Louisville football takes huge recruiting hit as Ohio State rips rising 2026 commit

Louisville football's losses on the field might be beginning to hurt their recruiting classes, as the Cardinals saw a 2026 recruit flip his commitment from the Louisville Cardinals to the Ohio State Buckeyes on Sunday afternoon.

Nick Lautar is a 3-star tight end out of Ohio, and within 24 hours of receiving an offer from the Buckeys, Lautar flipped his verbal commitment to Ohio State. The 3-star tight end originally committed to Louisville back in early June after he took a visit to the Cardinals.

Now the Buckeys earned the top 1000 prospect commitment over Louisville, Baylor, Army, Rutgers, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and others.

Related: Louisville football lands multiple 4-stars and more after massive recruiting weekend

Louisville football loses hidden gem to National Champions

The 2024 National Champions quickly rip Lautar away from the Cardinals as the 3-star tight end was one of Jeff Brohm and Vince Marrow's hidden gems. He wasn't a highly ranked tight end, but with his size and frame, as well as his impressive senior season, he was beginning to turn heads in the 2026 recruiting class.

Lautar ranked as high as No. 924 in the 2026 recruiting class, the No. 20 tight end, and the No. 20 player out of Ohio. It is no surprise that the Buckeyes made an offer to the in-state recruit, as he stands tall at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, and few are shocked that Lautar flipped to the 2024 National Champions.

As for the Cardinals' 2026 recruiting class, it is their best in a few years, ranking No. 30 in the nation with 22 commitments. Marrow and Brohm have done an excellent job of dominating the state of Kentucky while also attracting recruits from other states. Lautar was the Cards' eighth decommitment in this recruiting class, and Louisville does not have a tight end commitment at the moment.