The offseason is officially here, and the Louisville Cardinals are all-in on the Transfer Portal. Whether that is to recruit from within and keep key players like Isaac Brown and Clev Lubin, or earn commitments from DJ Waller and Lincoln Kienholz. Louisville football has already hosted multiple players for visits, and Cardinals fans recently learned they hosted one of the best edge-rusher transfer prospects.
The Cardinals have a lot of holes to fill, but one position they have to attack in the portal is the defensive line. The Cardinals' defensive line had a massive season last year, led by Clev Lubin, AJ Green, and Rene Konga. While Louisville learned that Lubin will return, they also learned that Green will enter the transfer portal.
So, with the Cardinals losing a key piece in Green to the portal, and Konga and others to eligibility, Brohm was able to land a key visit with North Carolina transfer Tyler Thompson.
Louisville football making strong push for elite 4-star EDGE
Louisville earned a total of 31 sacks last year, and the Cardinals will have to replace over 20 sacks. The Cardinals have already lost Green and Justin Beadles to the portal, and will lose Konga, Jordan Guerad, and Wesley Bailey to the NFL Draft.
North Carolina edge Tyler Thompson is set to visit Louisville today, a source tells @CBSSports.
— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) January 4, 2026
Thompson is one of the best pure edge rushers in the portal. (@jdemling) https://t.co/5Fd0twLQQ9
So, with Louisville in dire need of an edge rusher and defensive linemen, Brohm is trending with the North Carolina transfer. Thompson was reportedly on a campus visit yesterday, making him a perfect target for the Cardinals.
Thompson ranks as a top recruit in the portal, as high as No. 105, and is the 12th-best edge rusher. The UNC transfer is a redshirt sophomore who was a former Tar Heel 4-star commitment. Thompson ranked as high as No. 290 in the 2023 recruiting class, No. 31 edge rusher, and committed to North Carolina over big-time programs like Michigan and Louisville.
He was a former Cardinlas target in the 2023 class and is now a top target in the Transfer Portal this offseason. In his three seasons with the Tar Heels, he earned a combined 34 tackles. Thompson is coming off his best season after earning 7.5 tackles for a loss, 7.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one pass deflection.
Losing Green to the portal was crushing, but if Louisville can go and grab Thompson, it would be a huge splash for the defense. The Transfer Portal will remain open until January 16.
Related: Who's coming and who's going: Louisville football 2026 Transfer Portal tracker
For all the latest recruiting news and updates for Louisville football, stay tuned.