Louisville RB Isaac Brown flips decision to enter transfer portal, will remain with Cardinals
University of Louisville sophomore running back Isaac Brown has flipped his decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal and will return to Louisville for his junior season.
The U of L star was originally set to enter with a do-not-contact tag.
Brown was courted by several programs, including Texas, which seemed to be the ultimate destination, before ultimately signing a deal to stay with the Cardinals on Sunday evening. The Miami, Florida, product was listed as the No. 6 overall prospect set to enter the transfer portal and No. 1-ranked running back according to On3.
In his two seasons with the Cardinals, the 5-foot-9, 190-pound back has run for 2,057 yards and 18 touchdowns, while averaging 7.7 yards per carry. Brown, the 2024 ACC Rookie of the Year, is widely viewed as one of the top returning running backs in the nation and will be one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal.
He played high school football for Homestead (FL), where he was a three-star prospect in the 2024 class. He ranked as the No. 546 overall player and No. 42 running back in the cycle according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.
Brown is represented by Richard Bailey of Control Of The Market LLC. He earned third-team All-ACC honors in 2025, but still ran for over 800 yards, despite missing four games with a hamstring injury. In 2024, he caught the football world by fire enroute to being named a freshman All-American and setting school records.
He returned for the Boca Raton Bowl against Toledo, rushing for 102 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries in a 27-22 win. Louisville has already retained several key figures of this year’s roster for 2026. Also set to return next fall are standout EDGE rusher Clev Lubin and S/LB Antonio Watts.
Jeff Brohm, Vince Marrow, and company have already picked up two major transfer portal commitments — Ohio State quarterback Lincoln Kienholz and Kentucky DB DJ Waller. More will be coming, but perhaps some of the best gets are the ones you already have.
Jamarice Wilder and Keyjuan Brown are the other two running backs currently set to return in 2026. Three-star freshman from IMG Academy, Lekhy Thompkins, will also join the group.
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