Louisville Football Position Previews: Defensive Line

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - NOVEMBER 29: Cutter Boley #8 of the Kentucky Wildcats is sacked by Clev Lubin #50 of the Louisville Cardinals in the first half at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium on November 29, 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Louisville entered the portal window this offseason with a focus on the offensive line, but one could argue that they ended up better off on the other side of the trenches. The staff secured the return of Clev Lubin and AJ Green to man the edges, then they went to work to replace the seniors they lost to graduation.

The importance of Lubin's return can't really be overstated after finishing last year with 13.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. He also forced 3 fumbles and batted down 5 passes during the year. The potential All-American is a top-5 edge rusher in the country, and it would be very easy to make a case that he is the top edge rusher with the number of pressures he put up last year. Lubin had 64 total pressures last year, which leads all returning P4 players. With the depth that has been added around him, as well as the depth in the secondary, we could be in for a special season from him.

AJ Green should see an expanded role this year after having a very good season splitting time with Wesley Bailey. Green finished 15th in the ACC with 38 pressures while also putting up a strong grade of 70 as a run defender per PFF. AJ has struggled to put on weight to his wiry frame since he arrived on campus, but he has not let that impact his performance on the edge. Mark Ivey will deploy a more aggressive approach as the defensive coordinator, and Green should be a guy who benefits.

The staff added great depth in the portal with high-level edge players who will make an immediate impact. Tyler Thompson ended the season with 20 pressures in just 291 total snaps. His 7 sacks show that he is a legit pass rusher, while his lack of snaps shows he has room to grow as a player. Thompson will step in as an immediate upgrade in pass rushing packages, while also having a chance to develop into a more well-rounded player.

Jerod Smith is ga guy who should provide the edges with a strong run defender. Smith is 6-4/270, and he is coming from a scheme at UK that valued defensive linemen who could eat up blocks and disrupt plays more than they valued them as pass rushers. Smith can set the edge well, and he has the size to hold up against pulling linemen and double teams. I'm not certain how the snaps will flesh out, but Smith will have a key role on the defense, and I could very easily see him being a factor on the interior in pass rushing packages.

Micah Carter, Eric Hazzard, and Maurice Davis are the young options that the staff will be able to work with. Carter has flashed some ability at moments, but hasn't had a good chance to be on the field consistently. Davis has had two straight strong showings in the spring game, which could help him push himself onto the field this year. Hazzard was a guy coaches mentioned a lot last year, so I expect him to be on the field a good amount. Look for him in short-yardage situations.

The interior of the line is a genuine concern for me, personally. The staff had a tall task to rebuild this group with so many guys graduating, and I think they could have landed a couple more guys with playing experience. Demeco Kennedy was a very good pickup from Purdue. The Kentucky native will have an opportunity to take on the role that Rene Konga played last year as a disruptive run defender in the middle.

Louisville didn't play with a true nose tackle very often last year, so Daylen Russell should have a chance to take the second starting spot inside. Russell is a converted edge player who spent the last two years at Miami, bulking up to 6-3/300. While he didn't see the field much for the Hurricanes, the Cards are hoping the experience there, as well as his start on the edge, will help him evolve into a dynamic player on the inside.

Joshua Donald got a lot of snaps in the spring, and he started the spring game at nose tackle. He carries a lot of weight at 6-2/315, and he put in over 400 snaps at nose tackle for App State last year. The step up in competition will be the big question with Donald, but he will give the Cards a player with size to eat up blocks.

We'll have to wait and see who steps up to provide depth on the inside, but Tommy Zeismer and Keon Webb are good bets to get a crack at it. Zeismer is coming in from EKU after a solid year, while Webb was a popular JUCO prospect this spring. Webb has great size at 6-5/300 with the ability to play at 3-technique and be disruptive. However, based on his film, he will need to be coached up a bit. Dillon Smith is another guy to keep an eye on at tackle.

BREAKOUT CANDIDATE

This feels like more of a hope than a prediction, but I think Daylen Russell could have a big year, in context. Russell was an athletic edge player coming out of high school with good traits that I could see staying with him as he's gotten bigger. If he has developed in the way I envision, he could be more than a guy who eats up blocks. He could be a true playmaker at defensive tackle. The Cards haven't really had a player like that in a good while, so Russell could be a key factor for the defense.