From UK to Louisville football: Former Male HS star Izayah Cummings excited for homecoming

Izayah Cummings made the right decision — both times.

Cummings was a three-star prospect at Male High School and chose Kentucky over Louisville. Deciding between the rival schools came with mixed feedback but Cummings did what was best for him at the time.

Four years later, he decided that what was best for him now is to come back to his hometown. The former Wildcat entered the transfer portal Nov. 29 and graduated from UK in December. Cummings will end his college career as a Cardinal.

“I had a bunch of friends telling me, 'Welcome back home.' 'I'm glad to have you pick the right team now,'” Cummings said. "But at that time, when I did make my decision, it was the right thing for me.”

Cummings brings knowledge and experience to a Cardinals tight end room that lacked both in 2023. Josh Lifson and Duane Martin were the most experienced returners, with Lifson starting the first four games. Nate Kurisky then emerged as the starter for nine of the final 10 games, and Martin started against Virginia Tech.

Louisville lost Lifson and Joey Gatewood, who played tight end for the first time last season, to graduation but returns Kurisky, Martin and freshman Jamari Johnson. Louisville added two tight ends from the portal: Mark Redman (San Diego State) and Tanner Koziol (Ball State). Koziol later decommitted and rescinded his request to transfer.

“I just had to find that type of place that I feel like I could make a contribution as fast as possible because I knew like they (Louisville) needed some tight ends and they're thin in it,” said Cummings, who played 43 games with four starts at Kentucky. "I can be that spark, and I can be that player that they're looking for to make plays in the tight end room.”

Cummings will be on the team with fellow Louisville native Blake Ruffin, a Trinity High School graduate and safety who spent the last three years at Eastern Illinois. When the two weren’t playing against each other during fall football — “pretty sure I've won more than he's beaten me,” Cummings said — they played together during summer ball.

“He's a great guy,” Cummings said of Ruffin. “It's great to have him come back home, too. I'm really excited to start everything with him and other people I know that play here.”

Becoming a Wildcat

Cummings’ relationship with Louisville coach Jeff Brohm began when he was at Male. Purdue, Louisville and Kentucky were his top three schools. Though Cummings didn’t see himself as much of a fit at Louisville then, he liked Brohm’s system at Purdue and the relationships he built with the coaching staff. Cummings said those relationships made his decision to come home even easier this time.

“They were great people, and they're easy to talk to and understand, and I really just liked how (Brohm) played the offense,” he added.

But in high school, Cummings felt the strongest connection with Mark Stoops and Kentucky. He announced his commitment to the Wildcats the summer before his senior year on June 23, 2019.

Cummings played nine games on offense and special teams as a freshman. He switched from wide receiver to tight end during fall camp as a sophomore in 2021. He gladly welcomed the change and saw it as an opportunity to get on the field more, which he did.

Cummings averaged 13.9 yards per catch and was third on the team with 195 yards on 14 catches. His first collegiate catch was a 7-yard grab in the 2021 season opener against Louisiana-Monroe. He grew the most when playing against SEC opponents, including Georgia as a sophomore and Alabama in 2023.

“Every week, you'll be going against players that are gonna be in the first round and very high draft picks,” Cummings said. “That really helps me understand what my opponent does and how to compete against the highest level.”

Cummings built momentum after his sophomore campaign but didn’t see the field as much in Rich Scangarello’s first season as the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator in 2022. Tight ends coach Vince Marrow said he sensed Cummings’ desire to transfer but convinced him to stay. After Scangarello was fired and Liam Coen returned to Kentucky, “it was immediately a go,” Marrow said in August.

Making another decision

It didn’t take long during the 2023 season for Cummings to know it would be his last in Lexington. Despite playing in 12 games and starting against Georgia, Cummings had only 98 yards on four catches this season. He had 43 yards on three catches at South Carolina and a 55-yard catch in the Governor’s Cup.

Though Cummings was ready to leave Kentucky during the season, he never gave up on the team because “these are still my brothers,” he said. Instead, he used his opportunities on the field as an audition for his next school.

Once the regular season was over and his degree was in hand, Cummings moved back to Louisville.

“From what I've heard and what (Brohm has) said to me, it looks like it's gonna be an exciting offense and some big plays to be (made),” Cummings said. “I'm really excited to get this season started.”

Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at [email protected] and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville football: TE Izayah Cummings eager to join Jeff Brohm squad