Two Louisville football stars earn huge recognition ahead of 2026 season

Jeff Brohm and Louisville football had a dominant offseason, bringing in over 31 transfers from the Transfer Portal, recruiting from within, and keeping key players from this past season. The Cardinals' offseason ranks as high as No. 5 in the nation by On3 Sports, and the big reason is their ability to keep Isaac Brown and land Tre Richardson.

Louisville football’s biggest question mark could decide Jeff Brohm’s seasonv

The two elite playmakers are expected to be major contributors this upcoming season for Brohm's offense. Former 4-star recruit Lincoln Kienholz will lead Louisville at quarterback, and the Cards are expecting Brown and Richardson to have huge seasons as they have their entire college career.

The countdown to Louisville's Week 1 showdown with Ole Miss is officially here, and with September 6 getting closer and closer, preseason All-American rosters are beginning to come out. The Cards' two stars each got recognition, with Brown being named to Phil Steele's Third-Team All-American team at running back, and Richardson was named to the Second-Team All-American team at kick returner.

Tre Richardson and Isaac Brown named preseason All-American

Brown and Richardson are both coming off eye-popping seasons. While Brown missed some games this past season, the Cardinals' star running back is one of the best in the nation and deserves preseason All-American honors.

In just two years at the college level, Brown has emerged as one of the best backs in college football. In his true freshman season, he set a program freshman rushing record with 1,173 rushing yards, breaking Lamar Jackson's record. Brown also logged 7.1 rushing yards per carry, 11 rushing touchdowns, and 152 receiving yards.

Brown went on to win the ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. He etched his name in multiple record books, including the only Cardinal in program history to win both awards.

Brown then followed that season with 884 rushing yards while averaging a dominant 8.8 yards per carry. The preseason All-American running back missed a handful of games this past season, but when he was available, he was a massive contributor to Brohm's offense and led Louisville to an 8-1 record in the games he played.

As for Richardson, the 4-star transfer is expected to be a huge factor on offense and special teams. He played in every game this past season with Vanderbilt, logging 17 kick returns for a dominant 427 yards. He earned an eye-popping 1,295 all-purpose yards, and he secured 806 receiving yards and seven touchdowns for the Commodores.

Richardson and Brown earning All-American honors gives Louisville fans the excitement they were hoping for as the Cards look to return to the ACC Championship game this year. This offense is expected to be highly explosive, and these two preseason All-Americans are a glaring reason why.

Related: Way-too-early Louisville football 2026 game-by-game predictions

For all the latest news and updates on Louisville football's 2025 season and recruiting, stay tuned.

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