2025 Louisville Football Preview: Offensive Line

This is part two of the 2025 Louisville football preview, and today we are talking about electric boogaloo the offensive line.

You can check out our previous preview of the special teams unit below, as well as the upcoming schedule for future position breakdowns:

• Special teams (released July 21st: link)
• Defensive line (released August 4th: link)
• Secondary (released August 11th: link)
• Linebackers (released August 15th: link)
• Receiver group (WR / TE) (released August 18th: link)
• Running backs / fullbacks (released August 22nd: link)
• Quarterbacks (releasing August 25th)

Last Year’s Results

Louisville’s offensive line was among the best in both the ACC and the country last season. The Cardinals allowed just 15 sacks last season, less than half of 2023’s total number (32). The 15 sacks was tied for 14th-best in the FBS, while their 55 tackles for loss allowed was 16th-best.

The offensive line was also outstanding as run blockers. The Cardinals averaged 185.1 rushing yards per game in 2024 and 5.7 yards per carry, which ranked 33rd and eighth in FBS, respectively. All of this helped contribute to Louisville averaging 36.5 points per game (T-7th in FBS), and was the only school in the FBS to score at least 24 points in every single game last year.

Position Breakdown: Offensive Line

Louisville has a lot of key departures from last year’s offensive line, but is hoping to have their incoming additions do a similar job to what last year’s group accomplished. Austin Collins and Monroe Mills both entered the transfer portal, staying in the ACC by going to Syracuse and Virginia, respectively. Michael Gonzalez, Renato Brown, and Jonathan Mendoza all exhausted their remaining eligibility last year, also leaving Louisville to find starters at both guard spots, as well as a tackle spot in 2025.

Pete Nygra does return, and he will likely reprise his role as Louisville’s starting center. Nygra was one of the best offensive linemen last season for the team, allowing just one sack and excelling as a run blocker in all 13 games. There’s a very good chance Nygra will once again earn All-ACC honors in 2025, and he’s already earned preseason buzz with multiple All-ACC nominations heading into the season.

While Nygra is the only returning full-time starter from last year’s Louisville squad, Trevonte Sylvester also returns, after making seven starts for Louisville at both tackle spots last year. Sylvester started the final five games of the 2024 season at right tackle, where Louisville rushed for at least 200 yards in four of those five (including 358 against Kentucky). He has the ability to play on either side of the line, as well as guard, making him a versatile piece in Jeff Brohm’s offense.

Rasheed Miller also returns, making a pair of starts at right tackle as well last season. Both Sylvester and Miller, at minimum, should be in the two-deep with one of them starting. Miller was a Second-Team All-Sun Belt player in 2023 for Georgia Southern, and he’s a solid run blocker.

Lance Robinson has been with Louisville since the start of the Jeff Brohm era. He arrived at Louisville in 2023 after previous stops at Middle Tennessee State and Houston. But while injuries in both 2023 and 2024 kept Robinson from seeing the field, Robinson very much looked the part as a starter in spring practice and the spring game. He likely projects as a starter at either guard spot, with a chance to make spot appearances at tackle as well.

Louisville brought in two offensive linemen with Power Four experience to bolster their depth at both tackle spots, with Makylan Pounders and Mahamane Moussa arriving in the portal. Pounders has 17 career starts across his two previous stops (Mississippi State and Memphis), with Pounders allowing four sacks last season. Moussa has 30 career starts at Purdue, including previous experience under head coach Jeff Brohm. Moussa also has experience at both tackle and guard, making him a likely contributor on the two-deep depth chart at both spots.

Naeer Jackson and Jordan Church also came as portal additions for Louisville, with both guys likely pushing for a starting job at guard. Both Jackson and Church started all 12 games for their previous schools last year (Jackson at FIU, Church at FAU), with Church also making appearances at tackle for the Owls. It would not surprise me if either guy gets the starting job at right guard, but if I had to choose today, Jackson likely gets the edge.

As far as depth goes, Louisville will likely lean on the previous eight guys mentioned for offensive line rotations. Vic Cutler and/or incoming transfer Michael Flores likely backup Nygra at center, with Flores offering depth at guard. Flores started all 12 games at center for Old Dominion last season, and has starting experience at guard from another stop in Dartmouth. Carter Guillaume is another transfer portal addition, coming from Southeast Missouri State where he started all 13 games and did not allow a sack in 707 snaps.

Projected Starters (LT to RT): Mahamane Moussa (left tackle), Lance Robinson (left guard), Pete Nygra (center), Naeer Jackson OR Jordan Church (right guard), Trevonte Sylvester (right tackle)

Key Players to Watch: Makylan Pounders (guard/tackle), Rasheed Miller (guard/tackle), Carter Guillaume (guard), Victor Cutler (center), Michael Flores (utility)