The Louisville Cardinals suffered a significant loss when wide receiver Caullin Lacy sustained a broken collarbone during the team’s final scrimmage of fall camp. He will miss six to eight weeks, according to the school.
It’s a big blow for a Cardinals team looking to build upon a 10-win season and an appearance in the ACC Championship in coach Jeff Brohm’s first year at the helm. If Lacy misses only the next six weeks, he’ll be unavailable for Louisville’s games against Austin Peay, Jacksonville State, Georgia Tech and Notre Dame. If he misses eight weeks, he’ll miss SMU and Virginia as well.
If he misses any more time than that, well, Louisville would prefer not to think about that possibility.
Lacy came to Louisville via the transfer portal this offseason and was expected to be a primary option in the passing game.
Lacy spent the last four seasons at South Alabama and led the Jaguars with 91 receptions for 1,316 yards and 7 touchdowns last season. All in all, he caught 207 passes for 2,517 yards and 13 touchdowns in 47 games with the Jaguars.
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound receiver was considered a four-star prospect in the transfer portal this offseason, and the hope was that he’d help offset the loss of Jamari Thrash, who led the Cardinals with 69 catches for 858 yards last year.
The good news is the Cardinals do have other options. Chris Bell caught 29 passes for 407 yards and two scores behind Thrash last season, and Louisville added Alabama transfer WR Ja’Corey Brooks in the portal, too. Brooks appeared in only nine games with the Crimson Tide last year and caught only three passes, but he did finish the 2022 season with 39 receptions for 674 yards and eight touchdowns.
