Louisville football lands another commitment from the Transfer Portal as the Houston transfer Joshua Donald committed to the Cardinals late last night. The Cardinals have landed 27 commitments this offseason so far, and Donald is the 12th defensive player to commit to the Cardinals.
Louisville has had one of the best offseasons in the nation, as the Cardinals have landed four 4-stars, 21 3-stars, and two unranked transfers. Donald is expected to make an immediate impact on this Cardinals' defensive line as the Houston transfer adds a huge boost to Louisville’s defense.
BREAKING: Houston transfer DL Joshua Donald has committed to Louisville, @PeteNakos reports 🔴⚫️https://t.co/kSYG7dZ8sR pic.twitter.com/bH0nxp4VeL
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 15, 2026
Related: Every Transfer Portal player who committed to Louisville football in the first week
Louisville football lands diamond in the rough with latest portal addition
Donald started his career at Southern, where he logged 18 tackles, four tackles for loss, and 2.0 sacks across two seasons with the Jaguars. After playing in 18 games for Southern, he entered the Transfer Portal for the first time and transferred to Appalachian State, where he had his best season.
The newest Cardinal started 10 games at nose tackle and played in 11 for the Mountaineers. Donald logged 31 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for a loss and 3.0 sacks during his lone season with Appalachian State. He also added one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in the 2024 season with the Mountaineers.
Donald had a dominant 2024 season for the Mountaineers, but his two standout games came against Old Dominion, where he recorded 2.0 sacks, a forced fumble, and 4 tackles, and against JMU, where he recorded a season-high 6 tackles.
The 6-foot-1, 320-pound defensive lineman didn’t play last season and now committed to Louisville as a diamond in the rough as a 3-star transfer ranked No. 1,495 overall and No. 149 among defensive linemen.
With Louisville losing key linemen from the 2025 season, the Cardinals have prioritized the trenches this offseason. Donald is the fifth defensive lineman to commit to Louisville so far, as the Cardinals also earned commitments from Tommy Ziesmer, Daylen Russel, Demeco Kennedy, and Jacob Smith.
Related: Louisville football’s 2026 Transfer Portal wish list
For all the latest recruiting news and updates for Louisville football, stay tuned.