Who's starting for the Cardinals? Projecting Louisville football's starters ahead of opener

Louisville’s fall football practices have concluded. Now, the Cardinals are now turning their attention to Georgia Tech.

It’ll mark a new era of Cardinals football under Jeff Brohm when the team takes the field for the Sept. 1 opener, with a new system and plenty of new faces. Louisville lost seven full-time starters on offense and six on defense in the offseason while pulling in 24 players from the transfer portal and signing 16 true freshmen, including several viable candidates to fill the open spots.

Brohm already named California transfer Jack Plummer as the new starting quarterback. Defensive linemen Ashton Gillotte and Dez Tell are expected to remain starters along with defensive backs Jarvis Brownlee, Quincy Riley and Josh Minkins.

Questions remain after those names, though. The Cardinals have used the spring and fall practice periods to prepare to fill the starting vacancies.

With the opener in Atlanta against the Yellow Jackets less than 10 days away, let's take a closer look at the projected starters for the 2023 season:

Offense

Quarterback

Jack Plummer, Sr. 

Plummer is going into his sixth season of college football, with four years under Brohm at Purdue. His level of experience and familiarity with the new system has given him the chance to lead the offense.

Running back

Jawhar Jordan, R-Jr. 

The 2022 Fenway Bowl Offensive MVP entered the starting lineup after Louisville’s running back room took a hit from injuries and the transfer portal. Jordan took advantage of the opportunity and ended the year as the team’s leading rusher. He’s emerged as a leader and one of the most experienced players in the running back room, which should be enough to remain as RB1.

Wide receivers

Jamari Thrash, R-Jr.; Ahmari Huggins-Bruce, Jr.; Chris Bell, So. 

There's plenty of competition here, as the wide receiver room is one of the deepest on the team. Still, expect Huggins-Bruce to retain his starting spot and play in the slot for the Cardinal. Bell didn't start last year and was injured during the spring, but his bigger body (6-foot-2, 225 pounds), physicality and productive fall camp make him a strong candidate to start heading into his second season. Thrash, a Biletnikoff Award watch list honoree, made plenty of highlight-reel plays during fall camp and has stood out to teammates – he should be in line to round out the Cardinals' starting wide receiver group.

Tight end

Josh Lifson, Gr. 

Louisville’s experience and depth at tight end is extremely limited. Though several players rotated in with the first-team unit, Lifson, who played in all 13 games last season, started in April's spring game and has made strong progress during the fall in the new offensive system.

Offensive line

Bryan Hudson, R-Sr.; Renato Brown, R-Jr.; Eric Miller, R-Sr.; Michael Gonzalez, Jr.; John Paul Flores, R-Sr. 

The return of starters Bryan Hudson and Renato Brown along with Michael Gonzalez, who made five starts in 12 games played last year, has been key in preserving continuity on the Cardinals’ offensive line. The unit also got a boost from adding Eric Miller, who played for Brohm and blocked for Plummer during the 2021 campaign. His familiarity should help provide insight the others don’t have but need heading into the season. Of the other newcomers, Flores has the most comfortability with the system and fellow linemen after using the spring football season to get acclimated.

Defense

Defensive line

Ashton Gillotte, Jr.; Dez Tell, Jr.; Ramon Puryear, R-Jr.; Stephen Herron, R-Sr. 

While Gillotte and Tell return as starters, Puryear was a quality reserve in 12 games played last season. He took first-team reps in the fall and is one of the unit's older and more experienced leaders. Herron, meanwhile, brings athleticism and more experience to Louisville's defensive line after a solid career at Stanford. He's expected to play in the LEO (a defensive lineman who stands) position.

Linebackers

Keith Brown, Jr.; T.J. Quinn, R-So. 

The 2022 offseason left the Cardinals linebacker room almost bare, but budding talent is on the roster. Quinn played in all 13 games last season as a reserve but has the potential to emerge as a high-caliber player with more time on the field. He was a standout during the spring game and fall camp. And with two years’ worth of playing experience at Oregon, Brohm and linebackers coach Mark Ivey expect Brown to be a key contributor to the defense this year.

Defensive backs

Jarvis Brownlee, Jr.; Quincy Riley, R-Jr.; Ben Perry, R-So.; Josh Minkins, Jr.; Devin Neal, Jr. 

Despite losing M.J. Griffin (lower leg) and D’Angelo Hutchinson (undisclosed) to injuries, Louisville’s secondary should be fine to start the season, with four players who have starting experience in Brownlee, Riley (who led the team in interceptions a year ago), Perry and Minkins. He's new, but Neal, a Baylor transfer, had the spring to familiarize himself with the defensive system, giving him an advantage over the other incoming safeties.

'He makes our league better': Here's what ACC football coaches are saying about Louisville's Jeff Brohm

Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @Alexis_Cubit.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville football starting lineup: Projecting Cardinals' key players