Louisville DE Ashton Gillotte Returning for 2024 Season

The defensive side of the ball for the Louisville football program is bringing back a massive piece for year two under Jeff Brohm.

Junior defensive end Ashton Gillotte has decided that he will be returning to the Cardinals for the 2024 season, announcing the decision Thursday on social media.

"After much consideration, I will be returning for the 2024 season," Gillotte said in a video posted to Twitter. "Go Cards!"

Over the course of the 2023 season, the 6-foot-3, 270-pound star edge rusher was not only the most impactful defender for Louisville, he was one of the top defensive linemen in all of college football.

Starting all 12 regular season games plus the ACC Championship Game against Florida State, Gillotte collected 14.5 tackles for loss, 11.0 sacks, three forced fumbles and 45.0 tackles overall. His sack total led the ACC, was good for eighth in the FBS, and is currently ninth on the single-season sack list in Louisville history. Per Pro Football Focus, his 40 quarterback hurries is good for fifth in the FBS.

As you can imagine, the Boca Raton, Fla. native has collected plenty of accolades for his standout junior campaign. He earned First-Team All-ACC honors and was the runner-up in ACC Defensive Player of the Year voting, while also earning Second-Team All-American nods from Walter Camp, USA TODAY, Sports Illustrated and The Athletic.

Gillotte heads into his senior season