G Kobe Rodgers - Stay
A player that has flown under the radar all offseason is Kobe Rodgers. The 6-foot-3 redshirt senior did not play last season as he was injured all year with a knee injury from the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Kelsey brought Rodgers from Charleston to the Cardinals, as this elite combo guard is expected to be Louisville's primary ball handler off the bench.
After sitting out an entire year and transferring to Louisville with Kelsey, it is hard to imagine that Rodgers would enter the portal and leave his head coach. Rodgers played under Kelsey in the 2023-24 season after he jumped from Division II to Division I. Kelsey showed all the trust in this combo guard. Rodgers was rewarded as he averaged 9.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 50 percent from the field and 45 percent from beyond the arc. The Cardinals have one of the best backcourts entering the 2025-26 season in Mikel Brown Jr., Adrian Wooley, and Ryan Conwell, and a forgotten name is Rodgers.
The Cardinals showed a glaring weakness last season in the depth position, and Rodgers's return to play will be monumental for this team. The experienced guard will be the perfect player off the bench, as he is a reliable player whom Kelsey trusts. Last season, the Cardinals had no guard come off the bench and relied heavily on their starters. Rodgers is set to be the clear six-man for Kelsey next year, and it is hard to think he will pass that up and transfer.
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