Louisville football and Jeff Brohm just got a major update for their big game Saturday evening, as the Cardinals are getting back one of their top offensive weapons. Louisville is currently on a four-game win streak and is making a major push for the ACC Championship Game.
Louisville football vs. North Carolina final odds and a prediction
Chaos needs to happen for Louisville to return to Charlotte, but it all starts with the Cardinals, and they must win out. Louisville is on the road for their Week 11 matchup against North Carolina, as the Cards will face UNC in Chapel Hill under the lights at 7 p.m. local time.
Louisville needs to win to keep its ACC Title hopes alive, and the Cards' offense just got a major boost as Pete Nakos of On3 Sports officially reports that Lawayne McCoy is set to return.
Lawayne McCoy is set to return for Louisville and Jeff Brohm
Entering the season, the Cardinals made major additions to their wide receiver room, adding multiple 4-star receivers, including Tre Richardson and McCoy. The Florida State transfer has been a star for the Cardinals, leading UofL in receiving touchdowns, but he has been out for nearly a month.
Against Syracuse, McCoy played through a knee injury but was then out for three weeks, including the Cards' two games against Georgia Tech and Stanford. Now, as Louisville faces maybe one of their toughest ACC opponents of the year, McCoy returns at the perfect time.
Louisville WR LaWayne McCoy will return today after nearly a month, sources tell @On3.
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) November 14, 2026
Has 25 catches for 513 yards and 4 TDs this season. Cardinals are at North Carolina. https://t.co/K0Fx6hlL8o https://t.co/dCujm1TV76 pic.twitter.com/pa6Nl3GAsV
Louisville’s bye week was at the perfect time for McCoy as he only missed two games, when fans thought it might have been way more when Brohm stated he was going to miss an “extended period of time.”
McCoy has been one of the Cardinals' top wide receivers all season, leading the team with four receiving touchdowns and ranking second in receiving yards with 513. The 4-star transfer makes an impact in every game, as he has 60 receiving yards or more in six of his seven games, including the first four games, where he earned 62 receiving yards and a touchdown against Ole Miss, 102 receiving yards and a touchdown vs. Villanova, and 62 receiving yards and a touchdown against SMU.
Getting McCoy back for this huge road matchup against UNC is a major boost for Brohm and Lincoln Kienholz. Louisville is currently a 3.5-point favorite on the road against the Tar Heels, with a 60% chance to win, according to ESPN Analytics.
The Cards and Tar Heels will kick off at 7 p.m. local time.
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