Three more Louisville football players named to preseason watchlists

Louisville football is expected to have a highly explosive offense under Jeff Brohm this upcoming season. The Cardinals are coming off a nine-win season for the second straight season and will look to return to Charlotte for the second time in three years.

If Louisville wants to make history or have a chance at making their first-ever College Football Playoffs, then this offense must live up to expectations. Isaac Brown and Chris Bell are expected to be two crucial pieces on this offense, and they are proving that already before they have even played a game.

Brown has made multiple watch lists so far, and he, Bell, and Duke Watson just made preseason watchlists that prove this offense is poised to have another breakout season.

Related: Louisville star WR earning 2026 NFL Draft hype with AJ Brown comparisons

Isaac Brown, Chris Bell and Duke Watson earn spots on preseason watchlists

Louisville's star running backs and Bell all made watch lists for the 2025 season, and the fans are in a complete frenzy about it. The season is set to kick off in just about three weeks, meaning any good news has Louisville football fans ecstatic.

Brown and Watson both went on to make the Doak Walker Award Watch List. This comes as no surprise, as both running backs have incredibly high expectations after combining for  1,770 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns last season.

Watson rushed for 597 yards and seven touchdowns, including two 100-yard rushing games. The star tailback led the nation in rushing yards per carry with an astounding 8.91 rushing yards per attempt.

As for Brown, he is expected to be one of the top running backs in the nation as he is making multiple All-American teams and just about every watch list possible. He is coming off a historic season where he rushed for 1,173 yards and 11 touchdowns and broke Lamar Jackson's true freshman rushing record.

The rushing attack will be the glue that holds this team together as they take this team as far as it can go. The rushing game is going to be the main attack on offense with these star tailbacks, but in the passing game, the star is Bell.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound wide receiver has been named a future 2026 NFL Draft star, preseason All-ACC, and now he has been named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.

Bell has improved every year in college so far, making many expect him to have a breakout season. He played under Ja'Corey Brooks for many years, and now he will have the chance to be Miller Moss's No. 1 wide receiver.

The star wide receiver secured 43 catches for 737 yards and four touchdowns last season, all of which were career highs. The fans, experts, and program all think Bell is poised to be the Cardinals' star on the outside. The mix of his physicality and underrated speed has him at the top of the list for the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.

Related: 3 Cardinals with legitimate breakout potential for Louisville Football in 2025

For all the latest on Louisville football's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.