LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- That time of year has come. The regular season has ended, the bowl bids have yet to be announced, and players are making transfer portal decisions. We'll keep up with them — as best we can — in this space.
Check back often.
The latest departure for the University of Louisville is was a much-anticipated quarterback recruit out of Bellflower, Calif. Pierce Clarkson was a heralded four-recruit for coach Scott Satterfield, who honored his commitment after new Louisville coach Jeff Brohm made a quick trip to California.
Clarkson made headlines when his family took out a series of billboards in Louisville after his commitment, proclaiming the arrival of "FlyVille."
But Clarkson never quite took off in Louisville.
He played in one game as a true freshman, and saw just a handful of snaps in two games this season, against Austin Peay at the beginning of the season and Kentucky at the end.
An updated look at who is headed out. So far 13 Louisville players have declared their intention to enter the transfer portal.
Outgoing
Jared Dawson, DE: Played in the season's first 10 gams before missing the last two with an injury. The Collierville, Tenn., native had 19 tackles, seven for loss, and four sacks. He started two games this past season. After limited action in 2020 and '21, he had 16 tackles in 2022 and played in 11 games, collecting 14 tackles, in 2023.
Jamari Johnson, TE: The former four-star recruit out of Miami had 13 catches for 158 yards before sustaining a season-ending ankle injury after seven games. The 6-5, 270-pound tight end hauled in his first career touchdown pass in a win at Virginia. He spent two seasons at Louisville.
Joe Crocker, OL: The 6-6, 310-pound redshirt freshman from Ascot, England, played in only three games this past season, both on the offensive line and special teams. He played in one game as a true freshman.
Keyjuan Brown, RB: Announced via social media that he has made the decision to enter the portal. Brown, a 5-foot-10-inch, 210-pound redshirt freshman from Atlanta, played in 11 games this past season, picking up 47 carries for 243 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught five passes for 53 yards.
Brady Allen, QB: The transfer from Purdue transferred in after Jeff Brohm left West Lafayette for Louisville but never saw much playing time. A 6-foot-6-inch, 220-pound redshirt sophomore out of Gibson Southern High School in Fort Branch, Indiana, he played in only three games for a total of seven plays, in two seasons in Louisville. He attempted only one pass in his Louisville career, and completed it for seven yards.
Jimmy Calloway, WR: The Tennessee transfer hoped this would be a breakout season, but, instead, he was hampered by injuries and played in only two games, limited action against Georgia Tech and Notre Dame. In 2023, Calloway played in every game and recorded 20 catches for 242 yards. He also scored a special teams touchdown when he corralled a blocked punt in Louisville's win at Virginia.
Jaleel Skinner, TE: The transfer from Miami played in seven games and had just one catch, a four-yard grab in the loss to Miami. The 6-foot-5-inch, 225 pound redshirt sophomore also saw action on special teams.
Maurice Turner, RB: He started the season at the top of Louisville's running back depth chart, but, by the end, he had been supplanted by injury and a couple of talented freshmen. Turner had four carries for 27 yards in the season-opening blowout of Ausitn Peay and a dozen carries for 60 yards and a touchdown in the win over Jacksonville State. He would miss the next eight games because of injury. Because he played in only four games, he will be able to take 2024 as a redshirt season. The 5-foot-10-inch, 190-pound Georgia native leaves U of L with 734 rushing yards. His biggest performance came as a true freshman in the 2022 Fenway Bowl, when he carried 31 times for 160 yards in a win over Cincinnati.
Lousivlle running backs Maurice Turner (4) and Donald Chaney (21) listen to RB coach Chris Barlclay in preseason practice on August 5, 2024. Both announced they will enter the transfer portal at the end of the season.
Jahlil McClain WR: One of a group of highly anticipated California recruits to join the program in 203, the 5-foot-11-inch, 180-pound prospect out of St. John Bosco Prep played in only three games in two seasons after missing his first season because of injury. He played a handful of snaps in the opener against Austin Peay and a few more on special teams in two other games.
Ben Perry, LB: The 6-foot-3-inch, 205-pound Chicago native went through Senior Day festivities last month, having played in 42 games as a Cardinal. He leaves Louisville with 132 tackles, a forced fumble, 10 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. He will have one season remaining as a graduate transfer. He had 29 tackles in 12 games this past season.
Jadon Thompson, WR: The Cincinnati transfer played in three games and had six catches for 88 yards and a pair of touchdowns this season before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the win over Georgia Tech. He was on his way to a big year, with heavy usage in his first three games before the injury. It was his second straight injury filled campaign. He had 12 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown for the Cardinals last season, including three catches for 20 yards in the Holiday Bowl loss.
Donald Chaney, RB: The transfer who came to Louisville after three years with Miami will leave after carrying 50 times for 178 yards and three touchdowns in his only season at Louisville. The 5-foot-11-inch, 220-pound Florida native played in 11 games and caught seven passes for 62 yards but saw dwindling opportunities after the emergence of freshman Isaac Brown.
Mason Reiger, DL: A preseason injury ended Reiger's season before it began and, it turns out, ended a Louisville career that began in walk-on status. In between, Reiger played in 32 games for the Cardinals, recording 49 tackles, 17.5 tackles for a loss, eight sacks, and four forced fumbles. The 6-foot-4-inch, 250-pound senior appeared in nine games in 2023, recording a season-high four tackles with two sacks and a forced fumble in the win over Notre Dame, then topping that mark with five tackles in the ACC Championship game against Florida State.
Madden Sanker, OL: The 6-foot-4-inch, 305-pound lineman who was the fifth-highest-ranked recruit in Brohm's first class played in only three games over two seasons. The Douglasville, Georgia, native most recently played in the Austin Peay and Jacksonville State victories to open this season.
Aaron Williams, DB: His two seasons at Louisville have been marked by injury, and he saw only special teams duty this season until getting into the game on defense in the home finale against Pittsburgh. A four-star recruit after St. John Bosco in Bellflower, California, he picked Louisville over many SEC schools, including Alabama and Georgia, as well as USC and UCLA.
Devin Neal, DB: The Baylor transfer left Louisville's team in October, announcing his decision to transfer. He played in four games this season, before opting out to preserve his redshirt season. He came to U of L after three seasons at Baylor. The Lexington native had a big 2023 season in Louisville, with 74 tackles, ranking second on the team. He also had four interceptions — tied for second in the ACC — with six passes defended.
This story will be updated.
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