Friday night, Louisville football officially landed one of the best 2026 prospects out of Kentucky, Karsten Busch.
Before verbally committing to Jeff Brohm and the Cardinals program, Busch made seven unofficial visits to the campus, where he is seen playing football just a few miles down the road. This 6-foot-2, 221-pound linebacker plays and attends St. Xavier High School in Louisville.
Tough decision considering so many good schools but THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVIILLE is where I will be continuing my academic and athletic career. Thanks to God, Family, and Friends for the continued support‼️‼️ #FlyVille26 @MarkIvey90 @JeffBrohm @TMossbrucker @pete_nochta13 pic.twitter.com/peqfaE7pXW
— Karsten Busch (@k_busch15) March 7, 2025
Busch is a unanimous top-five recruit out of Kentucky and is ranked as high as the No. 467 recruit, per On3. On3 Recruiting ranks him as the No. 35 linebacker in the class of 2026 and the third-best player from Kentucky.
Louisville football lands elite in-state recruit over Kentucky and Wisconsin
The new Cardinals' linebacker put up an impressive junior season at St. Xavier, where he secured 59 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, and seven sacks.
The 3-star linebacker has the potential to be a huge commitment to this Cardinals program. The Louisville native will make his first official visit to Louisville's campus on May 30.
UofL securing Busch's commitment is monumental for Jeff Brohm and his staff, as Cardinals fans hope this is just the first domino to fall their way. Recruits such as Kaydin Jones and Jaydin Broadnax visited the Louisville campus this past week, and Jones even hinted at following Busch to the Cardinals and tagged Broadnax in his post on X.
@jbroadnax_5 😏 https://t.co/6HO8gd92wP
— kaydin “batman” jones (@kaydinjoness) March 8, 2025
Jeff Brohm and his staff have worked overtime on this 2026 class, which is starting to show. Louisville will continue to chip away at the class and hopes to hear good news from Jones and Broadnax next.
The Cardinals are currently ranked No. 39 in the nation for their seven commits in the class of 2026, according to On3. Stay updated with all Louisville football recruiting news and updates here.