Despite Louisville football having one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit gave the Cardinals no love during his annual preseason Herbie Awards. He actually didn't even mention Jeff Brohm's Cardinals in his award show, and no one was an even runner-up or a finalist.
The Cardinals' offense is loaded with explosive talent and has a star in the making at quarterback in Miller Moss. Herbstreit appears to think less of Louisville, or doesn't give the Cards much attention, as Isaac Brown, Chris Bell, or Moss were not brought up in any of the categories they fall under.
Related: Oddsmakers have more faith in Louisville football in 2025 than the media
Kirk Herbstreit gives Louisville's explosive offense no love.
One of the categories for the Herbie Awards was impact QB transfer, and the three finalists included Miami's Carson Beck, Oklahoma's John Mateer, and Indiana's Fernando Mendoza. Beck and Mateer have received the majority of the spotlight for transfer quarterbacks, but Mendoza being a finalist over Moss is odd. While Indiana might be ranked No. 20 in the nation, when fans look at the Hoosiers and look at the Cardinals, Louisville has a much better chance to win the ACC than Indiana has to win the Big 10.
The Cardinals are +800 to win the ACC, while Indiana is a whopping +3500 to win the Big 10, suggesting Moss's impact by the end of the season may have a greater effect with Louisville than Mendoza with the Hoosiers.
The other big surprise was the Cardinals' preseason All-American running back not even being brought up. While Herbstreit didn't have a "best running back" category, he did have "take it to the house," and Brown returns to college football with the most rushing yards and most yards per carry from 2024, but was not on the list. Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love, Alabama's Ryan Williams, and Pitt's Desmond Reid made the final over Brown.
The Cardinals' star tailback rushed for 11 touchdowns last season, six more than Reid did for Pitt, and Brown rushed for 207 more yards as well. The Cardinals' running back not being on that list was a slap to the face, and Reid making the cut just made it even worse.
Related: Isaac Brown and Chris Bell just got the disrespect Louisville needed them to feel
For all the latest on Louisville football's offseason, stay tuned.