Eriq Gilyard brings veteran instincts and downhill thump to UConn’s linebacker room
Gilyard is a seasoned, physical linebacker whose best calling card is production: at UCF, he piled up 199 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and two interceptions across four seasons, including a career-high 77 tackles in 2019 and 59 tackles with 8.5 TFL in 2020. He was seen as a “guided missile” type by College Football News—an aggressive, instinctive defender who can chase plays and create chaos. At UConn, he was listed as a backup middle linebacker in the 2023 depth chart, but his experience, football IQ and special-teams/value-as-a-rotational enforcer make him a useful fit for a team that wants reliable, hard-hitting defense.
