Louisville football fans got a major boost in their secondary earlier this month as the Cardinals learned that defensive back D’Angelo Hutchinson announced he planned to return to UofL for his fifth year. However, that appears to be short-lived, as it was reported yesterday that Hutchinson will not play for Louisville but instead entered the Transfer Portal and just committed to a rival of Louisville’s.
On3 Sports Pete Nakos reported that Hutchinson entered the portal following the “five-for-five” rule. The Cardinals fans were excited to see the defensive back with Louisville, as he was going to give this new secondary another veteran presence, but now Louisville fans won’t watch him play for the Cardinals, but for their rival, the Cincinnati Bearcats.
BREAKING: Louisville safety D'Angelo Hutchinson has signed with Cincinnati, @PeteNakos reports🟥⬛️https://t.co/a5rf2eDgRa https://t.co/ehLBaiCuCt pic.twitter.com/vwrhATnZcR
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) August 26, 2026
Losing Hutchinson certainly stings for the Cardinals, as he was a key piece to their secondary this past season. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound safety was one of Louisville’s standout stars, earning 84 tackles, which was the second most on the team, only behind linebacker TJ Quinn. On top of his 84 tackles, Hutchinson added five pass breakups, 2.5 tackles for a loss, and an interception.
D’Angelo Hutchinson transfers to Cincinnati
The good news for Louisville is that Brohm rebuilt the secondary in the spring, and no one thought Hutchinson would be available. So, he would have been a huge boost to the safety room, but the Cardinals added some major pieces from the Transfer Portal.
The biggest secondary piece Brohm added this offseason was the Iowa transfer, Koen Entringer. The Iowa transfer committed to Louisville when he ranked No. 129 overall and 12th among safeties. He is the former defensive captain for the Hawkeyes and is coming off an All-Big Ten honorable mention season after earning 73 tackles, four pass deflections, and one forced fumble.
Entringer played his first four years with Iowa and combined for 100 tackles, five pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one interception. Now, with Hutchinson officially gone and going to Louisville’s rival, Entringer is expected to be a major piece for Louisville’s secondary.
In addition to Entringer, the Cardinals also added DJ Waller (Kentucky), Kaleb Beasley (Tennessee), and Santana Wilson (Texas), and they brought back key defensive back Tayon Holloway from 2025. Losing Hutchinson to a rival school definitely stings, but this secondary has the potential to really surprise some fans and take a big step forward in 2026.
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