The spring transfer portal opens tomorrow, April 16, and the Cardinals are expected to be heavily involved in this 10-day window. Jeff Brohm and the company are trying to secure a nine-win season for the third consecutive year.
Louisville football had a successful season last year, defeating Clemson for the first time in program history and dueling Miami in an absolute shootout. The Cardinals are just a few pieces away from competing for the ACC title in the 2025 season, and with this spring portal, Louisville must go after some of the top players.
One area of dire need is the secondary. The Cardinals' defensive backs stepped up in the Spring Game, as transfer Rodney Johnson Jr. secured an interception and a sack on Friday night, but Brohm and his defense could use a lockdown defender, a ball-hawk who would give this defense some physicality.
A recent transfer portal is exactly what Louisville needs in their secondary, as a 4-star safety out of high school entered his name in the transfer portal, and he is the perfect player Louisville should go after.
Louisville football must target elite 4-star in transfer portal to fill glaring hole
The Cardinals starting safeties in the Spring Game were D'Angelo Hutchinson and Jojo Evans. The Cardinals need some experience in the safety position, and the former 4-star safety out of Riverview, Fla., is the exact player the Cardinals need.
It was reported later last week that Gregory Smith III will enter the transfer portal tomorrow after just his freshman season with the Florida Gators. The former 4-star safety earned 28 offers out of high school and was ranked as a unanimous top-30 safety and a top-15 athletic player. According to On3, he was ranked as high as the No. 261 recruit in the class of 2024.
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This former 4-star's ceiling is high, and his ability to tackle and track the ball while utilizing his speed and physicality makes him a perfect player for this defense. The 6-foot-4, 211-pound defensive back still has all four years of eligibility left, as he only played in five games last season for the Gators, making him one of the top defensive back targets.
BREAKING: Florida Safety Gregory Smith III plans to enter the Transfer Portal, he tells @on3sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 9, 2025
The 6’4 217 S will have 4 years of eligibility remaining
Four-Star Recruit & held 28 Offers coming out of High Schoolhttps://t.co/q3G8OWfM4Z pic.twitter.com/fV6CgHRnOd
While Smith doesn't have tremendous experience, his best game came against Florida State last season, where he logged 49 snaps and three total tackles, two of them solo. While his stats in his three games don't jump out, his high school tape proves he would be a perfect fit to help Louisville's secondary in this upcoming season.
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The two-way athletic player played quarterback in high school, throwing 1,633 passing yards while rushing for 409 yards and tallying 39 touchdowns in his senior year. On the defensive side he earned 29 tackles, four pass breakups, one interception, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
He has an excellent build for the safety position. At 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, he has the speed and athleticism to be one of the top defensive backs in the upcoming years. This elite 4-star transfer should be a defensive back Brohm and the Cardinals must go all-in to not only improve their defense this year, but for many years.
For all the latest on Louisville football's offseason, stay tuned.