Louisville flips 2026 four-star OT Jarvis Strickland from Kentucky
On July 4, Louisville completed the expected flip of 2026 four-star offensive tackle Jarvis Strickland.
After decommitting from Kentucky on June 19, Strickland took time to mull things over and ultimately decided on the Cardinals.
On3 Industry lists the 6-foot-5, 295-pound lineman as the No. 356 player overall and No. 28 tackle in the nation, as well as the No. 2 overall player out of the state of Kentucky. This gives the Cards all three of the state’s highest-rated recruits in the 2026 class — including Evan Hampton (RB, Owensboro) and Karsten Busch (LB, Louisville) — who are both part of a class that continues to be bolstered late into the recruiting cycle.
Earlier this week, On3’s Steve Wiltfong logged a prediction for Jeff Brohm to land the Paducah Tilghman (Ky.) product. This all comes mere weeks after longtime Kentucky assistant Vince Marrow left his post in Lexington to be Louisville’s new Executive Director of Player Personnel and recruiting (aka the general manager).
Marrow’s been all over Strickland’s recruitment from the start, as just ten days before Strickland’s decommittment from the Wildcats, Marrow’s title with the Cardinals was announced. He visited and pledged to Kentucky on May 30, making him the first commitment in the Cats class.
Strickland immediately becomes a top-five get for Louisville in its 2026 class; his size, combined with quickness and good feet, gives him the potential to be an elite tackle at the power-four level. However, he’ll need to spend time developing strength and more athleticism once he arrives on campus. Simply put, Strickland has been a high-priority target for many schools this summer — he held offers from Michigan, Tennessee, and Mississippi, among others.
Last season’s the Cards’ patchwork offensive line was one of the best in the ACC towards the end of the fall. The group led by OL coach Richard Owens only allowed 1.15 sacks a game last season, which was third in the league and 17th nationally. However, after losing seven lineman in the offseason, restocking the group for 2025 and beyond has been a priority for coaching staff.
Louisville’s 2026 class rises in the On3 team rankings. Strickland is the 19th commit and the third offensive tackle in the Cardinals’ class. He is the fifth blue-chip commitment this cycle, joining four-stars Hampton, Jaydin Broadnax, Briggs Cherry, and Payton Cook.
The Cards continue to hit their home state hard, with Strickland being the seventh player out of the Commonwealth to commit to the program for 2026.
