LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The 2024 NFL Draft might have wrapped up a little over a week ago, but draft season never sleeps. Many draft pundits and analysts are already starting to look towards next year, crafting various way-too-early mock drafts and big boards for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Among these early discussions, one current member of the Louisville football program is starting to generate very real buzz as it pertains to potentially getting selected in the first round next year: defensive end Ashton Gillotte.

ESPN’s Jordan Reid recently published his first-round mock, and had Gillotte getting picked up by the Detroit Lions with the projected No. 29 overall pick. As for Fox Sports’ Rob Rang, he has Gillotte teaming up with Lamar Jackson in Baltimore with the Ravens’ projected No. 30 overall pick.

If you enjoyed watching Missouri’s Darius Robinson (Cardinals first-rounder) during this past draft cycle, you’ll love Gillotte. His game similarly revolves around power,” Reid wrote. Rang added that Gillotte was “a slippery — if unconventionally built — edge rusher with the burst and bend that translates well to the next level.”

While Pro Football Focus didn’t have Gillotte as a first-rounder in their recent way-too-early mock draft, they do currently list him as the No. 26 overall prospect on their 2025 NFL Draft Big Board.

It’s not hard to see why Gillotte is already getting in the mix to be a high draft pick next year. 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 14 games this season, 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 58 quarterback hurries were good for ninth in the FBS.

As you can imagine, the Boca Raton, Fla. native 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 with 29.5 tackles for loss, 22.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and 88 total tackles in 37 career games as a Cardinal. He is currently No. 10 in all-time sacks in Louisville history.