Phil Steele Tabs Two Cardinals as 2024 Preseason All-Americans, Six as All-ACC Selections

Defensive end Ashton GIllotte headlines the selections for the Louisville football program with a First-Team All-American nod.

Louisville's Ashton Gillotte celebrates getting a sack against Boston College Saturday afternoon in L&N Stadium. / Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With the 2024 college football season just under three months away, preseason watch list season is officially in full swing.

Long time college football expert Phil Steele recently released his 2024 College Football Preview magazine, and he had some high praise for a handful of Louisville players. A pair of Cardinals were selected to Steele's Preseason All-American teams, while six were named to his Preseason All-ACC teams.

Defensive end Ashton Gillotte headlines the selections with a First-Team All-American nod, while wide receiver Caullin Lacy was chosen as a Fourth-Team All-American.

Both Gillotte and Lacy were also tabbed as First-Team All-ACC, as was offensive guard Michael Gonzalez. Cornerback Quincy Riley was selected to the Second-Team, while linebacker T.J. Quinn and safety Devin Neal both were named to the Third-Team.

Starting all 14 games last season, Gillotte collected 14.5 tackles for loss, 11.0 sacks, three forced fumbles and 45.0 tackles overall. The 6-foot-3, 270-pound star edge rusher's sack total led the ACC, was good for eighth in the FBS, and finished ninth on the single-season sack list in Louisville history. Per Pro Football Focus, his 58 quarterback hurries were good for ninth in the FBS.

Lacy was one of the most prolific and explosive wide receivers in all of college football last season. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound South Alabama transfer caught 91 passes for 1,316 yards and seven touchdowns, with the receptions mark good for fifth in the FBS and the yardage mark coming in at sixth. He took home First-Team All-Sun Belt honors for his efforts.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Gonzalez was Louisville's highest-graded pass blocker with a 77.9 grade last season, and was second behind center Bryan Hudson in run blocking with a 67.3 grade. The 6-foot-4, 305-pound left guard allowed just 14 pressures in 926 snaps across 14 starts.

Last season, Riley established himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the ACC. The 6-foot-0, 185-pound defensive back finished the 2023 season with a team-best 11 pass breakups and second on the Cardinals in interceptions with three, tying for the ACC lead with 14 pass defenses. However, while also collecting 49 tackles and 1.5 for loss in the process, he was only voted as an All-ACC honorable mention.

Quinn had an enormous breakout campaign during the 2023 season. Starting all 14 games, the 6-foot-1, 230-pound inside linebacker collected a team-best 92 tackles, while also tallying 2.5 tackles for loss, half a sack, an interception and two pass deflections to earn an All-ACC honorable mention.

Neal was heavily relied on last season due to an injury to M.J. Griffin, and he delivered for the Cardinals. Playing in all 14 games with 13 starts, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound safety led the team in interceptions with four, while also logging 74 tackles, three for loss, six pass deflections and a fumble recovery. He earned Third-Team All-ACC honors.

(Photo of Ashton Gillotte: Scott Utterback - Courier Journal / USA)

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