There was a lot of reason to believe Tyrell Gilbert was going to have a breakout year in 2017. That’s if you think his three-interception campaign (in only eight games mind you) from 2016 wasn’t already a break out. The redshirt junior was one of the most versatile defenders on the roster in 2016 and with a new, defensively-sound coaching staff installed for 2017, Gilbert’s stock couldn’t have been higher.
Luke Fickell and his staff determined that Gilbert, a safety by trade, would be more fit to play as a slot linebacker alongside Perry Young and Jaylyin Minor.