Louisville has a Week 3 bye before hosting Bowling Green in Week 4 and opening ACC play against Pitt in Week 5, and suddenly, Jeff Brohm and his defensive coaching staff will have to use it, figuring out how to survive without All-Conference linebacker Stanquan Clark.
According to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, “Clark is expected to miss several games with a lower leg injury.”
Louisville standout linebacker Stanquan Clark is expected to miss several games with a lower leg injury, sources tell @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) September 9, 2025
The 2024 honorable mention All-ACC selection finished last year with 76 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions.https://t.co/vHq0s3eOUT pic.twitter.com/CVAGgGMNZZ
Louisville LB Stanquan Clark out for several games with lower-leg injury
Clark finished second on the team in tackles in 2024 with 76, trailing his running mate, TJ Quinn. Quinn currently leads the Cardinals' defense in tackles this season, and his play will become even more important with Clark set to miss time. Clark also added a half sack, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles last season.
Co-defensive coordinators Ron English and Mark Hagen will have a few options to fill Clark’s role in their defense, which held James Madison to 14 points in Week 2 to help the Cardinals get to 2-0. Redshirt sophomore linebacker TJ Capers already plays a significant role on the unit, trailing just Quinn in total snaps among linebackers, and Tennessee transfer Kalib Perry should expect an increased workload.
Freshman Cameron White and Trent Carter have also seen snaps through the first two weeks. Brohm and his staff could use their final non-conference matchup against Bowling Green to get both players work in case Capers or Perry go down in ACC play before Clark can return.
While this injury is significant for the Cardinals and they will desperately be hoping to get Clark back before the October 17 matchup with Miami at Hard Rock Stadium, it could be an opportunity for Capers, a former highly rated four-star recruit as an edge rusher, to finally become a breakout star at off-ball linebacker.
Last season, Capers played just 33 snaps as he nursed a hand injury that he suffered early in the year. Much of his career as been derailed by injury. He did not play as a true freshman in 2023 after reclassifying from the 2024 class because of a knee injury he suffered before joining the program.
Now, fully healthy, Capers will be forced to play alongside Quinn with the first-team defense. Through two games this year, he has played 50 snaps and has recorded five tackles.