Louisville football’s nightmare scenario officially comes true as the Cardinals learn on New Year's Day that their star running back Isaac Brown will enter the Transfer Portal. The true sophomore has been one of the best running backs in the nation for the past two years, and while this was expected for the Cards, it is still a massive gut punch.
Brown has been dominant through his two seasons with the Cards. He shattered multiple records in his freshman season, including rushing yards by a freshman, and went on to win ACC Rookie of the Year. The Miami native will join Duke Watson and Shaun Boykins Jr. in the portal, making it clear Brohm must try to keep star RB Keyjuan Brown.
BREAKING: Louisville star RB Isaac Brown is entering the @TransferPortal, sources tell @On3Sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 1, 2026
Through 2 seasons he’s totaled 2,057 rushing yards and 18 TDs (7.7 YPC)
He immediately becomes one of the Top Players in the portalhttps://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/614PUfnIpE
Louisville football's nightmare scenario comes true
Brown was one of the best running backs in the nation, as the former 3-star commit exceeded all expectations in his first two seasons with the Cardinals after he rushed for 2,057 yards and 18 touchdowns. He led the nation in yards per carry, averaging 7.7 over two seasons, including his true freshman season, when he carried 165 times for 1,173 rushing yards.
Brown was battling an injury this season, missing five games. Louisville went 7-1 in the games he played this year, including the Cardinals' massive win over Miami. He earned 101 carries and logged 884 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, while averaging 8.8 yards per carry.
He is immediatley one of the top players in the Transfer Portal and is one of the biggest names at running back. He was a preseason All-American entering the 2025 season and will likely be again next season. Louisville has now lost 16 players to the portal, and this is by far the biggest blow. With Brown and Watson gone, Brohm must make sure Louisville keeps Keyjuan Brown and doesn’t lose their entire running back room.
The Transfer Portal opens up tomorrow, Jan. 2, and will remain open for 14 days. For all the latest recruiting news and updates for Louisville football, stay tuned.