8. Duke Watson | RB | UCF
Someone who was expected, but still a big-time loss, was the Cardinals' backup running back Duke Watson. The former Cardinal committed to UCF as the highest-rated Louisville transfer, ranking as a 3-star transfer and is ranked No. 196 overall and the No. 19 running back in the Transfer Portal.
Watson was limited in his sophomore season as he was sidelined for multiple games with an ankle injury. The 6-foot-0, 180-pound running back played in seven games this past season, logging 158 yards and one rushing touchdown. His breakout year was his freshman season, when he was the star backup to Isaac Brown, who led the FBS with 8.9 yards per carry and ran for 597 yards and 7 touchdowns. The former 4-star commitment ranked as high as No. 358 in the 2024 class and was the 25th-best running back.