CFB insider's 2025 NFL Draft projections for Louisville: Where could Justin Herbert’s former teammate land?
Louisville seems to be the wave of the future in college football. Many of its best players and top NFL prospects are transfers who were with other universities last season. It’s a strange dynamic that we’ll surely see more of in the coming years.
Louisville Cardinals' 2025 NFL Draft Preview
#1 Ashton Gillotte
Despite many of the top prospects in the program coming from other programs, the best prospect is a returning player, defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte.
Coming off a sensational campaign that included 11 sacks and 14.5 TFLs, Gillotte is an explosive one-gap defensive lineman who beats blockers off the snap and makes plays in every direction.
He plays with great leverage, effectively uses his hands and plays hard. Measuring 6-foot-2.5 and 275 pounds, he won’t be a player for every defensive system; rather, he's a defender who will make a lot of plays in the proper system.
#2 Ja'Corey Brooks
Ja'Corey Brooks is the top prospect who transferred to Louisville. The former Alabama receiver showed a lot of big-play potential in 2022, catching 39 passes for 674 yards with eight TDs.
He struggled through an injury-plagued campaign last season and played just three games. Brooks has the size, speed and skill to be a No. 3, if not No. 2, receiver on Sundays, yet the injury from a year ago stunted his development.
He has tremendous upside, and if Louisville gets good quarterback play, Brooks could have a big season and vault up draft boards.
#3 Tyler Shough
Speaking of quarterbacks, seventh-year senior Tyler Shough finishes his college career at his third school. Shough looked like a star in the making, taking over for Justin Herbert at Oregon in 2020, but he has since struggled with injury and inconsistency.
The soon-to-be 25-year-old passer has the size and arm strength teams want at the next level, but he also has significant hurdles to pass over in 2024 if he’s to be drafted next April.
Cornerback Quincy Riley has decent size and flashes skill. He has enough ability to make a next-level roster as a dimeback.
Louisville Cardinals' 2025 NFL Draft Projections by Tony Pauline