Jeff Brohm and the Louisville Cardinals continue to dominate the state of Kentucky as the Cardinals land another massive recruit from the 2026 class. Louisville football hosted over nine recruits this past weekend, and while they were able to land multiple commitments, one that stands out the most is North Hardin defensive lineman Josiah Hope.
The Kentucky native is the Cardinals' 16th commitment from the 2026 class and Brohm's seventh commitment from Kentucky. The Cardinals are in complete control of the state in the 2026 class, having now landed four of the top five recruits from Kentucky in the 2026 cycle.
Ever since Brohm took over as Louisville's head coach, the recruiting aspect of the Cardinals program has skyrocketed, and Hope's commitment makes it clear as day.
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Louisville football continues in-state domination with another 4-star 2026 commit
Hope is listed as the No. 274 recruit in the nation and the second-best player from Kentucky. The 4-star recruit's commitment proves how dominant Brohm's recruiting has been, as Louisville has now landed commitments from Kentucky's No. 1 recruit, Evan Hampton, No. 3 recruit, Karsten Busch, No. 5 recruit, Marlon Harbin, and now the No. 4 recruit in Hope.
Brohm has also landed commitments from Bryten Close and Sam Dawson, who rank No. 9 and No. 10 in Kentucky, making Louisville land six of the top 10 recruits from the state.
As for Hope, he announced his commitment to the Cardinals after he visited with Brohm and Louisville this past weekend. He ended up choosing the Cardinals over elite programs like LSU, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Auburn, and in-state rival, the Kentucky Wildcats.
He has visits lined up with Kentucky and Purdue later in the month, but it will be interesting to see if he attends those visits, as he has already made a verbal commitment on his social media page.
COMMITTED!!!@CoachMarkHagen @JeffBrohm @LouisvilleFB pic.twitter.com/q6lJBwwoJU
— Josiah Hope (@JosiahHope6) June 2, 2025
Hope had an impressive junior season, earning 61 tackles, including seven sacks and 19 tackles for a loss, while also forcing two fumbles.
Related: Louisville football lands No. 1 recruit from Kentucky
For all the latest on Louisville football's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.