Louisville football is wrapping up spring practices. 5 things to watch in Red-White game

Comfortability has been the theme of Louisville football’s spring season.

The Cardinals have had a year to learn Jeff Brohm’s system and the coaching staff. The players have a better grasp of what they want to accomplish heading into Year 2. For some, things clicked during the fall as the season progressed, but it’s taken others until recently to fully grasp certain concepts.

“For me, I would say probably a couple of weeks ago because that offense is crazy, man,” tight end Jamari Johnson said. “But once you get to doing it on the field and getting reps, repetition, keep going over and over, I think you'll get it.”

Louisville has one final scrimmage to show its progression under Brohm during the Red-White spring football game at 7 p.m. Friday at L&N Stadium.

Here are five things to watch during Louisville’s spring football game:

Who will take the field Friday for Louisville football?

After various reports about multiple offensive linemen transferring from Louisville came out Wednesday, many of them, including Victor Cutler, Michael Gonzalez and Lance Robinson, have denied the reports. Some transfers have been proven true. Running back Peny Boone took to social media to describe why he opted to leave the program after arriving from Toledo three months ago. U of L also lost defensive lineman Jermayne Lole, who has been struggling to stay healthy for the last three seasons.

In addition to the transfer carousel starting Tuesday, the Cardinals also have to contend with injuries, which have sidelined players including safety M.J. Griffin, defensive lineman Tyler Baron, who also reportedly intends to transfer, and offensive lineman Renato Brown, who is recovering from last season’s knee injury.

What does Louisville football's offense look like with Tyler Shough?

Texas Tech transfer Tyler Shough has received high praise from his new coaches and teammates. Running backs coach Chris Barclay compared the way Shough makes checks at the line of scrimmage to Super Bowl-winning quarterback Drew Brees. Wide receivers coach Garrick McGee noted Shough’s natural leadership skills and ability to throw the football “at different arm angles.” What stood out to wide receiver Jadon Thompson was how quickly Shough picked up the offense.

“The first time I met him, it seemed like he already knew everything, and I was kind of confused on that,” Thompson said.

Shough fits the mold of a prototypical Brohm quarterback, which will allow the second-year Cardinals coach to delve more into his playbook.

Who are Louisville football’s receivers?

It was hard not to notice green jerseys lined up wide during practices. Quarterbacks Sam Young and Travis Egan took reps at outside receiver because of depth issues at the position, Brohm said.

“We've had a few guys go down at receiver,” Brohm said. “The depth, as far as overall depth, is not where we'd like it to be numbers-wise. ... We have a long list of quarterbacks and a couple of really good athletes. We've tried to play them at multiple positions, at quarterback and receiver, because they're not able to get a ton of reps right now, sometimes, at quarterback. We want to keep some fresh legs, but some of those guys have done a pretty decent job.”

Louisville still has receivers available, though, with returners including Thompson and Chris Bell. The unit also has seen solid production from South Alabama transfer Caullin Lacy.

Who will replace Jawhar Jordan in Louisville football lineup?

Jawhar Jordan flipped the script on the usual Brohm-style offense. The coach is known for having a pass-heavy offense, but the way Jordan (literally) took off last season made the Cardinals’ run game the offense's strength. He and Isaac Guerendo combined for 2,418 of the team’s 5,812 offensive yards (41.6%) and 25 of the team’s 54 touchdowns (46.3%).

With Jordan and Guerendo gone, U of L needs a new starting running back. The first-team rotations throughout practices were a mix of Boone, Maurice Turner and Don Chaney. The Cardinals now have one fewer option after Boone reentered the transfer portal. His biggest contributions were size and physicality, things Louisville was missing from its running backs last season. Chaney still offers those traits, but he will compete with Turner, the most experienced returner, for the RB1 spot.

Are Louisville football's cornerbacks really that good?

Throughout the spring, there haven’t been any easy practices for Louisville’s offense. Why?

“Because Quincy Riley is out there,” McGee said. “... If you don't do what you're supposed to do and do it exactly the way you're supposed to do it, you're not going to beat Quincy Riley ever.”

Louisville’s cornerbacks have been the talk of spring practices. Defensive coordinator Ron English said they’re the best he’s been around in a long time. UCF transfer Corey Thornton has taken first-team reps alongside Riley over the last month. Newcomers including Tahveon Nicholson (Illinois) and Tayon Holloway (North Carolina) and a healthy Aaron Williams help to add depth and talent.

During one of the spring's first open practices, the group was especially dominant, with Holloway picking off Shough. A couple weeks later, the depth continued to deliver as Destin Cheirs intercepted quarterback Pierce Clarkson.

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: Jeff Brohm is wrapping up spring football. Here are 5 things to watch