Louisville football had 4 come off board in 2024 NFL Draft. These 5 could go in 2025
For the first time since 2018, Louisville football had four players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
It was also the first time since 2011 that U of L had two running backs selected: Isaac Guerendo and Jawhar Jordan. Besides the running backs, receiver Jamari Thrash and cornerback Jarvis Brownlee were picked Saturday. The program now has 141 draft picks.
Thrash, Brownlee, Jordan and Guerendo were key contributors to the Cardinals’ historic 2023 season and first under head coach Jeff Brohm.
Brohm had five draft picks from 2015-17 at Western Kentucky. During his six years at Purdue, Brohm helped 13 Boilermakers get drafted. After his final season, five players were taken in the 2023 NFL Draft. The four U of L players bring Brohm's total to 22 drafted players.
Despite the four departures, Louisville will have plenty of returning talent this fall.
Here are five Cardinals who can be NFL draft picks in 2025:
Ashton Gillotte, DL
Defensive end Ashton Gillotte could have gone pro this year but opted to come back for another season. An All-ACC first-team honoree, Gillotte is quick off the edge and can get into the backfield with ease, outdueling opposing offensive linemen. Last year, he led the team in sacks (11) and tackles for loss (14 ½), totaling 45 tackles while being used at multiple spots on the line. He returned to Louisville to get more experience playing a position he hadn’t since high school. Fox Sports already has Gillotte as a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, going 30th to the Baltimore Ravens.
Quincy Riley, CB
USC quarterback Miller Moss didn’t make many mistakes during the Holiday Bowl in December, but his biggest was targeting a receiver that Quincy Riley was covering in the end zone. Riley recorded his third and final interception of the season.
Like Gillotte, Riley was a draft prospect this year and was projected as one of the top draft-eligible cornerbacks. He was one of the anchors of Louisville’s secondary and often would be on an island during games. Of 63 targets, he gave up only one touchdown. Riley notched team highs in pass breakups (11) and coverage grade (85.3). He also had 49 total tackles, earning All-ACC honorable mention.
Thor Griffith, DL
Although Thor Griffith has yet to play a snap for Louisville, the Harvard transfer is one of the best defensive tackles in the 2025 NFL Draft. Griffith notched 55 tackles, 11 for loss, and 3 ½ sacks in his last season for the Crimson en route to All-Ivy League honors. The 6-foot-2, 320-pound defensive lineman also was named to The Athletic’s 2023 Freaks List.
Tyler Shough, QB
Tyler Shough was one of the most talented quarterbacks to come out of Arizona in 2018 with peers Justin Herbert and Brock Purdy. The biggest knocks against Shough are concerns about his health and his penchant for being intercepted. He had 11 interceptions and 20 touchdowns during three injury-shortened seasons at Texas Tech. Aside from that, his arm allowed him to throw for 2,922 yards as a Red Raider, and he fits well with Brohm and brother Brian, U of L’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The two have had four QBs go to the NFL in the last eight years. Jack Plummer was the latest after signing a free agent deal with the Carolina Panthers on April 27.
Caullin Lacy, WR
After reportedly considering entering the NFL draft prior to the 2023 season, Caullin Lacy’s upcoming season with Louisville likely will be his only one. The South Alabama transfer, a small-but-deep threat at 5-10, 190 pounds, was one of the top receivers in the transfer portal. The All-Sun Belt Conference honoree finished 2023 third nationally in receiving yards per game (109.7), sixth in receptions per game (7.6) and seventh in total receiving yards (1,316). Five of his seven touchdowns were for 30 yards or more. Lacy left South Alabama as the program’s all-time leader with 207 receptions and 13 touchdowns for 2,517 yards.
Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville Cardinals on Jeff Brohm roster to watch for NFL draft 2025
