Just when you think Jeff Brohm and staff couldn’t be hotter on the recruiting trail, Louisville football added four more impact transfers, retain one of the top commits in the class of ’23, and earned a commitment from the program’s highest rated recruit ever. All this happened in a three-day span. Two days later, they add yet another high upside transfer at a position of need. We are witnessing the true recruiting potential for Louisville now that we have a head coach that takes recruiting seriously.
Brohm has shown us that he’s not just recruiting to build for the future but he’s building a roster that is ready to win right away. Each of the five transfers who committed during this span are productive impact players. The two high school prospects are extremely high-upside prospects who could each be long-term starters at their respective positions. Let’s take a brief look of each of the six commits and what they could bring to the table:
(Listed in order of which they committed)
Kevin Coleman – WR, Jackson State (Transfer)
Coleman is a receiver prospect who I was a huge fan of in the class of ’22. According to 247, he was ranked as the 54th overall player in the country and the 6th ranked receiver. The talent absolutely backs up this high ranking and he surprised many when he picked Jackson State over the plethora of power five offers. Coleman is a superb athlete with effortless speed, acceleration, and leaping ability. He has natural hands and can make tough catches away from his frame. The arrow is only pointing up for Coleman, as during his freshman year he amassed 33 catches for 510 yards (15.5 yards per catch) and three touchdowns en route to earning SWAC Freshman of the Year honors. Coleman will likely contend for a starting role from day one and be a dynamic receiving threat for the new Louisville football offense.
Gilbert Frierson – S/LB, Miami (Transfer)
While losing out on Myles Slusher to Colorado is unfortunate, the staff wasted little time in acquiring another piece to add to the defensive secondary. Frierson entered the transfer portal after being unable to find a role in Miami’s new defensive coordinator, Kevin Steele’s scheme. Prior to the staff change, Frierson was a two-year starter at “Striker”, a safety/linebacker hybrid position that plays closer to the line of scrimmage than a traditional safety, for the Miami defense.
He will likely be playing a similar role in Ron English and Mark Hagen’s defense at Louisville. During his time at Miami, he amassed 113 total tackles, three sacks, eight pass breakups, two interceptions, and one interception returned for a touchdown. Frierson’s best attributes are his nose for the ball and physicality as a tackler. He was moved all over the formation for the Miami defense and could stop the run from the box, rush the passer from the edge, cover in a middle-field zone, and cover tight ends and running backs in man coverage. Look for Frierson to be a versatile move piece and on-field leader for the new look Louisville football defense.
Jamari Johnson – TE, Inglewood (’23 High school)
There’s not much more to say about Johnson that I haven’t already said. Easily one of my favorite additions to the class of ’23 – Brohm and staff did an excellent job in retaining Johnson despite late pushes from other programs, most notably Oregon. Johnson is a phenomenal athlete who is only scratching the surface of his potential as a tight end and offensive weapon. The 6’5 and 250lb former quarterback has only been playing the tight end position for two years, yet already has elite level receiving ability for a high school prospect. I feel that we will see Johnson on the field sooner rather than later, and by the end of his career as a Cardinal we could have a truly special player at the position.
TJ Capers – LB/EDGE, Columbus (’24 High School)
As it currently stands, Capers is the highest rated recruit to ever commit to the Louisville football program. Currently rated at the 7th overall player in the country according to the 247 composite, the 6’2 and 230lb linebacker/edge prospect is truly a disruptive force who merits every bit of his top-10 ranking. Capers is a highly athletic and versatile player who could be an elite starter at either outside linebacker or full-time edge rusher at the college level.
He plays with a hot motor and boundless intensity and is one of, if not the best “run and chase” defenders in the country. I’ll save the full analysis for an article of its own, but for now we should simply thank our lucky stars that Brohm retained John “Hova” Herron for his recruiting staff. It would be foolish for Card Nation to believe that landing Capers’ commitment would ever be possible without Herron on staff. Other programs will not stop recruiting Capers and there is a long way to go until early signing period for class of ’24, but if Brohm and staff can hold on to Capers for the long haul we could be adding a generational defensive talent into the fold, the kind of players you need to land to compete for national championships.
Jamari Thrash – WR, Georgia Southern (Transfer)
Following the departure of Tyler Hudson, many have been concerned about the lack of a true proven number one receiver to lead the new-look Louisville football offense. These questions have finally been answered. Jamari Thrash is coming off of a 61 catch, 1,122-yard season that featured seven touchdowns and 18.4 yards per catch. Looking at his yards per catch number, it would be easy to assume that Thrash is just a high-level deep threat. While this is certainly a prominent area of his game, he also boasts superb run-after catch ability and can take short and intermediate catches the distance. At 6’0 and 180lbs, he isn’t just relegated to slot duties. He has the versatility and body frame to be moved inside or outside and can be a dangerous weapon to exploit mismatches. I would expect Thrash to take over WR1 duties immediately, and don’t be surprised to see Thrash’s most productive season yet in ’23.
John Paul Flores – OL, Virginia/Dartmouth (Transfer)
Flores is another player with long-time starting experience who fills an immediate need for the Cards. After spending his first four years at Dartmouth, where he was a two-year starter at Left Tackle (2019 & 2021, 2020 season was canceled for Ivy League), he transferred to Virginia where he started six games at left guard before injury saw his playing time reduce (still saw action in all 10 of Virginia’s games at guard and center). At 6’4 and 308lbs, he has the size and body type to play anywhere on the line. I see him taking over for Caleb Chandler at the left guard spot, but he could play at left tackle, center, or either guard spot if needed. Having a versatile lineman like Flores will help Brohm put together the best starting 5 offensive lineman group available.
Isaac Guerendo – RB, Wisconsin (Transfer)
As I was writing this, the Louisville football staff made yet another big-time pickup at a position desperately needing depth. The talent of Guerendo is clear and he had his best career year in every statistical category. He had 64 carries for 385 yards (6 yards per carry) and 6 touchdowns, while also adding 17 catches for 115 yards and a touchdown. His biggest impact, however, came as a kick returner. He amassed 454 kick return yards this past season, good for second most in the BIG 10. This past season was Guerendo’s first full healthy season, as he has been battling hamstring injuries for a majority of his career. At 6’0 and 223lbs you would assume that Guerendo is a pure power back, but he actually has excellent open field burst and speed to pull away from second and third level defenders. He is accustomed to playing in a committee and I feel that is the most suitable role for him within the Louisville offense. With Jawhar Jordan acting as the lead back, Guerendo will split carries with Maurice Turner as they both offer unique skillsets that allow Brohm’s offense to attack in a variety of ways.
What a weekend! Let us know which commit you’re most excited about in the comments.
