Thanks to a recent court ruling in Colorado approving the “five-for-five” eligibility model, Louisville has bolstered depth and experience on both the hardwood and the gridiron this week.  The Cardinals took a pledge from former UNC star Seth Trimble earlier in the week.  Amid the sudden eligibility leniency, the football program is taking advantage of the same ruling.  The Cards welcome back LB Kalib Perry and DB Jabari Mack. With fall camp underway, both are expected to report to the ongoing Louisville football camp with urgency.  The Cardinals are off from practice Sunday, before returning to the practice field Monday with the kickoff luncheon in the afternoon. 

Mack is a 6-1 impact corner that transferred in to Louisville for the 2025 season from Jacksonville State.  He saw action in all 13 contests for the Cards last season, he recorded 24 tackles and two interceptions.  Both of his interceptions last season came against playoff participants, James Madison and in a win at No.2 Miami in October.  He recorded a season high six tackles in a home loss to California in November.  

Perry transferred in from Tennessee for the 2025 season.  Another defender who saw action in all 13 games, he recorded 55 tackles and one interception against Boston College.  In that game against the Eagles, he recorded a career-high 11 tackles. 

Head coach Jeff Brohm had made it clear in his post practice media availability that the Cards would be looking at all options for eligible players amidst the “five-for-five” ruling. "We have some targets there for us. We're making sure that this ruling, and the declaration of how this is going to work becomes fully clear," he said. "We're in position, I think, to do what we need to do as long as everything gets approved by our conference, our administration. We want to make sure we're on the up and up, and that we're doing things right.  But there are a couple young men that would fit that category for us, that we've been in contact with that - if this continues to be allowed other places, and we don't think it's going to be overturned - we will proceed down that route for sure.” 

Even though the ruling in Colorado gave blanket amnesty to the class of 2022, the NCAA is currently appealing the ruling.  Mack and former DB D’Angelo Hutchinson were also a part of a separate case filed in Kentucky against the NCAA.  This is supposed to give additional protection to the athletes in case the Colorado ruling is overturned. 

While Louisville went out and added multiple pieces in the portal in the secondary; depth, familiarity and experience is always seen as a positive in a power-five conference.