Louisville football is officially back as the Cardinals' 2025 season is kicking off from L&N Stadium in just four days. The Cardinals fans have high expectations for this 2025 roster, and many believe they have the potential to crash the College Football Playoffs.
With just a few days of the offseason remaining, Louisville fans must make their final predictions now, and so here are five bold predictions for the Cardinals' upcoming 2025 season.
5 bold predictions for Louisville football’s 2025 season
5. Miller Moss throws for 3,000 yards or more
Miller Moss has never thrown for 3,000 yards or more, but if there was ever a year to do so, it is 2025. The USC transfer threw for 2,555 yards last season in just eight games, and with Jeff Brohm and his transfer quarterback history, Moss is poised for a breakout season.
The Cardinals' offense is one of the most explosive in the nation, and last year, they proved they can dominate the run game while maintaining an effective passing game. Tyler Shough threw for a career high 3,195 yards with the Cardinals in his final season, and don't be surprised if Moss throws for even more.
Moss has the potential to be the best quarterback in Brohm's tenure with the Cardinals, and with the wide receivers and running backs he has with him, he can shock the nation and be a top-five quarterback in the ACC.
Related: 5 Louisville football players with the most to prove in 2025
4. Louisville has two 1,000 yard receivers
Chris Bell and Caullin Lacy will become one of the best duos in the ACC and the nation. While the whole country is high on Bell, Lacy is a name that is flying under the radar. Some people may have forgotten just how dominant he was with South Alabama, but with Moss at quarterback and Bell on the other side getting a lot of attention, Lacy is poised for another breakout season.
Lacy has reached 1,000 yards or more before, and he can/will do it again. He was top 10 in 2023 with receptions and receiving yards, and now that he is back and healthy, don't be shocked when he becomes an All-ACC receiver and hits that 1,000-yard marker again. As for Bell, he is one of the Cardinals' biggest game-changers this upcoming season and has NFL Draft stock already.
Bell is expected to take over as WR1 for Louisville this season and be that dominant physical wide receiver they need. Last season, he was playing behind Ja'Corey Brooks and still earned 43 receptions for 757 receiving yards. Now that he is taking over the offense and is earning preseason All-ACC honors, Bell should take the league by storm and dominate the 2025 season.
Related: 5 Louisville football players that will make or break the Cardinals' 2025 season
3. Isaac Brown and Duke Watson combine for 2,000 rushing yards
Last season, the Cardinals' dominant rushing duo led the nation in yards per carry. This upcoming season, they will combine for 2,000 rushing yards or more and will be the key reason why the Cardinals can contend for an ACC Championship game.
Last year, they combined for 1,770 rushing yards on 232 carries, which is 7.6 yards per carry. Brown led the way with 1,173 rushing yards on 165 carries, which comes in at an impressive 7.1 yards per carry. At the same time, Watson led the nation with 8.9 yards per carry with his 597 rushing yards on the season.
Expect these two true sophomores to be even more dominant this upcoming season and earn more carries. While Moss and the Cardinals' wide receivers have high expectations, at the end of the day, Louisville will go as far as these two running backs can take them. With a year under their belts, expect Brown to earn 1,200 yards or more and be close to Lamar Jackson's sophomore rushing record, while Watson earns 800 yards or more as well.
Related: 5 Louisville sophomores ready to break out and shock college football fans
2. Louisville beats Clemson on Nov. 14
Louisville shocks the nation yet again and beats the Clemson Tigers for the second straight season. Dabo Swinney and his Tigers are going to come to L&N Stadium hungry, but this dominant rushing attack and explosive wide receiver room will be too much for the Tigers and hand them a loss yet again.
The Cardinals' Friday night showdown with Clemson is going to make or break their ACC Title dreams, possibly, and Brohm will get this team ready and have them make history yet again. If the Tigers win Week 1 against LSU, they have a good chance of coming into L&N Stadium undefeated and a top-five team in the nation, while Louisville might have a loss or two and a lot more to play for.
This game might be closer than it was last season, but the Cardinals earn the program's second win over the Tigers and will keep their ACC dreams alive.
Related: Floor, ceiling, and prediction for Louisville in 2025: Can the Cardinals win the ACC?
1. Louisville loses to Clemson in ACC Championship game
The Cardinals finish their season 10-2 after falling to SMU and Miami, but sneak into the ACC Championship game. Here, they will face the Tigers yet again, but this time, Swinney's Tigers get the best of them.
The Tigers' experience of coming back and winning last year over SMU, and their history of dominating this game, will lead them to victory over Brohm's Cardinals. However, Louisville will have its second 10-win season in three years and will be a bubble team for the College Football Playoffs.
Brohm and the Cardinals prove all the experts wrong who predicted this team to finish No. 5 or worse in the ACC and to win only eight games. The Cardinals are an inch closer to entering that elite category in the ACC, and will enter the 2026 season as a top contender with Isaac Brown and Duke Watson returning.