Louisville football has a massive top-25 showdown this Saturday, and Jeff Brohm and the Cardinals are officially getting a major addition to their defense. College sports have been a bit hectic recently, trying to understand who is eligible and who isn’t, but after a court case on Monday, Louisville will officially get key linebacker Kalib Perry back for 2025.
Louisville football vs SMU early odds and a prediction
The star linebacker transferred to Louisville last year after playing for Tennessee and made an immediate impact with the Cardinals. Now, after a hearing on Monday, it was reported that the linebacker officially won a TRO for a fifth year, and he is available to play for the Cardinals this Saturday against SMU.
Louisville LB Kalib Perry has won a TRO for a 5th year of eligibility and is eligible to play Saturday against No. 16 SMU. Had 55 tackles and an INT last season for the Cardinals.https://t.co/5hdXZ4q3xR https://t.co/K40go5QF4T
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) September 14, 2026
Kalib Perry available (for now) against SMU
With the “five-for-five” rule, it changes daily, so it will be interesting if Perry actually does suit up and play. But if he does, the Cardinals just got a key defender back from last year, adding depth and physicality to this Cardinals defense.
Perry would be a huge addition to the Cardinals' linebacker room and defense if he does play this weekend. He returns to Louisville after a big 2025 season with the Cardinals, in which he collected 55 tackles, 1.5 for loss, an interception, and a pass breakup.
The Cardinals' linebacker room adds a key piece to a room that was already loaded with talent, as they returned former 5-star TJ Capers, Stanquan Clark, and Antonion Watts. Now, this defense added Perry, whose 55 tackles finished fifth on the team last year and ranked as the second-most tackles among returning defenders. The only returning defender who logged more tackles than Perry last year was Clev Lubin with 59.
Perry’s experience comes in at the perfect time, as the Cardinals need all the help they can get for this huge conference showdown. Louisville has never defeated SMU in program history and is 0-2 against the Mustangs since they joined the conference.
This Saturday's game has major ACC Title implications, as the winner will likely emerge as the No. 2 team in the conference, only behind Miami. Right now, the Cardinals are 2.5-point favorites, according to FanDuel, and ESPN Analytics leans toward Louisville, giving the Cardinals a 52.8 percent chance of winning.
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