Tag: Dahkari Gilley

Film Review: Did Rutgers add a versatile player in Dahkari Gilley?

Rutgers added defensive back Dahkari Gilley to their 2024 recruiting class. Did the Scarlet Knights add a versatile player to their defense?

On June 10, Rutgers added defensive back Dahkari Gilley to their 2024 recruiting class. The three-star recruit is a strong tackler and is highly athletic. The Florida native from Jacksonville, FL committed to Rutgers football during his official visit in mid-June.

While playing at University Christian, Gilley recorded 69 tackles (24.5 for loss), four sacks, a fumble recovery, and an 80-yard pick-six last season. In 2022, Gilley guided the Christian Knights into the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 1M semifinals with an 11-2 record. In the off-season, Gilley won the District 4-1A championship in the 100-meter dash (11.06 seconds).

According to 247Sports, the 6-foot-2 190 pounds defensive back is ranked No. 126 in Florida and is No. 93 among his position for the 2024 recruiting class. Gilley has a 5.7 Rivals Rating, making him a three-star prospect, according to Rivals.com.

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The new Scarlet Knight received Power Five offers from Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech. Gilley also received offers from Central Florida, USF, FAU, UMass, Liberty, and Georgia Southern.

Film Review

A look at Gilley’s highlight film and it is clear that the defensive back has a nose for the ball. Gilley has a motor that doesn’t quit, and he is there to make a play for his team. His high football IQ allows him to be in a position to make a play on any ball thrown his way.

Gilley’s versatility makes him an appealing three-star recruit, receiving snaps at multiple spots, including LB, S, and slot defender. He has excellent hands for a defensive back, with the speed to return an interception to the house. His active hands cause a ton of pass breakups that can lead to force turnovers.

Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano and defensive coordinator Joe Hrasymiak can plug Gilley into multiple positions, allowing him to make plays all over the field. His aggressive style will fit perfectly in Schiano’s and Hrasymiak’s defensive scheme.

When Gilley arrives on campus, he’ll be on the depth chart as a safety, but they could move him to linebacker as he gets stronger. Gilley is always around the football, making the linebacker position an easy adjustment.

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Dahkari Gilley on committing to Rutgers football: Since the first day, I knew it was home

Dahkari Gilley talks his commitment to Rutgers football.

Dahkari Gilley, a member of the class of 2024, committed to Rutgers football in mid-June while on an official visit. But it was a decision that the three-star recruit said was made weeks before when he first was offered by Rutgers.

His first meeting with defensive coordinator Joe Hrasymiak, he said, set him on the course of committing to Rutgers just a few weeks later.

A 6-foot-2 and 190-pound defensive back, Gilley is a strong presence in the secondary for University Christian (Jacksonville, FL), Gilley also held Power Five offers from Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech in addition to offers from Central Florida, USF, FAU, UMass, Liberty and Georgia Southern at the time of his commitment to Rutgers.

A strong and powerful tackler, Gilley has a nose for the ball. He also speed: this spring Gilley ran the 100 meters and the four-by-100 relays.

“For the 100, it is an 11.06,” Gilley said of his personal best  sprint this spring.

Gilley plans on enrolling early in January.

Scroll down and check out what Gilley had to say about his recruitment and why he committed to Rutgers football!

Rutgers football: Former Pro Bowl defensive back Antonio Cromartie analyzes the film of Dahkari Gilley

Antonio Cromartie talks about Rutgers football commit Dahkari Gilley.

Dahkari Gilley has a strong skillset and has shown the ability to be a playmaker in the secondary. In early June, Gilley committed to Rutgers football on an official visit.

The three-star recruit from Florida is a member of the 2024 recruiting class. At 6-foot-2 and 190-pounds, he certainly is built for the position at the Big Ten level. A member of the class of 2024 out of University Christian (Jacksonville, FL), Gilley also held Power Five offer from Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech at the time of his commitment to Rutgers.

He also has been offered by Central Florida, USF, FAU, UMass, Liberty and Georgia Southern among others.

Former NFL cornerback Antonio Cromartie took a look at the highlight film of Gilley. Cautioning that they are only highlights, Cromartie sees some strong components to Gilley’s game.

“Plays at the line scrimmage, has good ball skills shows a willingness to tackle. Looks long and athletic,” Cromartie told Rutgers Wire of Gilley’s Hudl.

“I like him, but I would like to see actual film on him to have a better understanding of his skills. Highlights only show so much.”

Cromartie is a former first round pick out of Florida State who spent 11 seasons in the NFL. He was four times a Pro Bowl selection and once an All-Pro.

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In 2010, he helped lead the New York Jets to the AFC Championship Game.

Over the last two years, Cromartie was in the SEC as a cornerbacks coach with Texas A&M. He liked the skillset Gilley brought to the field although highlights are certainly not the best way to evaluate a player.

“He’s always around the football from his highlights,” Cromartie said.

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With three Saturday commits, Rutgers football has moved up in the national recruiting rankings

Rutgers football is top 25 in the nation with their current recruiting class.

After a busy Saturday, Rutgers football continues to have a strong presence in the national recruiting rankings. The Scarlet Knights landed three commitments on Saturday, further establishing this as a very strong recruiting class.

The trio of commits sees Rutgers football’s class of 2024 move up one spot to No. 21 in the nation in the 247Sports recruiting rankings. Last week, Rutgers made a big jump from No. 29 to No. 22 following an official visit weekend where they landed three players.

