Louisville football’s two biggest stars just got major ESPN recognition

Louisville football is just a week away from its first game of the 2026 college football season, and two Cardinals continue to get preseason hype. Isaac Brown and Clev Lubin are, without a doubt, Jeff Brohm’s standout stars entering his fourth year with the Cardinals.

The two stars are preseason All-Americans and are getting a lot of recognition and praise from many media outlets, including ESPN. Recently, ESPN released its top 100 players entering the 2026 college football season, and, unsurprisingly, Brown and Lubin earned the respect they deserve and made the list.

Isaac Brown and Clev Lubin earn major praise from ESPN

When looking ahead to this upcoming season, Brown is often considered one of the top running backs in the country, and Lubin is considered one of the top edge rushers. The two stars had dominant seasons in 2025, and with both returning to Brohm, expectations are for another massive year.

In ESPN’s top 100, Brown came in ranked No. 35 in the nation, while Lubin is No. 60.

While Brown’s 2025 season was cut short due to injuries, the elite running back demonstrated his ability to take over in numerous games. He rushed for 100 yards or more in six of his eight games, including a dominant performance against Boston College, where he finished with 205 rushing yards, one touchdown, and averaged 14.6 yards per carry.

He enters the 2026 season as one of the top backs in the country, as ESPN ranks him as the fifth-best running back in the nation, only behind Ole Miss, Kewan Lacy, Florida’s Jadan Baugh, Miami’s Mark Fletcher Jr., and Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy.

As for Lubin, the Coastal Carolina transfer will play with Louisville for his second season. Lubin was nothing but dominant in his first year with Louisville, earning team-high 8.5 sacks, along with 61 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, five pass deflections, and three forced fumbles.

Lubin is the top returning edge rusher in the ACC, according to PFF grades, as the star edge rusher had a dominant 91.4 grade in 2025. Now, the Cardinal is expected to be a key player on Louisville’s defense and cause havoc for opponents' quarterbacks.

Lubin ranks as the second-best edge rusher in ESPN’s ranking, only behind Texas’ Colin Simmons.  

The Cardinals have some high expectations this upcoming season, as they eye their first College Football Playoff appearance, and for that to happen, these two preseason stars must step up and have another big-time season.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow