Clev Lubin announces return to Louisville in 2026
University of Louisville junior edge rusher Clev Lubin has announced his plans to return and play for the Cardinals next fall.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound defensive lineman started his career at Army before transferring from Coastal Carolina last offseason. He was one of the top available pass rushers in the portal, and in his first season with the Cards, Lubin was named third-team All-ACC after finishing the year with seven sacks, 54 total tackles, and a forced fumble.
Lubin also totaled seven quarterback hits and five pass breakups. His seven sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss led the Cardinals’ defense, which finished the regular season as the fifth-best unit in the ACC and allowed just 190.6 pass yards a game — best in the conference.
Louisville’s defense was one of the most improved in the ACC, giving up 21.1 points a game, and the defensive line was a massive reason why. Last offseason, Louisville filled out the front seven with production and depth, also adding key secondary players.
At CCU, Lubin finished 15th nationally in sacks with 9.5 and recorded 12.5 tackles for loss in just 10 contests. The year before, he led Iowa Western to the NJCAA D1 Football National Championship and was named an All-American, totaling 11.5 sacks.
Hailing from Suffern, New York, redshirted his first year at Army and has needed time to develop as a pass rusher. Lubin was also a running back in high school, and tallied 1,053 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Lubin’s best game this fall came against College Football Playoff contender James Madison, when he had a career-high 10 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble that resulted in a Cards touchdown.
Now entering his senior season, Lubin is coming off a two-forced-fumble performance in Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl against Toledo. However, he was ejected for targeting in the fourth quarter and will now be forced to sit out the first half of next year’s season-opener in Nashville against Ole Miss.
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