5 freshmen who will see significant playing time for Louisville football Week 1

Louisville football is set to kick off from L&N Stadium in just six days. The wait is almost over, Cardinals fans, as Jeff Brohm and his Louisville Cardinals will go head-to-head with Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, August 30.

The Cardinals are dominant favorites as they open up as 36.5-point favorites, which means Louisville should see some underclassmen get some spotlight. If all goes according to plan, Louisville should steamroll Eastern Kentucky and play the backup majority of the second half, which means some freshmen might get some time.

So, here are five freshman Louisville Cardinals fans need to look out for in the season opener.

5 freshmen who will see significant playing time for Louisville football Week 1

Davon Mitchell - TE

Louisville is currently having a battle at tight end for that starting spot, but Jaleel Skinner is going to get the nod to start for Brohm. Behind Skinner is Davon Mitchell, who isn't just a tight end but appears to be a lead candidate to start at fullback. Mitchell is a transfer from Oklahoma and a redshirt freshman. The former 4-star commit is 6-foot-3, 260 pounds, and was ranked as high as No. 154 in the 2024 recruiting cycle and was recruited by elite programs like Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and others.

The redshirt freshman now will get the majority of his snaps this season as a fullback, as that is where he has been getting most of his snaps during fall camp. He will get some snaps in Week 1 at fullback, but with Louisville hopefully taking care of business and with his potential extremely high, he might also earn some game-time snaps at tight end.

Shaun Boykins Jr.

A player many Louisville fans are keeping an eye on is Kentucky native Shaun Boykins. The true freshman is making the transition from wide receiver to running back this fall camp, and with Louisville most likely being up by 30 plus in the second half, expect Kejuan Brown and Boykins to get the majority of the touches once Isaac Brown and Duke Watson are sidelined.

The 6-foot-1 190 190-pound freshman was one of the top prospects from the state of Kentucky after he ranked as a 3-star recruit and as high as No. 5 prospect from Kentucky. Boykins has made significant improvements this fall camp in his position change, but getting game-time snaps will truly show where he stands and will help his future and where Brohm wants him to play.

Cooper Ranvier - K

A position Louisville fans are also following is placekicker, as Brohm and the Cardinals' special teams must replace Brock Travelstead. The Cardinals are down to two kickers for this role, Nick Keller and Cooper Ranvier. The 6-foot-3 205 205-pound kicker is a true freshman and has been one of the more consistent kickers during Louisville's fall camp.

Ranvier has demonstrated consistent accuracy and power through fall camp. The true freshman will get some time, no matter what, if he wins or loses the battle. If Louisville is up by 30 or more, the backups will get a lot of snaps, and Ranvier's name will most likely get called for some real game-time field goals.

Antonio Harris - DB

With the Cardinals losing four of their top five defensive backs from last season, don't be surprised if true freshman Antonio Harris receives some snaps in Week 1. The Kentucky native was ranked No. 11 in the state and a 3-star prospect out of high school.

In fall camp, he has shown drastic improvements and is playing solid football as the team prepares for Eastern Kentucky. Jabari Mack and Rodney Johnson Jr. will get the nod to start, but behind the two transfers, Harris is trending to be a solid backup option for Ron English's secondary.

Deuce Adams - QB

Deuce Adams is one of the two quarterbacks currently battling for the backup position. With just seven days left, Louisville fans have still not gotten an answer for who that backup is to Miller Moss, but Adams still has a shot to win the battle.

With the battle still going on, as we are this close to week one. Hopefully, both Adams and Brady Allen get snaps in Week 1 after Louisville blows Eastern Kentucky out in the first half. The redshirt-freshman has a good chance of earning snaps late in the game when all the backups are in, and it might be an opportunity for the freshman to prove why he deserves the QB2 spot.