Gilyard delivers for 6-0 Knights
UCF true freshman linebacker Eriq Gilyard got a very simple message as he was being thrust into the spotlight Saturday.
“I really encouraged him just to be himself,” UCF defensive coordinator Randy Shannon said.
Gilyard has seen plenty of playing time this season, but nothing quite like what he was tasked with versus Memphis. He had to step in for senior middle linebacker Pat Jasinski, who was lost in the opening minutes of the game due to a leg injury.
Jasinski is the spine of the Knights’ attack. As the middle linebacker, he must communicate with all levels of the defense and get everyone set for each play. He is the defensive quarterback.
That burden suddenly transferred from a four-year starter to a man who is less than two months into his college football career.
Gilyard responded by collecting a career-high eight tackles and earning a heap of praise from his coaches and teammates.
“The situation, the environment wasn’t too big for him,” UCF head coach Josh Heupel said. “... He does a great job of communicating. For a young guy, communicating all the calls, setting the [defensive line], all of the things that position has to do, I’m really proud of what he did.”
Added senior defensive tackle A.J. Wooten: “A lot of people can’t do that and he did it. I’m very grateful for what he did at Memphis.”
Gilyard will provide depth when No. 10 UCF (6-0, 3-0 AAC) plays at East Carolina (2-4, 0-3) at 7 p.m. Saturday. The Knights will push to extend the nation’s longest win streak to 20 games during a contest airing on ESPN2.
Gilyard was perhaps the crown jewel of the Knights’ 2018 recruiting class. A 5-foot-11, 228-pound athlete, he was a four-star prospect, according to Rivals.com, and turned away offers from Alabama, Clemson, Michigan and LSU to become a Knight.
“From the first time I visited here, it wasn’t like anywhere else,” Gilyard said. “I visited a lot of schools, had a lot of schools recruiting me, but it was just something special about here. The guys here, the brotherhood.”
Gilyard and Jasinski have formed an especially strong bond. The two room together on the road and are always immersed in football, either going over plays or watching a game on TV and talking about what to do in certain game situations. In many ways, it’s a teacher-pupil relationship. The old guard instructing the new guard, and Gilyard is happy to be under Jasinski’s tutelage.
“Pat has helped me more than I can even imagine,” he said. “... There’s a lot of things I can learn from him and look to take forward with me in the future.”
Jasinski, who is expected to play at East Carolina Saturday, has raved about Gilyard’s ability to absorb all of the information coming at him. He remarked Tuesday that Gilyard’s football IQ “is pretty unheard of ” for a freshman.
The senior spent most of the Memphis game acting as another coach for Gilyard, contributing a mixture of instruction and encouragement. The end result, with Gilyard acquitting himself very well as the Knights’ defensive compass for a day, was not surprising to Jasinski.
“I didn’t expect anything less out of him because I’ve seen how hard he works and prepares,” Jasinski said.
“I think he can be a great player. I think he’s very confident in himself and he knows his ability, but he’s not a cocky kid at all. He’s very humble and he’s one of those guys that is working hard every day and he knows his skill.”