Louisville football fans learned late Sunday night that the Cardinals' star running back Isaac Brown will return to the Cardinals for his junior season. It was announced on January 1 that the 2025 preseason All-American was entering the Transfer Portal, and appeared to be a lock to go to Texas, but all that changed after Vince Marrow made a trip to Brown and negotiated a new contract with the star RB.
Brown will not enter the portal, will remain a Louisville Cardinal, and will be a key piece for the 2026 season. However, with Brown returning, Louisville may lose some players, as the star running back is likely to earn a well-deserved pay raise, which could prompt other players to enter the Transfer Portal.
So, with Brown coming back to Louisville for the 2026 season, here are five Cardinals who aren’t safe after Isaac Brown returns to Louisville football.
5. Duke Watson - RB
The Cardinals fans saw they could bring Brown back, now they wonder if they could bring back Duke Watson? Like Brown, Watson announced he would enter the portal, but no official report has confirmed that the Cardinals' backup has done so.
It was reported that Watson was going to enter the portal on December 31, but as January 2 rolled on and now a few days have passed, there has still been silence on the running back. Entering the 2025 season, Brown and Watson were a top-five running back duo in the nation after Watson averaged 8.9 yards per carry and earned 597 yards and seven touchdowns on his six carries.
However, after Keyjuan’s breakout season and Isaac's return, it certainly feels like the duo next year will be Isaac and Keyjuan, especially since Watson already planned to enter the portal. So, with Isaac officially back, Louisville fans are now on the lookout for Watson to enter officially.