True-freshman JACK KJ Gillespie is already cracking ETSU’s rotation
KJ Gillespie is a 2026 true freshman at ETSU listed at JACK/linebacker, and he’s already been trusted with a starting-role look on the edge after arriving as a three-star recruit with offers from Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia[1][11]. In ETSU’s 2026 opener, he logged a tackle, and the staff has publicly featured him in media availability, which usually signals early confidence in a player’s readiness[2][14]. His selling points are easy to love: 6-foot-2, 244 pounds, explosive high-school production (8 sacks and an interception as a senior), and a hybrid rush-end/lb profile that fits modern pressure packages[1][11].
