LOUISVILLE, Ky. – While the Louisville football program’s offense has been anchored by a strong running game over the last two seasons, traditionally, head coach Jeff Brohm has traditionally been known for his high-flying passing attacks.
During his first season at the helm of his alma mater in 2023, the Cardinals averaged 236.6 passing yards per game, which was good for 56th in the FBS. This past season, it was much more reminiscent of what we come to expect from a Brohm offense, with their 264.1 passing yards per game good for 26th nationally.
Of course, the biggest key behind making Brohm’s passing offense click is having high level quarterback play, which Louisville got this past season in Tyler Shough. But an underrated component here is also getting elevated play from the wide receiver position, which collectively took a step forward this past season from what it was the season before.
As we head into year three under Brohm, he is undoubtedly placing a lot on the shoulders on USC transfer quarterback Miller Moss. But on top of that, he is also placing elevated expectation on their group of wide receivers.
“We definitely want to play as well at that position as we possibly can, without question,” Brohm said Tuesday.
So far this offseason, the position has seen a lot of moving parts. For starters, First-Team All-ACC wideout Ja’Corey Brooks is heading off to the NFL. On top of that, Jimmy Calloway, Cataturus Hicks, Jahlil McClain and Jadon Thompson all hit the portal in the winter transfer window.
But Louisville is certainly not devoid of talent at wide receiver. In fact, one could make the argument that the Cardinals have the best one-two punch at the position in the ACC in Chris Bell and Caullin Lacy.
Even though he was WR2 for the season, and at times WR3 when Lacy was on the field, Bell had a breakout 2024 campaign for the Cardinals. Starting in all 13 games, he caught 43 passes for 737 yards and four touchdowns – all of which were second on the team. His 17.1 yards per reception was good for third in the ACC.
For context, over his first two seasons in college combined, Bell logged 36 receptions for 512 yards and a pair of scores.
As for Lacy, while he played in just five games so that he could preserve a redshirt season after suffering a broken collarbone on the final day of fall camp, he showed flashes of his elite potential. He caught 18 passes for 196 yards and a touchdown, rushed five times for 21 yards and as core, and logged five kick returns for 191 yards – including a 100-yard return for a touchdown against Miami.
Joining Louisville last offseason as a transfer from South Alabama, Lacy was one of the most prolific and explosive wide receivers in all of college football during the 2023 season. He caught 91 passes for 1,316 yards and seven touchdowns, with the receptions mark good for fifth in the FBS and the yardage mark coming in at sixth. He took home First-Team All-Sun Belt honors for his efforts.
On top of Bell and Lacy, Louisville also has Antonio Meeks, Shaun Boykins Jr. and JoJo Stone returning to the Cardinals for the 2025 season. While the latter two didn’t log any stats last season, Meeks had two catches for 14 yards in the season-opener vs. Austin Peay, then a 28-yard touchdown reception in the Sun Bowl.
Additionally, Louisville has four newcomers at the position. Brock Coffman and Kamare Williams are joining the program out of the high school ranks, while Bobby Golden and T.J. McWilliams transferred in from Akron and Minnesota, respectively.
Coffman and Williams are both regarded as three-star prospects, while McWilliams has played just nine offensive snaps across two seasons in college. Golden has the most collegiate experience out of this quartet, logging 31 receptions for 446 yards and a touchdown last season the Zips, while also being their primary kick returner.
Another player who could see meaningful playing time in 2025 is Kris Hughes. Despite being a walk-on, he still logged seven receptions for 54 yards last season.
While Bell and Lacy are going to shoulder the majority of the load in the wide receiver room, Brohm is challenging the other seven scholarship wideouts to take steps forward.
“We’ll need more guys to touch the ball and have success. … But our guys have worked hard,” he said. “I think you’ll see a couple of new faces hopefully step on the field and make plays for us. It was good to see Antonio Meeks make a touchdown catch in the bowl game. Those guys got to continue to work hard, and be ready when their number’s called. Definitely, with the group we have, there will be some new faces and names that you’ll hear that need to step up.”