LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Countdown to kickoff is in full swing for the Louisville football program, and we are officially under 100 days away from the Cardinals kicking off their 2024 season against Austin Peay at L&N Stadium. But not only is real college football just around the corner, its virtual companion is about to make its triumphant return.
EA Sports announced earlier this month that College Football 25, the much-anticipated college football video game, would be released later this summer on July 19. It comes more than a decade after the previous iteration, NCAA Football 14, was released.
While legal issues stemming from name, image and likeness shelved the series for 11 years, the NIL era of collegiate athletics has allowed the popular title to return. While we don't know who from Louisville has (or hasn't) opted into the game, more than 10,000 FBS players – with their actual names and likenesses – will be in the game.
So with that in mind, who will be Louisville's top-rated players on launch day? Well, Louisville Report decided to try and predict who the Cardinals' top ten rated players will be.
Projected Rating: 84 OVR
Something that is sure to give you a high rating is sustained production in college football's top conference. Well, that's exactly what McDonald has been, as he was a multi-year starter at Tennessee before joining Louisville. Considering how well he performed in spring ball for the Cards, he could be in line for a ratings bump down the line.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound defensive back is coming off of his best season in college, finishing with 40 tackles (23 solo), 3.5 for loss, a sack, an interception and four pass breakups in 10 games last season.
Projected Rating: 85 OVR
While the Madden NFL series of games has X-Factor abilities, Perry has been a real life X-Factor for Louisville since he arrived on campus. Whether he's in coverage or against the run, his versatility is sure to translate to the virtual world.
Like McDonald, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound linebacker/safety also had a career year in 2023. Starting all 14 games last season, Perry logged 53 tackles, 6.5 for loss, four pass breakups and a sack – all of which were career highs.
Projected Rating: 85 OVR
Shough certainly has the physical tools to warrant a high rating. Between having a cannon of an arm and being a threat to make plays with his legs, he could be an underrated dual threat option. As for his durability rating? Well… that likely won't be super high – at least right now.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound signal caller spent the first three seasons of his career at Oregon before playing his last three at Texas Tech. In 26 career games, Shough has completed 63.2 percent of his throws for 4,625 yards and 36 touchdowns to 17 interceptions, along with 714 yards and 10 scores on the ground.
Projected Rating: 86 OVR
Had Brooks not been significantly limited by a shoulder injury last year, he'd likely be rated a lot higher. After all, former five-star prospects tend to get the benefit of the doubt in these games. Especially ones who have made big times plays on big time stages.
In 2022, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound receiver hauled in 39 receptions for 674 yards and team-best eight touchdowns for Alabama. As a true freshman in 2021, he caught the game-tying 28-yard catch in the final minute of Iron Bowl to help keep the Tide's College Football Playoff hopes alive, and a 44-yard score in the CFP Semifinal vs. Cincinnati.
Projected Rating: 87 OVR
Whether it was in pass protection or run blocking, Gonzalez has been an impact lineman for Louisville since he was a freshman. Now with Bryan Hudson moving on to the NFL, he now holds the title of the Cardinals' best o-lineman, so Louisville fans will likely be running to the left a lot.
According to Pro Football Focus, the 6-foot-4, 305-pound left guard was Louisville's highest-graded pass blocker with a 77.9 grade, and was second behind Hudson in run blocking with a 67.3 grade. He allowed just 14 pressures in 926 snaps across 14 starts.
Projected Rating: 89 OVR
Quinn is who I'm going to user when I'm on defense. In terms of breakout seasons, no one on Louisville's team had a bigger one than Quinn did. He anchored a linebacking corps that performed much better than expected, and was an impact playmaker against the run all season long.
Starting all 14 games, the 6-foot-1, 230-pound inside linebacker was Louisville's most prolific tackler in 2023. His 92 total tackles not only led the cards, it was 18 more than second place. Quinn also collected 2.5 tackles for loss, half a sack, two pass breakups and an interception.
Projected Rating: 89 OVR
It'll be interesting to see how FCS transfers are rated, but regardless, Griffith should be highly-rated. He was one of the most sought-after transfers in the cycle, and for good reason. Not only was he an FCS All-American at Harvard, his insane for his size athleticism has warranted some very real NFL Draft buzz for 2025.
Starting all 10 games for Harvard, he collected a team-best 11.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, while also collecting 55 tackles overall, eight quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. According to Pro Football Focus, with a defensive grade of 89.3, Griffith was the second-highest rated defensive tackle in the FCS.
Projected Rating: 90 OVR
When in doubt, throw the underneath route. With a slot receiver like Lacy, who has been one of the most prolific receivers in college football the last two seasons, he's certainly going to get a lot of online usage. Especially after he showed off his incredible separation ability in spring ball.
Last season at South Alabama, the 5-foot-10, 190-pound receiver caught 91 passes for 1,316 yards and seven touchdowns. The receptions mark was good for fifth in the FBS, while the yardage mark came in at sixth. He took home First-Team All-Sun Belt honors for his efforts.
Projected Rating: 91 OVR
If I was facing Louisville, I just simply wouldn't throw to Riley's side of the field – plain and simple. He has established himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the ACC, and looks to be in line to potentially taken another step forward in 2024.
The 6-foot-0, 195-pound defensive back finished the 2023 season with a team-best 11 pass breakups, and was second on the Cardinals in interceptions with three, tying for the ACC lead with 14 pass defenses. However, while also collecting 49 tackles and 1.5 for loss in the process, he was only voted as an All-ACC honorable mention.
Projected Rating: 94 OVR
Was there any doubt who would be number one? Gillotte is not only Louisville's best player, but one of the top overall players in college football. His insane motor, strength and overall power is sure to be an absolute nightmare to deal with both on the virtual and real gridiron in 2024.
Starting all 14 games this season, the 6-foot-3, 270-pound star edge rusher collected 14.5 tackles for loss, 11.0 sacks, three forced fumbles and 45.0 tackles overall. His sack total led the ACC, was good for eighth in the FBS, and is currently ninth on the single-season sack list in Louisville history. He earned First-Team All-ACC honors, was the runner-up in ACC Defensive Player of the Year voting, and also earning multiple Second-Team All-American nods.
(Photo of Ashton Gillotte: Scott Utterback – Courier Journal / USA)
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MATTHEW MCGAVIC
McGavic is a 2016 Sport Administration graduate of the University of Louisville, and a native of the Derby City. He has been covering the Cardinals in various capacities since 2017, with a brief stop in Atlanta, Ga. on the Georgia Tech beat. He is also a co-host of the 'From The Pink Seats' podcast on the State of Louisville network. Video gamer, bourbon drinker and dog lover. Find him on Twitter at @Matt_McGavic
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