Louisville running back Jawhar Jordan declares for NFL draft, won't play in Holiday Bowl

Louisville star running back Jawhar Jordan won't play in the Cardinals' Holiday Bowl game against Southern California on Dec. 27 after declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft on Wednesday night.

Maurice Turner is listed as the backup running back on the Cardinals' depth chart.

Jordan has been one of the driving forces for the Cardinals' offense, totaling 1,128 yards and 13 touchdowns as a redshirt junior. He suffered a hamstring injury and was limited in the Cardinals' first loss of the season at Pitt but still maintained his status as the team's leading rusher.

Jordan then got banged up against Florida State in the ACC championship game, according to Cardinals coach Jeff Brohm, and had been ruled a game-time decision against USC.

Now, Jordan's status for the game is official: out.

Jordan began his collegiate career at Syracuse in 2019. He redshirted his first year, and three games into his freshman season, Jordan suffered a season-ending injury.

He transferred to Louisville the following year, accumulating 2,037 rushing yards with 17 touchdowns in his three seasons as a Cardinal. Though his time on the field was limited in 2021, his increased playing time began during the latter stages of the 2022 season, which ended with the New York native being named the Offensive MVP of the Fenway Bowl.

This year, Jordan was named to the All-ACC first team, capping his career with Louisville.

Reach sports reporter Prince James Story at pstory@gannett.com and follow him on X at @PrinceJStory.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville's Jawhar Jordan opts out of Holiday Bowl. Here's why.