College sports will forever be different after Judge Claudia Wilken officially approved the House Settlement v. NCAA. This billion-dollar legal settlement will significantly impact the future of college sports, and a crucial factor involved is the backpay owed to college athletes since 2016. The NCAA is expected to pay nearly $2.8 billion to all these athletes, and of course, the Louisville Cardinals will have some alumni who will receive some significant amounts of money.
So, excluding current rosters or players who just graduated, here are five Louisville basketball and football players who deserve the most back pay from the NCAA settlement.
Related: Louisville basketball's monster offseason raises 7 burning questions
5 Louisville Cardinals who deserve the most back pay from the NCAA settlement
5. Jordan Nwora
One of the best resumes in recent Louisville basketball history belongs to Jordan Nwora. The former Cardinal earned All-ACC honors twice in his three years and also earned the 2018-19 ACC Most Improved Player award after he led the Cardinals that year with 17.0 points per game. He also averaged 7.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.9 steals per game while shooting exceptionally well from beyond the arc and the field. He had an even better junior season as he averaged 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 40.3 percent from beyond the arc, earning him spots on multiple All-American teams, including The Associated Press, US Basketball Writers Association, The Athletic, and more. He earned All-ACC First Team honors in his junior season and was the runner-up for Player of the Year.
4. Dez Fitzpatrick
One of the best wide receivers to put a red and black uniform on in recent history, and maybe of all-time, Dez Fitzpatrick. The former wideout ranks No. 6 in Cardinals history with 2,589 receiving yards and averaged 16.8 yards per catch. He earned 21 receiving touchdowns, which ranks No. 4, and his 154 catches rank No. 9. Fitzpatrick earned Second-Team All-ACC in his final year and earned eight 100-yard receiving games in his tenure with Louisville, which ranks No. 10.
3. Malik Cunningham
Coming in at No. 2 is Malik Cunningham. The former Cardinals quarterback played for Louisville from 2018 to 2022 and ranks as one of the best quarterbacks in Louisville's history. Cunningham has some of the best statistics in program history, as he rushed for 50 touchdowns, tying Lamar Jackson's record, and threw for 9,664 passing yards, ranking No. 4 in program history. His 70 passing touchdowns rank No. 5 in school history, and his 692 completions rank No. 4.
2. Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell is, without a doubt, the best basketball player to go through the Louisville Cardinals program since 2016. The former Cardinal is making history in the NBA, as he has made the most NBA All-Star appearances as a former Cardinal, and it all started in the red and black uniforms. Mitchell earned Louisville's last NCAA Tournament win back in 2017 when the Cards defeated Jacksonville State. He went on to earn All-ACC honors and All-ACC Defense honors, as he averaged 15.6 points,4.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.1 steals per game while shooting 35.4 percent from beyond the arc and 40.8 percent from the field.
1. Lamar Jackson
The no-brainer on this list is Lamar Jackson. The former Cardinal has a stacked resume, as he is the all-time leading rusher with 4,132 rushing yards. His 50 rushing touchdowns are also tied for No. 1 in program history. As a passer, he is No. 5 in passing yards with 9,043 and No. 6 in passing touchdowns with 69. Jackson elevated this program to the next level and really put Louisville football on the map.
Jackson is just one of two players to have his number retired, and was the first Cardinal to win the Heisman.