The spring transfer portal opened this past Friday, April 25, and the Cardinals found out that six players entered, including their star offensive lineman, Austin Collins.
Louisville football survived the transfer portal deadline, but there was concerning news as reported that the former 5-star commit, T.J. Capers, was expected to enter the portal within the 48-hour window after the deadline closed. However, in recent news, Louisville has confirmed that they will retain their future star linebacker, as 247Sports Matt Zenitz reported Capers will remain with Jeff Brohm and the Cardinals.
After submitting paperwork to enter the transfer portal Friday, Louisville linebacker T.J. Capers is now currently expected to remain with the Cardinals instead of following through on entering the portal, sources tell @CBSSports/@247Sports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) April 27, 2025
The Florida native was a Class of… pic.twitter.com/ZOePJqP31c
Former 5-star commit who was going to transfer won't leave Louisville after all
This is excellent news for the Cardinals as Capers will not only make an impact this year behind their elite linebackers, TJ Quinn and Stanquan Clark, but he will also be the future starter and have a high ceiling.
Capers was a massive 4-star commit in the class of 2023 and has tremendous potential to impact this Cardinals' defense for years to come. Capers committed to Louisville in January 2023, the highest-ranked commitment in Louisville football history, according to 247Sports Composite. He was ranked as high as a 5-star commit and the No. 5 overall prospect in the class of 2024.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker ran a 4.6 40-yard dash out of high school and has the potential to be a star at the next level. He would end up reclassing to the class of 2023, and drop him to a 4-star prospect, but the Cardinals nation knows he has tremendous upside to be their star linebacker.
Related: 4 glaring concerns Louisville football must address in the transfer portal
The former 5-star linebacker played in 11 games last season and finished the season with six total tackles. His best game came against Boston College, as he recorded two tackles, and he was also able to earn an interception against Austin Peay in the Cardinals' season opener.