Louisville football position preview: Running back
Previous position previews: quarterback
Our second position preview ahead of the 2025 Louisville football season is perhaps the most exciting unit in the building.
Last season, the Cardinals’ rushing attack was a two-headed monster. The tandem of Isaac Brown and Duke Watson was one of the most exciting in the ACC, and both were just freshmen. It’s a good thing when one of your best offensive weapons is a freshman you could have for three years; it’s even better when there are two.
Brown was one of the ACC’s best-kept secrets last season, but it’s safe to say that heading into this fall, the talented back from Homestead, Florida, won’t be overlooked on Louisville’s depth chart. The 5-foot-9, 190-pound Brown had an outstanding freshman season, where he broke Lamar Jackson’s Louisville freshman rushing record, finishing the season with 1,173 yards and 11 touchdowns. Brown averaged 7.1 yards per carry and was named ACC Rookie and Offensive Rookie of the Year. He has received multiple preseason All-American nods ahead of the 2025 season.
The other part of Louisville’s run game equation is, of course, the 6-foot Forsyth, Georgia, native Watson. As freshmen, the only reason why Brown didn’t lead the conference in yards per carry (7.1) is that Watson posted an absurd 8.9 yards per carry — which not only led the ACC but also the nation. It took a bit for the speedy back to become comfortable in his first season in the Ville. He only had one game with more than six carries in the first eight games of the season, but it was last November’s Stanford game when Brown exited due to an injury, and Watson took the opportunity and ran with it. Against the Cardinal, Watson rushed for a career-best 117 yards on 11 carries and added three touchdowns on the ground. In three of the last four games, he carried the ball 10 times, and in all four, he eclipsed 65 yards.
While Brown might be the most consistent back in the room that you feel comfortable with on early downs, Watson has big-play potential. His breakaway speed was seen all over the field, and he had four games where he broke off at least one run for at least 50 yards.
Keyjuan Brown, the third freshman back to see playing time in 2024 and return this fall, is a nice mix between the other two. He’s listed at 5-foot-10, but being 20 pounds heavier than the other two, he has some nice goalline and power capabilities. The running back from Atlanta redshirted his 2023 season after appearing in just one game, the season opener against Murray State, and this past season, he was third on the team with 243 yards and three touchdowns.
This all came on the heels of a post-2023 offseason, in which the U of L was tasked with replacing NFL Draft Pick Isaac Guerendo and the extremely productive Jawhar Jordan. Safe to say the Cards handled that comfortably.
As young and tantalizing as Louisville’s running game was last season, you still have to find a way to credit the offensive line. That unit was riddled with injuries a season ago, forcing staff to constantly juggle the starting five up front. But game in and game out, the line was one of the Cards’ best position rooms. Louisville finished the season third in the ACC, averaging 185.2 yards on the ground a game, and the big guys up front gave up just 15 sacks, third least in the ACC.
While Louisville returns nearly all of its production on the ground this fall, they do lose some key veteran presences. Both Donald Chaney Jr. (Charlotte) and Maurice Turner (Tulane) will play elsewhere this fall, but the Cardinals shouldn’t have much of a problem replacing their production. Chaney and Turner, especially, dealt with their respective injuries early last season, and that’s what allowed the two freshmen to burst onto the scene. The two came into the season supposed to be the one-two punch out of the backfield, but combined for just 328 yards, and neither had a carry of over 27 yards.
In terms of new faces, expect some garbage time carries for James Madison flip Jamarice Wilder. Venice’s (Fla.) Wilder is the No. 84-ranked back in the 2025 class, and at 5-foot-10, 176 pounds, he’s a slim but quick runner who will benefit from a season in a power-four weight room.
The running back room will carry a load for the Cards’ offense this fall. Sure, there are still plenty of weapons on the outside, like Chris Bell and Caulin Lacy, but this team’s strength will be the run game. Now, if Miller Moss can develop a balanced attack, Louisville’s offense has the chance to be even better than last year’s.
No question running back is one of the most important positions in college football. Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty proved to be one of college football’s stars last season and carried the Broncos on his back to the College Football Playoff. The Cardinals have the star power and depth at the position to have one of the best rushing attacks in all of college football.
The bottom line: Louisville’s running back room is the best in the ACC and is likely to be one of the most productive in the country. Isaac Brown is a superstar in the making, and Duke Watson sharing the backfield with him keeps the defense from taking a down off. The continuity that running backs coach Chris Barclay has developed in the position has been one of the best jobs in all of college football. The Cards’ offensive production will rely on their backfield in 2025.
Expected depth chart:
- Isaac Brown — 5-foot-9, 190 lbs, Soph.
- Duke Watson — 6-foot, 180 lbs, Soph.
- Keyjuan Brown — 5-foot-10, 210 lbs, R-Soph.
- Jamarice Wilder — 5-foot-10, 176 lbs, Fr.
