Early in the 2024 recruiting cycle, Shaun Boykins Jr. was the No. 1 player in the state of Kentucky. However, just two years removed from that high-water mark for his prospect status, Boykins is an overlooked part of the Cardinals' receiving corps and is potentially undergoing a position change heading into Year 2 under Jeff Brohm.
While he was still the top-ranked in-state Louisville commit in the class, by the time signing day came around for the wide receiver from North Hardin High School, he was the 7th-ranked player in Kentucky. Now, it appears that his slide has continued as Boykins has begun taking reps with the running backs early in fall camp.
When asked about the decision to get Boykins to work with the running backs, Brohm made it clear that the redshirt freshman is a long way from earning snaps at wide receiver, claiming the experiment was to give him a better chance of seeing the field.
Shaun Boykins Jr. was working with the RBs today, I asked Brohm about why that was. He said he’s got a strong body and they want him to learn a bit in the backfield to see if he can get more dynamic with his game. That way he can be on the field more.
— Sarandon Raboin (@sarandon_raboin) July 30, 2025
Shaun Boykins Jr. could be on transfer watch amid potential move to running back
It’s probably best to defer to Brohm’s judgement regarding which position Boykins will be most impactful this season and beyond. The only issue with this assessment of the situation is that running back is clearly Louisville’s strongest position group on offense.
Heading into his true sophomore season, Isaac Brown has already established himself as one of the most dynamic playmakers in the ACC, and his backup, Duke Watson, averaged nearly nine yards a carry last season. Four running backs saw over 100 snaps for the Cardinals last season, and three of them are back for the 2025 season: Brown, Watson, and Keyjuan Brown.
That’s not a rotation that Boykins can crack, no matter how quickly he takes to his new role in the offense. Even next season, barring a shocking decision to transfer, Isaac Brown will be back to claim the lion’s share of the snaps for the third-straight season.
From Brohm’s comments, it’s not a certainty that Boykins will be changing positions. He could just be looking to build a unique offensive weapon with a versatile skillset out of a player who didn’t have much utility as a true freshman and played just five snaps. However, another way to view this is as a last-ditch effort to find a role for a former top recruit who has stagnated in his development.
If the experiment doesn’t work, Boykins could be on transfer watch early in the season.