In the Rivals rankings, Rutgers remains steady at No. 22.

The three verbals are all solid players with strong Power Five offers. All three are defensive players, which helps to balance a class that had tilted heavily towards the offense:

  • Aaris Bethea (defensive lineman from Brooklyn, N.Y.) – A physically imposing interior defensive lineman, Bethea has subtle nuances to his game. He combines strength and speed with good balance and the ability to beat a blocker in multiple ways. A three-star, Bethea picked Rutgers while holding offers from Maryland, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Texas A&M among others.
  • Dahkari Gilley (safety from Jacksonville, FL) – Despite being from a talent-rich state, Gilley is flying a bit under the radar when it comes to recruiting ranking (he is currently unranked). He does hold some impressive offers including UCF, Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh. A strong, physical safety, Gilley is impressive as a playmaker and is dedicated to stopping the run.
  • Montele Johnson: (linebacker from West Bloomfield, MI) – A three-star, Johnson is a top 20 player from Michigan. Johnson had a top five that also included Boston College, Kansas, Louisville and West Virginia. Last season as a junior, the 6-foot-2, 225-pound Johnson had 102 total tackles, 23 tackles-for-a-loss, 3.5 sacks, five quarterback hurries and three passes defended.

It is a strong haul for Rutgers and has the potential to be one of the top three recruiting classes in program history.

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A huge Saturday for Rutgers football: Dahkari Gilley is the second commitment of the day

Dahkari Gilley has committed to Rutgers football.

Rutgers football landed a second commitment on Saturday, the latest from Dahkari Gilley. Both of the commitments are on the defensive side of the ball.

The commitment from Gilley came on Saturday afternoon while on his official visit.

Gilley, at 6-foot-2 and 190-pounds, has the ideal size to play safety at the Big Ten level and specifically the Big Ten. A member of the class of 2024 out of University Christian (Jacksonville, FL), Gilley also holds Power Five offer from Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech.

He also has been offered by Central Florida, USF, FAU, UMass, Liberty and Georgia Southern among others.

Gilley is impressive on film, with an innate ability to find the ball. He is a playmaker in the secondary.

 

Last season, Gilley had 69 total tackles (4.5 tackles for a loss) along with four sacks and an interception.

Earlier on Saturday, New York defensive lineman Aaris Bethea committed to Rutgers. Bethea is a prominent New York prospect and a three-star defensive tackle.

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Dahkari Gilley on Rutgers football offer, plans for a summer official visit

Dahkari Gilley breaks down his recent Rutgers football offer.

This week, Rutgers football offered Dahkari Gilley, a talented defensive back who has a film that really pops.

Gilley, at 6-foot-2 and 190-pounds, is a prototypical Big Ten safety. The class of 2024 recruit is a bit under-the-radar, having played last season at University Christian (Jacksonville, FL), In addition to Rutgers, Gilley also holds a Power Five offer from Pittsburgh.

He had 69 total tackles last year. He also had 24.5 tackles for a loss with four sacks and an interception.

The offer came this week after a visit from Joe Harasymiak, the Rutgers defensive coordinator.

“I saw coach Joe followed me on Twitter and then my coach told me they were coming to watch me practice,” Gilley told Rutgers Wire.

“And coach was watching me run track and after track, I went to football and after practice I was working out with my strength and conditioning coach. And after that, it was just history.”

Harasymiak is in his second season with Rutgers as their defensive coordinator. Prior to that, he was the defensive coordinator at Minnesota.

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As for Gilley, he said that he will be taking an official visit to Rutgers football from June 9-11. He also plans to visit Central Florida at some point.

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The offer from the Scarlet Knights stood out to Gilley, not just for the pitch about how he can contribute on the field but also the direction in terms of the culture around the program.

“I feel like they are bigger than just football, they’re a family,” Gilley said.

“They not only want you to be a great football player but they also want you to be a great person off the field. The coaches really care about you outside of football and want to build a relationship with you.”

The player he models his game after is New York Jets cornerback Ahmad Gardner.

Gilley said his goal is to make the NFL and that he won’t be “satisfied until I get my mom the boat she wants.”

“I’ve been always taught to work hard, go 100 percent, leave no regrets,” Gilley said.

“And I want my mom to be retired to she doesn’t have to work anymore.”

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Florida safety Dahkari Gilley is offered by Rutgers football

Rutgers football offers Dahkari Gilley on Tuesday.

Class of 2024 athlete Dahkari Gilley was offered by Rutgers football this week as the Florida safety pulls in his second Power Five offer.

Gilley, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound safety from University Christian (Jacksonville, FL), also holds a Power Five offer from Pittsburgh. His other offers are strong and include Liberty and Navy among others.

In 13 games last year, Gilley had 69 total tackles including a staggering 24.5 tackles for a loss.

He also registered four sacks and an interception during his junior year.

University Christian finished their season 11-3, winning their first two playoff games before losing to Clearwater Central Catholic in a tightly contested game.

Gilley tweeted about the offer on Tuesday night, tagging defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak and Ramon Ruiz, the program’s director of recruiting:

 

What stands out about Gilley is his pursuit of the ball, playing as if his hair was on fire. Gilley is a physical and violent pursuer of the ball, who is comfortable coming off the edge and strong in run defense.

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His style of play is a bit reminiscent of NFL All-Pro safety Jamal Adams.

 

The current Rutgers recruiting class stands at eight commitments. Last year, the program made a big splash in Florida, landing six players from the state as part of the 2023 recruiting class.

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