1. Jardin Gilbert
One of the positions the Cardinals still need to address is their secondary. With Louisville losing four of its top five defensive backs from last season, the Cardinals are currently trying to rebuild Ron English’s secondary after he stepped away. One key player the Cardinals are in a recruiting battle with is LSU transfer Jardin Gilbert.
The LSU transfer is a former consensus 4-star recruit who ranked as high as No. 168 overall and the No. 7 safety in the 2021 recruiting class. Gilber committed to Texas A&M, where he started 12 games and played in 25 across three seasons before he injured his shoulder in his third season. He then transferred to LSU, where he played the last two seasons, started in nine games his junior season, and redshirted this past season to be eligible for a sixth year.
Gilbert has logged a total of 142 tackles, eight pass deflections, three interceptions, and one forced fumble in his five seasons. His best season came in 2022, when he earned a career-high 61 tackles, four pass deflections, and two interceptions. Now the Cardinals are in a recruiting battle with Florida State, Mississippi State, UCLA, and Arkansas for the No. 343 overall transfer and the No. 27 safety in the Transfer Portal.