There you have it, folks. The 2025 Louisville football season is off and running in a flashy and explosive fashion. The Cardinals walked into L&N Stadium Saturday and handled business with a 51-17 beatdown of the in-state FCS adversary, the Eastern Kentucky Colonels. It was a true no-doubter, as expected, with the Cardinals pulling away in the first half. This allowed some much-needed playing time and live game exposure to the second- and third-string players on the depth chart.
Louisville football fans saw many flashes of brilliance Saturday on the field, ranging from Miller Moss’s poised performance, except for the couple of unfortunate interceptions, to Isaac Brown’s statement performance, to a defense primed and ready to compete under defensive coordinator Ron English. EKU didn’t set the standard for the Cardinals to anticipate as the season progresses. However, the game did give Cards fans the opportunity to see potential bright spots who could play their way into earning more time on the field.
So, here are three Louisville football players who deserve more playing time after their shining performances in Week 1.
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3 Louisville football players who should get more snaps after Cardinals Week 1 win
3. AJ Green, DE/LB
Sophomore AJ Green provided an impressive stat line in his body of work on Saturday. The 6-foot-6 force had a great week, which included three tackles as well as a timely sack in the first half for the Cards. He was third on the team in total tackles, behind fellow defensive linemen starters Jordan Guerad and Clev Lubin. These three provided a strong showing for a defensive group that had many Cardinal fans guessing their anticipated productivity.
Defensive Coordinator Ron English faced numerous critics this offseason, mainly due to the performances of last season’s squad. There have been many question marks surrounding this squad about whether they could perform at a high enough level to assist the high-flying offense with key stops.
Green helped to start answering some of those questions with his standout play on Saturday. Green should see more time on the field if he maintains this level of production.