Louisville football's Jeff Brohm responds to player eligibility ruling

Cornerback Jabari Mack got his first start of the season in Week 4 against Wake Forest and was listed as an "or" starter with Tayon Holloway on Louisville's depth chart.

But less than 24 hours before the Cardinals' Week 5 game at NC State, Mack and linebacker Kalib Perry were ruled ineligible after a panel of three judges from the Kentucky Court of Appeals threw out a temporary restraining order from the Jefferson County Circuit Court that previously allowed them to play.

"As far as the high school class of 2022 was concerned, there was no loss of an opportunity for them because nothing changed, and the new rule did not, as the circuit court surmised, 'bar' them from doing anything they previously had a right to do. Permitting the high school class of 2022 to play a fifth season — the very relief the respondents were requesting in their joint motion for a 'temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction' — would disrupt the status quo."

UofL head coach Jeff Brohm didn't use not having the two as an excuse for the Cardinals' 31-28 loss to NC State, however.

"Yes, you want to have key players out there," Brohm said. "But at the same time, the others can perform better, and we can be much better as a team no matter who's in there. And that's our job as coaches to make sure that we're doing that."

Mack had previously played in the first four games of the season, totaling seven tackles and three pass breakups. Perry, who had just become eligible Sept. 14, played in the past two games; he had one tackle in each.

Mack had first earned eligibility for a fifth season almost two months ago, when the 2022 recruiting class was included in the NCAA's new five-year eligibility rule. The organization was then granted a stay request, which denied Mack and those from the high school graduating Class of 2022 a fifth year.

The back-and-forth eligibility battle continued when Mack and, eventually, Perry were part of a lawsuit filed with the Jefferson County Circuit Court that led to the TRO that granted them eligibility. Things took another turn in the eligible-ineligible battle Oct. 2 when the group's lawsuit was dissolved.

"Jabari and Kalib Perry are big parts of our package, but it doesn't matter," Brohm added. "Who's in there has to play better. So, I don't know (if) that will ever resurface again. We're probably going to just have to continue to improve with the guys we have and make improvements, be way better and coach way better."

Courier Journal reporters Brooks Holton and Payton Titus contributed to this report.

Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.