BOZICH
On Monday came the news that Phil Steele placed Gillotte on his preseason first-team All-American defense in his influential yearbook. Former University of Louisville football player, Ashton Gillotte, has been placed on his preseason first-team All-American defense by Phil Steele and Pro Football Focus (PFF) respectively. The site also highlighted Gillotte's potential for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, alongside James Pearce Jr. of Tennessee. Gillotte had considered a three-star prospect at 247Sports and was ranked 66th-best defensive end prospect and 121st-best player from Florida. He chose Louisville over other schools including Dartmouth, Duke, Florida Atlantic, and Florida International. Despite a strong decision to return to Louisville for his senior year, Gillotte believes he can play both inside or out if necessary. He also credits his strong defensive line coach Mark Ivey with his positive energy.
Publicados : 10 meses atrás por Rick Bozich no Sports
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Gerod Holliman and Elvis Dumervil. That is the list.
That is the list of former University of Louisville football players who earned consensus first-team All-American status on the defensive side of the ball.
Is Ashton Gillotte primed to join them?
It's magazine season, not fall camp season. No passes have been swatted down. No quarterbacks have been sacked. No shoulders bruised or hamstrings pulled.
But the influencers who shape how the awards season unfolds certainly have their game video focused on Gillotte, the Cardinals' senior defensive end.
On Monday came the news that Phil Steele placed Gillotte on his preseason first-team All-American defense in his influential yearbook.
Steele is not the only one. Pro Football Focus (PFF.com), a subscription analytics site that covers college football as well as the NFL, also put Gillotte on its first-team defense, pairing him with James Pearce Jr. of Tennessee, a guy some project will be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. (Pearce, for the record, is the other first-team edge rusher at Phil Steele.)
Here is what PFF said about Gillotte:
"Gillotte has been one of the ACC's best defensive players for a few years now, finishing with an 85.8 PFF grade last season. He debated going pro this spring but ultimately chose to return, looking to have an even bigger year for the Cardinals."
"In 2023, Gillotte racked up 42 quarterback hurries and 58 total pressures, both of which ranked in the top 10 among edge defenders."
Of course, here is some of what the recruiting gurus said about Gillotte four years ago when he was part of Scott Satterfield's 26-player freshman class:
The folks at 247Sports ranked 11 of Gillotte's incoming classmates ahead of him.
He was a three-star catch, a prospect who did not earn a national ranking. Gillotte was considered the 66th-best defensive end prospect as well as the 121st-best player from the state of Florida.
At Rivals.com, another recruiting site, Gillotte was merely a two-star catch in the five-star system. Beyond Louisville, the other schools listed as pursuing Gillotte were Dartmouth (yes, the Ivy Leaguers), Duke, Florida Atlantic and Florida International. Wake Forest, and Central Florida were also in the chase.
Not the mighty Miami Hurricanes, sitting less than an hour from Gillotte's high school in Boca Raton, Florida? No.
Not Florida State, the other Atlantic Coast Conference with a fan base in Florida? No.
Not the Florida Gators or another heavyweight from the recruiting-obsessed Southeastern Conference?
One SEC school — Vanderbilt, which had a coaching staff of its way out of Nashville — was in the serious discussion with Gillotte.
Gillotte picked U of L because of the solid, trusting relationship that he built with defensive line coach Mark Ivey, a force of positive energy who Jeff Brohm retained on his staff after he replaced Satterfield.
Ivey was the first to see what Steele and the ProFootballFocus folks have seen at Louisville. Gillotte is a dynamic, explosive, relentless force who has added strength, technique and experience.
At 6 feet, 3 inches tall and 220 pounds, Gillotte had the quickness to maneuver around plodding offensive lineman. Conditioning and nutrition work at U of L has Gillotte listed at 6 foot, 3 inches tall and 275 pounds. He's still quick. He's also powerful, capable of playing inside or outside.
"There's a little bit of gray area of, 'What should he actually play (inside or out)?'" Gillotte said. "So I think going out there this year that it gives me the chance to prove that I can play both if I need to."
Gillotte finished eighth in the ACC and eighth in the nation last season with 11 sacks, notching at least one in seven games. You can also credit him with 14.5 tackles for loss, the same number as Tennessee's Pearce.
But the best move Gillotte made came after the season when he decided to return to Louisville for his senior year. His name might have been called during the 2024 NFL Draft. People told him he would have been selected. And he could have eliminated the injury risk.
But it would not have been called as high as it can be called next spring if Gillotte delivers another strong season in Ron English's Louisville defense. NIL opportunties ease the financial component of the decision.
"I think coming back being able to focus on that will allow me to develop into the player I want to be," Gillotte said when he announced his decision to return for his senior year …
"It wasn't a matter of whether I could go or not. It was to improve my style. Obviously, there's a whole, numerous reasons why, like, you would choose to come back or, or declare, but there's just a lot of benefits to me coming back."
The folks at the preseason publications believe Gillotte made the right call.
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