Luke Fortner

Luke Fortner (born May 15, 1998) is an American professional football center for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kentucky Wildcats and was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Early life Fortner grew up in Sylvania, Ohio and attended Sylvania Northview High School.

College career Fortner redshirted his true freshman season at the University of Kentucky. He appeared in eight games as a redshirt freshman. Fortner played in 11 of Kentucky's 13 games during his redshirt sophomore season. He became the Wildcats' starting left guard going into his redshirt junior season and started 13 games in 2019 and 10 in Kentucky's COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. Fortner decided to utilize the extra year of eligibility granted to college athletes who played in the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic and return to Kentucky for a sixth season. He moved to center during fall training camp and was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference by the league's coaches. Fortner graduated in May 2022 with three degrees: Bachelor's, master's in mechanical engineering, and MBA.

Professional career

Jacksonville Jaguars Fortner was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round, 65th overall, of the 2022 NFL draft. He was named the Jaguars' starting center as a rookie. Fortner operated as a full-time starter in 2022 and 2023, before being used as a backup in 2024; in 51 total appearances for Jacksonville, he recovered one fumble while losing two.

New Orleans Saints On August 17, 2025, Fortner was traded to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for defensive tackle Khalen Saunders.

Carolina Panthers On March 11, 2026, Fortner signed a one-year, $4.75 million contract with the Carolina Panthers.

Personal life On November 15, 2025, Fortner married Trudye Lutton.