4 Louisville football freshmen to watch during Jeff Brohm's first season leading Cardinals

Jeff Brohm's first signing class as Louisville's head coach ranked among the top 25 nationally.
The group of 16 Class of 2023 signees — many who initially committed to the program under former head coach Scott Satterfield, who left for the same job at Cincinnati — is highlighted by defensive lineman Adonijah Green, tight end Jamari Johnson and defensive standout TJ Capers, who reclassified and enrolled a year early but is recovering from an injury sustained last season.
Half of the players in U of L's 2023 class — Green, Johnson, offensive linemen Madden Sanker and Luke Burgess, quarterback Pierce Clarkson, linebacker Stanquan Clark and wide receivers William Fowles and Cataurus Hicks — enrolled in January and participated in spring practices.
Even though eight of the players in the Cardinals' 2023 class got a head start, position depth and need will also help dictate who could see early playing time.
Here are four true freshmen to watch during the Cardinals' 2023 season:
William Fowles, WR
Louisville will have no shortage of receivers after pulling four from the transfer portal, but Fowles should be in the mix this season. The three-star, 6-foot-3 Florida native was a 1,000-yard receiver as a junior in high school, but injuries limited him during his final prep campaign. During Louisville’s spring game in April, Fowles caught two passes on three targets. He could be a deep threat at the outside receiver spot in Brohm’s pass-heavy offense.
Jamari Johnson, TE
The 6-foot-5 New York native and former quarterback switched to tight end after his family moved to California in 2021 and proved to be a natural talent at the position. With only two years of playing experience at tight end, Johnson was named the 17th-best overall player in the state of California, per the 247Sports composite rankings. Johnson will now have to adjust to the college game. If he can learn quickly, he should have an opportunity to be an early contributor for the Cardinals.
Adonijah Green, DL
U of L's defensive line room is crowded, but there might be space for Green to get some playing time in his first collegiate season. Defensive line coach Mark Hagen said the freshman, whose nickname is ‘Sticks,’ has been putting on weight, which will help when going against offensive linemen at the college level. The four-star recruit has a 7-foot-1 wingspan, according to 247Sports. Through 11 games for Cedar Grove (Ga.) High School last season, Green totaled 52 tackles, including 15 for loss, and nine sacks. This season, he'll also have the added benefit of learning from veterans Ashton Gillotte and Jermayne Lole.
Stanquan Clark, LB
The Cardinals' lack of depth at linebacker almost guarantees Clark some playing time as a freshman. He finished U of L's spring game with six tackles, including 1 ½ for loss.
“He ought to be in high school right now, and some days you watch him (and you think) holy smokes. That guy's a big-time ball player,” linebackers coach Mark Ivey said of Clark in April. “So, he's got a lot of work to do, just like we all do.”