NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
After being two of Louisville football’s best defenders last season, defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte and cornerback Quincy Riley are returning with something to prove.
They are putting off the NFL draft for another year not only to get better but also to help the Cardinals get another shot at the ACC championship. In coach Jeff Brohm’s first season, U of L made the title game for the first time in program history. Riley and Gillotte played a key part and are eager to hoist the championship trophy.
“Now that we see we can get there, it just motivates us to get back there and finish the business that we didn’t finish,” Riley said.
Gillotte, an All-ACC first-team selection, anchored the defensive line in 2023 and had a team-leading 14 ½ tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 45 total tackles, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. For as dominant as the Florida native was, he reacclimated to a position in 2023. Gillotte became a more versatile lineman, moving between the inside and end positions after not having played on the edge since high school.
Still, he was the highest-graded defensive player (85.9) and had the most quarterback pressures on the team (58).
“I think coming back being able to focus on that will allow me to develop into the player I want to be,” Gillotte said of playing defensive end. “… They (scouts) haven’t seen me on the edge as much, so there’s a little bit of a gray area like, ‘What should he actually play?’ So, I think going out this year gives me a chance to prove that I am a D-end and I can play both if I need to. It just gives me a lot of flexibility, and that’s a good thing.”
Riley is looking forward to playing under defensive coordinator Ron English and cornerbacks coach Steve Ellis again after making big strides in 2023. He went from an overall defensive grade of 69.4 in 2022 to…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/louisville-footballs-ashton-gillotte-quincy-103102758.html
Author : The Courier Journal
Publish date : 2024-01-26 10:31:02
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
