Louisville football had a monster offseason under Jeff Brohm and Vince Marrow, landing 31 commitments from the Transfer Portal. Louisville’s big-time offseason has them ranked No. 5 in On3 Sports Transfer Portal ranking and No. 14 in ESPN’s way-too-early rankings.
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When Cardinals fans look at their additions, much of the attention goes to Lincoln Kienholz, Tre Richardson, and other 4-stars, but Louisville also added many Kentucky transfers that Cardinals fans are excited about. Louisville swiped five Kentucky transfers from the Wildcats, including DJ Waller, and when the newest Cardinal was asked about joining his former team's rival, he had nothing but love for his former team.
DJ Waller has nothing but 'love' for Kentucky
It is no secret that Louisville and Kentucky don’t like one another, as they have played each other every year since 1994 (except 2020 due to COVID-19). Part of that rivalry last year was Louisville’s newest cornerback, but he was on the other side of the field wearing blue and white, and when he was asked about wearing red and black now, he made it clear he had nothing but love for his former team and program.
“I love Kentucky,” Waller stated after practice this spring. “I wish them the best.”
Waller makes it clear there is no bad beef between him and his former team, despite his transfer to the Wildcats' biggest rival. Waller isn’t the only former Kentucky football player to transfer to Louisville, as defensive linemen Jacob and Jerod Smith joined Waller, along with wide receiver Montavin Quisenberry and center Evan Wibberley.
The Cardinals have high expectations for Waller, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound defensive back who was a 3-star recruit out of high school after recording 47 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 interception his senior season. He went on to win a National Championship with Michigan his freshman season, appearing in 11 games and collecting 12 tackles.
Now, he joins Louisville after starting in four games for Kentucky after playing in just seven games across two seasons. He is coming off an injury with the Wildcats that limited his snaps, but he has made it clear he is healthy and ready to compete.
Waller committed to Louisville, ranked No. 709 in the portal and No. 72 among cornerbacks. He is trending to be a starting cornerback for Steve Ellis and Louisville’s defense, as he will be joined by key returning cornerback Tayon Holloway.
Related: Every Kentucky transfer who committed to Louisville football this offseason
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