Louisville football glaring weakness on the offensive side is the tight end position, and that daunting hole just got even bigger Friday afternoon.
Cardinals graduate tight end, Izayah Cummings, entered his name into the transfer portal, making his career at Louisville short lived as he only played one season with Jeff Brohm and his staff.
Cummings had three catches for 33 yards this past season, but the tight end room is dwindling down and every man counts. In Cummings full college career he has 21 receptions 326 yards. The transfer from Kentucky, is listed at 6-foot-4, 235-pound, and his best season came back in 2021, when he secured 14 catches for 195 yards and three touchdowns.
Cummings is the 19th overall Louisville football player to hit the transfer portal, and the second tight end. Earlier this offseason Jamari Johnson hit the transfer portal and moved to Big 10 champions, Oregon Ducks.
If Louisville and Jeff Brohm want a shot at history, and secure their first ACC Championship crown, they desperately need to hit the portal to find themselves a tight end.
Here are five tight ends Louisville football must target in transfer portal after Izayah Cummings exit.
5 names Louisville football must target in transfer portal
5. Landon Morris
Landon Morris is a 6-foot-5, 230 lbs. transfer out of Temple University. Morris saw decent production last year for the Owls, as he had 16 receptions for 251 yards and found the end zone once. Morris had two glaring games last season for Temple as he put up nine catches for 178 receiving yards in back to back weeks against ECU and Tulsa.
In loss to ECU he had five receptions for 81 yards and his lone touchdown on the year. As for loss against Tulsa he picked up a career high 91 receiving yards. Morris is a junior out of Indianapolis and his big athletic body could be a great addition and presence on this Cardinals offense.
4. Arik Gilbert
Arik Gilbert is a former 99 overall grade by 247 Sports, and was former No. 1 tight end in his class, and was ranked 10th overall in class of 20230. Gilbert's potential is high but his college production has not been.
Gilbert has been all over SEC schools, as he first committed to LSU, then transferred to Georgia, and most recent he went to Big 10, Nebraska. The former five-star prospect best season came his freshman year when he placed on the Freshman All-SEC Team with his 35 passes for 368 yards and two touchdowns for LSU. Gilbert may not have had any production with Georgia in 2021, however he did win the National Championship.
3. Boden Groen
Boden Groen is transferring out of Rice University after being their for three years. Groen has 60 receptions for 556 yards and three touchdowns in his college career. Groen had a standout season two seasons ago, where he had 39 catches for 383 yards and five touchdowns. Those stats in one season leads all tight ends on this list and shows his full potential.
Groen red zone threat could be a good fit for the Cardinals and Miller Moss as he stands at 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds.
2. Bryce Damous
Tight end, Bryce Damous is transferring out of the UAB Blazers after a successful three seasons. Damous played in all 36 games, caught 54 passes for 591 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 11 yards per catch and 16 receiving yards per game.
The tight end out of Va. had 19 catches for 209 yards and one touchdown in 2024, and in his best game of season he had 50 receiving yards at South Florida, which was a career high. His best season was in 2023, where he had 24 catches for 242 yards and three touchdowns. His best career game so far was against Georgia Southern, where he had seven catches with 47 yards and a touchdown.
1. Kendall Karr
Kendall Karr out of Coastal Carolina is hands down the main target this Cardinals offense should go after. Karr stands tall at 6-foot-3, 245 lbs. and is out N.C. He originally committed to North Carolina before transfering to Coastal Carolina, where he saw his production dramatically increase.
Karr became Coastal Carolina main threat in receiving game as he had 36 receptions for 473 yards and six touchdowns. In 2023 he had his best season with 23 receptions for 239 yards and five touchdowns.