If head coach Jeff Brohm and the Louisville Cardinals football want to return to the 2023 form that saw them reach the ACC Championship Game, the offense may ultimately rely on two key stars in the backfield. While much of the offseason conversation has centered around the quarterback room — and understandably so given Brohm’s success with transfer quarterbacks since returning home to Louisville — the running back room has quietly become one of the biggest strengths on the roster.
Fans should remember just how productive Brohm’s running backs have been during his three seasons with the Cardinals. In 2023, Louisville featured one of the best rushing duos in the ACC as Jawhar Jordan and Isaac Guerendo both eclipsed 800 rushing yards and became instant stars in an offense built around explosive rushing plays. Then in 2024, Isaac Brown emerged as RB1 and quickly showed why the hype surrounding him was justified. Brown rushed for 1,173 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 7.1 yards per carry, establishing himself as one of the most dangerous backs in the conference.
Jeff Brohm’s loaded Louisville offense starts with Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown
Last season, injuries limited Brown to just nine games and only 101 carries, but he still averaged a ridiculous 8.8 yards per carry and continued to flash elite big-play ability. His absence also opened the door for Keyjuan Brown to emerge as a major weapon in the offense. On just 96 carries, Keyjuan totaled 704 yards and six touchdowns himself. With both backs averaging over seven yards per carry, Louisville leaned heavily on the running game whenever the duo was healthy.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, injuries began to pile up once ACC play started. Despite appearing together in all three non-conference games, Isaac and Keyjuan only played four ACC games together. That includes the road game at Miami, where Keyjuan was clearly limited, finishing with just five carries for six yards.
In fact, Louisville only had three games all season in which both running backs received at least 10 carries: Boston College, Virginia Tech, and the bowl game against Toledo. The Cardinals went 3-0 in those contests while averaging 31 points per game. Even more impressive, both backs rushed for at least 90 yards in each of those matchups. Combined, the duo totaled 738 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on just 77 carries — an absurd 9.6 yards per carry.
Looking ahead to the 2026 season, Louisville’s offense could be even more dangerous. The quarterback play should improve, the wide receiver room has been reloaded, and the offensive line appears poised to take another step forward. If Isaac and Keyjuan can stay healthy for a full season, there is every reason to believe this could become one of the nation’s best running back tandems.
Last year, Louisville entered the season expecting Isaac Brown to be the clear workhorse back, which meant it took a few games for Keyjuan Brown to fully establish his role. Now that both players have proven themselves as explosive playmakers, expect the Cardinals to emphasize a more balanced workload early in the season with a clear focus on preserving both backs’ health. If Brohm can keep each player in the range of 10-12 carries per game during ACC play, this tandem could determine just how far Louisville goes this season.
Sports Illustrated recently included a bold prediction that Isaac Brown could become a Heisman Trophy finalist this season. While that would obviously be an incredible accomplishment, Louisville fans may actually benefit more from the numbers being split between the two backs. Across his first two collegiate seasons, Brown has totaled 2,057 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on just 266 carries in 22 games. Based on a projection of roughly 12 carries per game over a 12-game season, Brown would still be on pace for another 1,100-yard season with around nine touchdowns if he remains healthy.
Keyjuan Brown is a bit more difficult to project simply because he has never consistently received starter-level volume. However, in the eight career games where he logged at least nine carries, he totaled 786 yards on 98 attempts with 10 touchdowns. That averages out to just over 12 carries for 98.3 yards and a touchdown per game. Over a full 12-game season, that pace would project to roughly 1,100 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.
Combined, the “Law Offices of Brown and Brown” could realistically become a duo that surpasses 2,000 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns together over the course of a full season. Honestly, that may even be the conservative projection if both players stay healthy. If everything clicks offensively and both backs are available for all 12 games, the ceiling for this tandem could push close to 3,000 combined rushing yards.
If that happens, it may not matter who lines up under center for Louisville as long as the quarterback can efficiently distribute the football and the offensive line develops the way the coaching staff believes it can. The sky is the limit for this Cardinals team, but ultimately, Louisville may only go as far as its two star running backs can carry them.
Related: Jeff Brohm’s recruiting surge marks game-changing milestone for Louisville football
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