4. Wes Bailey, DE
The defensive line has big shoes to fill with the graduation of former senior Ashton Gillotte and his entry into the NFL. Gillotte’s presence forced numerous double teams and pushed offenses to scheme away and around his skill set.
Multiple individuals are vying to take on this role for the Louisville defensive line this season, with one of these being defensive end Wes Bailey. Bailey had an unfortunate injury that cut short his 2024 season while playing for Rutgers.
However, Bailey showed promise in his four years at Rutgers, including posting the 2nd highest sack total in the 2023 season for the Scarlet Knights. With his career 9.5 sacks and after plenty of reps during the spring, Bailey looks to cement his spot as one of the starting defensive ends and to be a leader on the defensive line this upcoming season.
Bailey’s production will be critical for the defense in ensuring pressure is placed on the opposing quarterback and the run is stuffed at this line of scrimmage.
Related: Louisville has already established its Ashton Gillotte replacement early in fall camp