Louisville Cracks The Athletic's Post-Spring Top 25

We're one week into the month of May, and we're starting to get some semblance of which college football teams we should expect to see when preseason top 25 polls start churning out. Spring football is well in the rear view mirror, the spring transfer window closed a week ago, and the majority of portal movement that came with it is done.

While most preseason polls for the 2024 season's start to be published until the summer and into August, The Athletic got a head start and released their post-spring top-25 on Tuesday. Following a successful year one under head coach Jeff Brohm, coupled with a highly-touted portal class, the Louisville football program cracks the top-25 at No. 22.

"Jeff Brohm was brought to Louisville to make this program great again, and he got off to a heck of a start last year, leading the Cardinals to the ACC Championship Game," Ari Wasserman wrote. "Louisville had one of the best portal classes of the cycle, headlined by quarterback Tyler Shough. The Cards also have a potential first-round pick on the defensive line in Ashton Gillotte. Don’t be shocked if you see this team right back in the ACC title game in December."

Three of Louisville's 2024 opponents were also placed in the top-25, with Notre Dame coming in at No. 5, Miami at No. 10 and Clemson at No. 18. Ohio State, Georgia, Oregon and Texas round out the top four.

Louisville finished their 2023 season with an overall mark of 10-4 for their first 10-win season since 2013, while also going 7-1 in ACC play to clinch the program's first ever berth in the ACC Championship Game. They also currently sport the No. 2 transfer portal class in this cycle per On3, second only to Colorado.

The Cardinals are scheduled to kick off year two of the Jeff Brohm era against Austin Peay on Saturday, Aug. 31 at L&N Stadium.