3 positions where Louisville football has most questions ahead of Jeff Brohm's first season

Louisville Courier Journal
Louisville’s 2023 football season is set to begin in just over a month with its opener on the road against Georgia Tech.
The Cardinals were given the fourth-best odds to win the ACC by BetOnline.ag and deemed the league's dark horse team to make the College Football Playoffs by Sporting News. They return 10 players with starting experience, added 26 players from the transfer portal and signed a 16-player 2023 recruiting class ranked No. 31 nationally by 247Sports.
While U of L returns key players at running back and on its defensive line, some positions were depleted by losses to graduation and the transfer portal.
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Here are three positions where the Cardinals have the most questions to answer:
Tight end
U of L has very little experience among its tight ends. Three of its six players at the position are underclassmen and one — Joey Gatewood — is a post-spring transfer. Gatewood will be playing the position for the first time this season after playing wide receiver for Central Florida in 2022 and quarterback for Auburn and Kentucky before that.
Josh Lifson played in all 13 games for the Cardinals last season and took most of the tight end reps while leading the team in receiving yards during the spring game in April. That seemingly would make him the top candidate for the starting job, but Gatewood and fellow newcomer, Jamari Johnson, a midyear enrollee, could challenge for the spot.
Johnson, at 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, has plenty of talent and upside. But the freshman is sure to experience some growing pains.
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Linebacker
The Cardinals’ linebackers are also relatively inexperienced with little depth, having nine players. Of the nine, TJ Quinn (13) and Jackson Hamilton (12) played the most games in a Louisville uniform last year. Neither has starting experience, though.
U of L added Oregon linebacker Keith Brown five days after its spring game and then got an added boost when Class of 2024 four-star recruit TJ Capers reclassified, joining the 2023 class. Capers arrived on campus last week but will need time to develop and recover from a knee injury suffered at the end of the 2022 season. Brown, who played in 19 games with three starts during his time with the Ducks, can provide veteran leadership and on-field experience for the group.
Stanquan Clark, a three-star recruit in the 2023 class who enrolled at Louisville in January, showed promise during the Cardinals' spring game. Finishing as U of L's leading tackler in the contest, he'll be one to keep an eye on.
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Wide receiver
Louisville had little depth at wide receiver at the end of the 2022 season. Brohm used the transfer portal to add four receivers to the room along with three incoming freshmen. The Cardinals also return five wideouts.
Tennessee transfer Jimmy Calloway had the most receptions during U of L's spring game, but the unit was missing sophomore Chris Bell, Georgia State transfer Jamari Thrash and Cincinnati transfer Jadon Thompson. All three, who were sidelined by injuries, are expected to be key contributors in 2023.
Ahmari Huggins-Bruce is U of L's lone returning starter from last season. After totaling 365 yards on 31 catches in 2022, he will take on an even bigger role on the field and in the room this season.
“Before I even came here, Ahmari hit me up, made me feel welcome,” Jackson State transfer receiver Kevin Coleman said in April. “And, ever since I've been here, Ahmari always checks in on me. Ahmari's been a cool guy for everyone, showing everybody around, helping us adapt to the culture right here, just being a cool brother.”