To quote DJ Khaled…..”And Another one.” Coach Satterfield’s staff is absolutely on fire this month, especially the last 7 days.
Louisville gained another commitment from a talented 3 Star DE, this time from the state of Florida. Bocas Raton, Florida WDE Ashton Gillotte pledged his commitment to the University of Louisville. He joins fellow defensive ends Ryheem Craig and Victoine Brown as committs for the 2021 class.
Committed 🤩 ⚫️🔴#GoCards @UofLFootball @MarkIveyUofL90 @Coach_Dennison @CoachSattUofL @Backendcoach12 @CoachDNic @coachmac98 @Coach_Hicks51 @pete_nochta13 @UofLRecruiting1 @AjHowardUL @SWiltfong247 @EdOBrien247 @RivalsJohnson @SpartanEdit @BrbobcatsF pic.twitter.com/xAP14s4O26
— Ashton Gillotte (@AshtonGillotte) May 18, 2020
The 6’4 220lb Gillotte choose the Cardinals over a number of different schools. Ashton held offers from Duke, Kansas, Wake Forest, Maryland, Pittsburgh, UCF, Vanderbilt and Syracuse. Gillotte is listed as the 69th WDE by 247sports, but he also split time at Tight End. As a junior in high school tallied over 80 tackles, 16 sacks, 3 FF, a blocked fg and 5 blocked punts. Gillotte also had multiple offensive touchdowns as a Tight End. UofL Defensive Line Coach Mark Ivey was his primary recruiter while Co-Defensive Coordinator and Outside Linebackers Coach Cort Dennison was his secondary recruiter.
At 6’4, Gillotte has some really strong hands. He is able to push defenders back with a quick push to the chest and uses his strong hands to pluck the ball out of the air on offense as a tight end. Ashton uses his quick first step to change directions quickly on his way to wrecking havoc in the opponent’s backfield. I know it’s an overused term when it comes to scouting lineman, but this young man has a really high motor and is great and relentless in his pursuit of the football. I love the eye discipline of Gillotte in the backfield. It’s almost like the game slows down for him once he’s past the offensive lineman, which helped lead to his 16 sacks as a junior.
One thing I really love about this commitment is his versatility as a defender. Playing the tight end in high school, Ashton has a great catch radius and could be a real deadly force in zone blitzes when he fakes the pass rush and drops back into coverage.
I’m impressed with Ashton’s ability to get skinny to beat double teams and fit through offensive gaps to get to the quarterback or running back. Gillotte seems to live in the opponent’s backfield, the aforementioned 16 sacks is proof. The way Ashton finishes tackles is very impressive and would be a well welcomed sight for Louisville fans.
With the position flexibility of Gillotte, it’s going to be hard for the staff not to utilize him effectively. He can stay at WDE, or can be moved to the OLB. He can even be moved to TE if the need opens up. With his young and athletic frame, if his body decides to keep growing and get bigger, he might see some time at DT. I’m sure with his speed and versatility, the coaching staff will find a way to utilize Gillotte’s talent. There is also the possibility that Ashton could be an early enrollee. He still hasn’t decided if that’s the route he wants to take as of yet.
Like I said when Ryheem Craig committed, Louisville is on fire and I don’t expect that fire to be extinguished anytime soon. The entire coaching staff is knocking out the park the best way they can and now the rest of Card Nation is finally being able to see the reward for the coaching staff’s dedication to success at Louisville.
With Gillotte’s commitment, Louisville now has 8 commits for the 2021 class. The class is ranked 43rd nationally according to 247sports. They are currently ranked one spot behind their final ranking of 42nd for the 2020 class. There’s a good chance Louisville ends up with a top 30 class in 2021.