transfer from Iowa.

The Cards were ranked No. 24 in the Associated Press preseason poll in August, their first appearance in the Top-25 since 2017, when they were No. 16. Hopefully, 2026 will turn out better for them because in '17 they fizzled out and failed to reach expectations, finishing 8-5 overall and 4-4 in the ACC. They opened this campaign just outside the coaches' poll, five points behind No. 25 Missouri.

"We do have potential," Jeff said. "I like our team. I think we have good players. And now we just got to put it all together and go about getting that done."

Another major factor in Louisville's favor is a strength of schedule rated 58th by ESPN that sets up perfectly in the underwhelming ACC. If you didn't know better, you'd think Brohm himself constructed it. The Cards play only one of the three ranked ACC teams, No. 20 SMU (at home), while ducking big dogs No. 7 Miami, which is heavily favored to win the title, and No. 23 Clemson.

Furthermore, UofL's nine-game ACC slate includes five of the bottom seven teams in the league's preseason poll. Last year, those five  (Syracuse, North Carolina, Florida State, Wake Forest and Stanford) had a 12-28 ACC record and were outscored by a combined 298 points. In addition to Clemson and the 2025 national runnerup Hurricanes, who received 165 of a possible 188 first-place votes in the ACC poll, Louisville also avoids 2025 league league champion Duke and runnerup Virginia.

We'll find out very early whether the Cards are a serious CFP contender. They open against No. 9 Ole Miss in Nashville on Sept. 6 and will face a crucial ACC showdown against SMU on Sept. 19 in L&N Stadium 

Sandwiched in between is cupcake Villanova at home.

"You don't get to ease into the season," Brohm said. "You've to come ready to play against a top-notch opponent with a ton of experience coming back, and you'll see exactly where you stand. Of course, the best-case scenario is finding a way to win and build a lot of momentum. And if you don't, you've got to pick up the pieces and move on and learn from your mistakes."

Said veteran offensive lineman Lance Robinson: "I like going up against an opponent that's more on the same level as us, rather than playing the lower FCS schools. "Because you have to hit the ground running, start fast, and a win would definitely be a momentum, tone-setter for the whole season."

In a sense, the heat is on Brohm to get over the hump. In April the U of L Board of trustees approved a multiyear extension through 2033 for a total value of $64.8 million, with average annual compensation of $8.1 million, not counting retention and success bonuses that could amount to as much as $12 million in a single year. 

To his credit, he isn't trying to downplay the high expectations surrounding his team. In fact, if anything he's adding to the optimism of Louisville's fan base. For instance, at the annual Tipoff Luncheon last month in front of a packed ballroom at the Galt House, Brohm had this to say:

"The time is now. So while you always prepare for the future, the time is now. Our players need to understand that it's not going to be easy. That hunger has to be there every single day, back to back to back. Let's go and get this thing done."