"We're counting on him": Louisville TE Jaleel Skinner shining in fall camp
“Too tall, too lanky, too thin.”
That’s what Louisville junior tight end Jaleel Skinner was told when he entered the transfer portal following his first two seasons at Miami (FL).
In his true freshman season with the Hurricanes, there was a lot of promise; he caught nine balls for 129 yards and a touchdown — but Skinner could never build off of that.
Since landing with the Cardinals in the winter of 2024, it hasn’t been an easy climb on the depth chart for the 6-foot-5 Greer, South Carolina, product. Skinner saw limited snaps in the red and black last season, mostly playing as a tight end on special teams. He caught just one pass for four yards in the season opener against Austin Peay.
Mostly sitting behind Jamari Johnson and Mark Redman in 2024, the opportunities just weren’t there. Redman and Johnson were better blockers, fundamental players, and reliable pass catchers.
Coming back to Louisville
Even last December, the former No. 106-ranked recruit and No. 4 tight end in the 2026 class entered his name into the transfer portal before withdrawing his name three weeks later. Simply put, he bet on himself. And with Johnson (transfer) and Redman (LA Rams) exiting the program, the door is open.
“I jumped the gun a little bit, that’s being honest,” Skinner told the media about his portal entry in April. “I’m comfortable here, in Louisville. I’m really happy here, and then I have my little sister (Jalasia Lewis) here who runs track…so it’s family-oriented here for me.”
Skinner has gained 20 pounds since transferring to Louisville, has worked hard on his body, and has been a steady worker and improver at the “little things” that Jeff Brohm and tight ends coach Ryan Wallace value so much.
The coaching tandem of Walace and Brohm includes a long-standing personal relationship dating back to Purdue, where they coached together. The two have produced several NFL-caliber pass catchers at the position in their time. Including Brycen Hopkins, Payne Durham, and at Western Kentucky, Tyler Higbee.
Now entering their third season together in the Ville, they might have the deepest tight end room they’ve had. Not only is Skinner a candidate for major snaps in 2025, but the ever-so solid Nate Kurisky also returns, and the Cards added Jacob Stewart (San Jose St.) and Davon Mitchell (Oklahoma) in the transfer portal.
Finding consistency has been the key for Skinner over the course of this offseason and into fall camp. Those little things like blocking, disguising himself in motion, playing on the line of scrimmage, and being physical have all been points of emphasis for the talented pass catcher. They might be the only things preventing him from being the No. 1 TE on the depth chart.
“The tight end room is always open, just get us the ball,” Skinner said. “I feel like the tight end position here plays a really big role. You gotta know your stuff, you gotta be in your position… cause the little things in this offense matters to the tight end and really propels this offense forward.”
A difference-maker on the practice field
Skinner has shone this summer in fall camp. Now, not for his height, but for his play. He’s regularly gotten first-team reps at tight end and has made toe-drag catches in the endzone, guys miss in the open field, and been a primary target for starting quarterback Miller Moss.
The tight end’s raw mix of speed, length, and athleticism gives him NFL-caliber intangibles. He’s been high-pointing the football, weaving through traffic in the secondary, and it’s clear that he is, without a doubt, the best pass-catcher at his position on the roster. Skinner was great in Louisville’s spring game, even catching a touchdown.
Last season, Louisville’s receiving core lacked size and that red zone threat. Sure, Ja’Corey Brooks (Washington Commanders) was one of the nation’s best pass catchers, but the Cards’ tight ends caught just 55 passes, seven of them being touchdowns. It was a year where the Cards finished both in the top 15 in total offense and top 30 in passing nationally.
This fall, the room has the tools to be a focal point for Moss and the Cardinals’ offense, with Skinner being a major factor.
In practice, Skinner stands like a redwood amongst the rest of the pass catchers on the roster. But unlike the tree, he isn’t stiff. The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder is fluid, athletic, and has a wingspan ranging past 80 inches. Any ball is in his catch radius.
“He’s a lot more consistent right now, and I think a lot of that comes with it being his second year in the offense,” Wallace said of Skinner. “We’re counting on him…he’s risen to the challenge, but there’s still things he can be more consistent at. He can be more consistent catching the ball, he can be more consistent assignment-wise, but that consistency is there, it’s much improved from last year.”
He’s the prototypical red-zone threat in college football. There won’t be many, maybe even zero, defensive backs or linebackers who can challenge him for a jump ball in the endzone.
Skinner’s positive energy and beaming smile have made an impact on Louisville’s offense in practice and off the field; now it’s time for the talented tight end to make an impact on it.
