Notre Dame Commit Profile: Wide Receiver Micah Gilbert
Notre Dame is putting together an outstanding wide receiver class in 2024 and Charlotte (N.C.) Christian standout Micah Gilbert is now part of that class.
Here's the Irish Breakdown commit profile for Gilbert.
MICAH GILBERT PROFILE
Hometown/High School: Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Christian
Height/Weight: 6-2, 205
IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 150 caliber prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5
Player Comp: JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC
2022 Stats: 39 catches, 486 yards, 12.5 YPC, 6 TD
2021 Stats: 40 catches, 534 yards, 13.4 YPC, 3 TD
Recruited By: Chansi Stuckey
Offers: Notre Dame, Michigan, Tennessee, Penn State, North Carolina, South Carolina, Missouri, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Virginia Tech, Duke, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Cincinnati, BYU
RECRUITING RANKINGS
247Sports: 4-star - No. 223 overall - No. 35 wide receiver
On3: 4-star - No. 245 overall - No. 43 wide receiver
ESPN: 4-star - No. 252 overall - No. 32 wide receiver
Rivals: 4-star - No. 54 wide receiver
On3 Comparison: 4-star - No. 216 overall - No. 39 wide receiver
247Sports Composite: 4-star - No. 255 overall - No. 39 wide receiver
FILM ANALYSIS
The first thing you'll notice about his film is his elite ball skills. Gilbert has exceptional hands, but his pass catching prowess goes beyond just that. He tracks the ball extremely well, he has long arms - which makes him a big target, he's physical at the catch point and his timing going up for the ball is top notch. The second thing you'll notice is his physical strength and size, which combine with his elite pass catching skills to project him to being a volume pass catcher.
Gilbert is the type of player that quarterbacks love because he is open even when he's not open. He can win contested grabs, but he's also good working across the field thanks to that strength and his knack for shielding defenders away from the football. Gilbert also does a great job attacking the ball away from his body, which only aids his ability to outplay defenders for the football. I fully expect Gilbert to be a highly effective third-down weapon at the next level.
Athletically, some will focus on his lack of speed, and he's by no means a burner. What Gilbert lacks in pure foot speed he makes up for with foot quickness, agility and balance. Gilbert is a smooth athlete that can change direction with relative easy, and he can cut and get back to full speed in a hurry. These traits allow him to be an effective route runner in high school, and as his game gets even more polish it will become a significant strength of his.
He's not a player that is going to make a lot of people miss in space with suddenness, but Gilbert is agile enough to get free when you combine it with his size and strength. That allows him to maximize yards after contact on top of being effective at allowing him to get good separation. His game isn't sexy, but it's highly effective. He's the type of player you watch the game and come away knowing he played well, but not being blown away with elite speed or wow plays. Then you look at the stat sheet and realize he's filled it up in a big way.
Gilbert is also a physical blocker when he wants to be, and that will become a big part of his game on the next level.
NOTRE DAME FIT
Gilbert is a physical wideout that brings a unique skillset to the Irish receiving corps. His game projects very well into the boundary, where his volume style game and physicality fits what you want in that position. There is also some Jayden Thomas to his game, and I could easily see Gilbert winding up in the slot of a pro-style offense.
This is important for two primary reasons. One, looking at the current class he's the ideal complement to Williams and Canion, who are more vertically oriented players that can take the top off the defense and hit home runs. Notre Dame also doesn't have many pure boundary wideouts on the current roster, and adding Gilbert gives another big (6-2, 205), physical pass catcher that fits that style of play, should that be where his need is greatest. Notre Dame could also choose to put Canion in the boundary and use his speed to bring more of a dynamic skillset to that position, along with 2023 signee Braylon James, and in that scenario you could see Gilbert sliding inside to the slot.
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2024 Commit Rankings - Offense
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2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense
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