Louisville football swings and misses on one of their top targets remaining in the 2026 recruiting class after Jeff Brohm and his staff learned Joel Wyatt committed to the Tennessee Volunteers. This immediately became one of Vince Marrow's top targets since he got to Louisville, and it appeared the Cardinals were a team Wyatt was growing interested in.
The consensus 4-star athlete would have been a massive addition to the Cardinals' 1016 recruiting class and would have been their top commitment. Wyatt comes in ranked as high as No. 47 in the nation, the No. 2 recruit from Tennessee, and the No. 3 ATH recruit.
BREAKING: Elite 2026 ATH Joel Wyatt has Committed to Tennessee, he tells me for @rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 28, 2025
The 6’4 190 ATH from Shelbyville, TN chose the Vols over Vanderbilt, Louisville, LSU, & others
He’s ranked as one of the Top ATHs in the ‘26 Class 🍊https://t.co/BacCfPX3xX pic.twitter.com/igyIvsewSC
Marrow appeared to go all-in on the 4-star as the Cardinals joined the race quickly after signing Marrow. Louisville was one of the few teams that joined late, and they were gaining traction, it felt like, but Wyatt and committed to the Volunteers, crushing Marrow's and the Cardinals' dreams.
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Louisville football gets crushing blow from 4-star Joel Wyatt
Marrow has worked some magic since he joined Brohm and the Cardinals, but it appears his luck ran out with this elite 4-star target. Joining the party so late, it was clear Louisville had a long shot for Wyatt, but he was a recruit Louisville football fans were definitely keeping an eye on.
Louisville made its offer a month ago, on June 30, to the 4-star athlete, and while Wyatt and Marrow had a great relationship, helping the Cardinals gain momentum in his decision, it was relatively well known that the Tennessee native was going to commit to the Volunteers.
The 6-foot-4, 195 lb athlete earned over 28 offers and selected the Cardinals over Vanderbilt, LSU, and Louisville, who appeared to be his other top choices before his commitment. Wyatt is coming off a massive season for Webb School, having earned 49 catches for 907 yards and 10 touchdowns. On the defensive side, he recorded 48 tackles and two sacks.
Wyatt would have been one of the highest-rated commitments in program history if he had gone on to commit to Louisville. Marrow was trying to pull some strings with this 4-star target, but it wasn't meant to be, and they would have to move on to the next one.
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For all the latest on Louisville football's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.