Louisville football had one of the best offseasons in college football, adding 31 players from the Transfer Portal, including two 4-star wide receivers. Jeff Brohm had multiple positions to rebuild, but with Chris Bell and Caullin Lacy exiting the program for the 2026 NFL Draft, there was no debate that the wide receiver position was among his top priorities.
Brohm landed multiple wide receiver commitments, including two from Kentucky in Montavin Quisenberry and Hardley Gilmore IV. However, while Quisenberry signed and will play for Louisville, Gilmore flipped his commitment from Louisville to Baylor shortly after DJ Lagway committed to the Bears.
And now, the former Cardinal's offseason commitment won’t play for Baylor, as it was announced he will return to Kentucky for the 2026 season.
NEW: Kentucky transfer WR Hardley Gilmore has returned to Lexington after signing with Baylor, @PolacheckKSR reports.
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) March 3, 2026
Gilmore will play for the Wildcats in 2026.https://t.co/iJ8a2ZUC6q https://t.co/YU4Sw4lV59 pic.twitter.com/5HioG0XnTD
Hardley Gilmore IV returns to Kentucky after wild offseaosn
Gilmore ranked as a 4-star recruit out of high school and earned over 20 offers, including from Penn State, Georgia, Michigan, and others. He ranked as high as No. 317 in the 2024 recruiting class and the No. 52 wide receiver. With Kentucky, he has logged 34 catches for 466 yards and two touchdowns, including last season, when he collected 28 receptions for 313 yards and one touchdown.
In his two games against Louisville, he logged one catch for 29 yards in 2024 and one catch for 26 yards in 2025. He is ranked as high as No. 839 overall in the portal and No. 145 among wide receivers in the Transfer Portal. He recommits to Kentucky, where he will play his junior season and face Louisville, after committing to the Cardinals for just eight days this offseason, then decommitting and flipping to Baylor on Jan. 12.
Gilmore will likely have a bigger role in Will Stein’s offense, but the Cardinals were able to get some stud wide receivers, despite losing Gilmore’s commitment this offseason. Brohm added multiple receivers this offseason, but 4-star Tre Richardson and 4-star Lawayne McCoy are the two who have Cardinals fans talking. Both transfers ranked inside the top 100 and are two of the Cardinals' three top-ranked additions this offseason, as 4-star tight end Brody Foley falls between them in the transfer rankings.
Related: 10 biggest Transfer Portal commitments for Louisville football this offseason
For all the latest on Louisville football's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.