Louisville football lost some key players to the Transfer Portal this offseason, but one player in particular whom fans are already wishing had stayed is Mason Reiger. The former Cardinal is making an immediate impact for the Wisconsin Badgers, both on and off the field. While Clev Lubin is proving to be a dominant force, the thought of having Lubin and Reiger together is making fans wonder what could have been.
Louisville had a massive challenge this offseason of trying to replace one of the Cardinals' best edge rushers in recent memory, Ashton Gillotte. The former Cardinal was an All-ACC defender, ending his career with 40 tackles for loss and 26.5 sacks, and serving as a dominant force for four years.
Lubin showed on Saturday that he can step up and fill this role, replacing Gillotte. However, after Reiger's impressive offseason and dominant Week 1 performance, the fans are quickly wishing they had him back on the team.
Related: Former Louisville fan favorite wasting no time making noise at Wisconsin
Mason Reiger is perfect Ashton Gillotte replacement
Reiger had an impressive Week 1 showing for the Badgers, where he logged four total tackles, three of them being solos, and one crucial sack on 3rd and four down that forced Miami (Ohio) to punt. The Cardinals are confident in Lubin, and after he had two sacks in his debut with Louisville, they feel even more confident. However, this defensive line could have been that much better if Reiger had stayed, and Jared Dawson, for that matter.
The defense took a big hit from the Transfer Portal this past offseason, and the fans are watching their former players make immediate impacts, making them wish they had stayed with the Cardinals. Reiger was the perfect player to replace Gillotte; he just had to get healthy after missing the 2024 season due to a knee injury.
In 2023, the 6-foot-4, 250-pound edge rusher earned 6.0 tackles for a loss and 5.0 sacks, including the showdown against Notre Dame, where he earned 4.0 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and one forced fumble.
Louisville fans are high on Lubin. We can't emphasize that enough. However, if this defensive line returned a key veteran like Reiger and added players like Lubin and Wes Bailey, then Louisville fans would feel significantly more confident in their defensive line when they face a team like Miami, which showed last night that they are the real deal.
The Cardinals fans were trying all offseason to label someone as their Gillotte replacement, when, in reality, their replacement was right in front of them the entire time. If Reiger plays like he did in 2023 and doesn't skip a beat from missing the 2024 season, then he is a player Louisville fans wish had never left and was still wearing red and black.
Related: Former Louisville star already haunts Cardinals fans after strong Wisconsin debut
For all Louisville football news and updates, stay tuned.