Louisville football punter Brady Hodges opted out of the Sun Bowl vs. Washington. Here's why the senior punter did not play:

Louisville punter Brady Hodges did not play in the Sun Bowl on Tuesday afternoon. He claims the decision to opt out of the college football game stemmed

Louisville defeated Washington in a wild Sun Bowl shootout, 35-34, to finish a 9-4 campaign. In the transfer portal era, this is undoubtedly not what the Cardinals want out in the public eye, as incoming potential players might not want to negotiate with the school if they don’t stay true to their word.

Early in the first half of Tuesday’s Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, the CBS broadcast noted Louisville punter Brady Hodges wasn’t on the field. Instead, when the Cardinals first punted against Washington, Carter Schwartz kicked it away.

Hodges was Louisville's primary punter and holder for two seasons. Redshirt freshman Carter Schwartz took over those duties in the Cardinals' 35-34 Sun Bowl win. Schwartz averaged 43.7 yards on six punts, with two downed at the Washington 3-yard line and another at the Huskies 16.

Louisville punter Brady Hodges said he opted out of the Sun Bowl this week because the Cardinals' NIL collective did not pay money promised to him in September.