Offseason position preview: Tight end

by: Connor Stanley01/26/26ConnorStanleyX

Unlike previous years, Louisville is loaded at tight end, and it may be the most talented the room has been under head coach Jeff Brohm.

The Cards tackled the room in the transfer portal hard, but also brought back their most productive player.

Louisville hasn’t seen eye-popping numbers from a tight end since Marshon Ford had over 1,500 career receiving yards back when Scott Satterfield was coaching. Since head coach Jeff Brohm’s arrival before the 2023 season, Mark Redman is the only tight end to have over 250 yards in a season. Due to strong wide receiver rooms, there was never a panic about why these tight ends weren’t producing great numbers.

The 2026 season lines up to see a boost in usage and potential monster numbers from this room. Louisville will say goodbye to veterans Nate Kurisky, Jacob Stewart, and Davon Mitchell, but is replacing them with elite talent.

2025 recap

Louisville had 2,868 receiving yards last season. With 439 of these yards coming from tight ends, this position group was only responsible for 15% of last year’s receiving production. Schematically, they helped in the red zone, scoring five touchdowns, good for 28% of the team’s receiving total.

Wide receivers Chris Bell and Caullin Lacy got a majority of the passing targets and stole the show from the first game on. Jaleel Skinner and Kurisky were the main tight end tandem Louisville looked for. Finishing with very similar numbers, they combined for 41 catches, 361 yards, and 4 touchdowns.

Skinner was slightly more productive, finishing 622nd in the country for receiving yards, while Kurisky finished at 760th. Contributing to other factors of the game, like blocking, these statistical numbers were underwhelming for the offense.

Coming off a 287-yard and 34-reception season at San Jose State, Stewart didn’t live up to his full potential at Louisville. Hauling in a modest 40 receptions for 70 yards, the Cardinals suffered a swing and a miss. Mitchell is another transfer who didn’t see many snaps. The Oklahoma transfer was a highly touted prospect coming out of high school, but he only caught one pass for 8 yards last season.

The tight end room showed some flashes, but it never found a rhythm last season. Brohm is changing that narrative by bringing in new faces while retaining his top option in Skinner.

New faces

Louisville hit big with the addition of Tulsa transfer Brody Foley. Beginning his career at Indiana, Foley hit the road in search of playing time. Finding a home in the respectable AAC conference, he finished the year with 37 receptions and led his team with 528 yards and seven touchdowns. He is listed as a top-5 player in Louisville’s transfer portal class and 4th overall in the nation at his position.

Tulane transfer Justyn Reid will also join this group. Standing at 6 feet 5 and 255 pounds, Reid is another big body piece to the puzzle. He is entering his senior season after catching 17 passes for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns for a CFP team. Reid brings a winning pedigree that will thrive in the locker room.

Louisville’s third and final addition to the tight end room comes from true freshman Julius Miles. Ranked as a top-200 player in the country and 7th at his position according to Rivals, this youngster doesn’t play like one. Miles corralled 1,172 yards and 12 touchdowns last season at Freeport High School. Standing at 6 feet 6, Miles will be the tallest player in this tight end room.

Louisville reloaded at a position of need. A mix of talent and veteran leadership is something the Cardinals will utilize for new quarterback Lincoln Kienholz.

Projections

The 2026 tight end room projects to be the strongest in the Brohm era. Foley and Skinner have the potential to both finish inside the top four in receiving production next season.

Foley runs through everyone and is built like an NFL-caliber player. He displays great route running for his size and will be a go-to target on third-down opportunities. Significantly better than any Louisville tight end last season, Foley ranked 208th in the nation and 13th at the tight end position for receiving yards in 2025.

Skinner had a 200-yard increase from 2024 to 2025 and looks to do even better next year. Returning as last year’s top option in the position room, Skinner brings veteran leadership and great athleticism at tight end. Weighing 30 pounds lighter and playing a different style than Foley, this duo will benefit from one another every game.

Apart from Foley and Skinner, the tight end room features dynamic players who can thrive in certain situations. Reid possesses a massive frame, helping him in the blocking game. His three touchdowns last season allude to the fact that he can be lethal in designed RPO and bootleg packages in the red zone. Miles is only a freshman, but he could see solid minutes next season. His size resembles a tight end, but he plays like a wide receiver. He will be a matchup nightmare for linebackers who drop into coverage.

On paper, this is an extremely talented tight end room. Paired with star wide receivers Tre Richardson and Lawayne McCoy, opposing defenses will need to be locked in at all levels of the secondary.