For Notre Dame’s early enrollees, it has been a month of transition. Among them is receiver Micah Gilbert, a 6-foot-2, 206-pound player who is adjusting to college athletics and academics. In addition, Gilbert has a new receivers coach in Mike Brown; the two had no communication until Brown was hired. Gilbert said of Brown, “I got to know him a little bit, but definitely late in the recruiting process because it was a quick change. Ever since I got to know him, it’s been a quick and easy relationship. We’ve gelled really well and it’s just been a great relationship so far.” Gilbert also has a new offensive coordinator in Mike Denbrock, who replaced Gerad
That relationship is very fresh as Denbrock spent most of January on the road recruiting, so the next few weeks will be crucial for all of Notre Dame’s offensive players to get a feel for their new offensive coordinator. Yet, Denbrock’s resume speaks for itself. “Denbrock coming in, that was great,” said Gilbert. “Obviously, we loved Parker. Parker was an amazing guy. But Denbrock performed well at LSU. We saw what they did. So, coming in it was a big adjustment but we were all excited for it.”
It would be difficult to locate a signee from Notre Dame with a family history more deeply involved in professional sports or athletics than Gilbert’s. While his sister Naomi played hoops at UNC Pembroke, his father Mark played basketball at Duquense. Mark, Gilbert’s older brother, signed with the Steelers after playing football at Duke.
It doesn’t end there; Gilbert has three cousins—Darrell Revis, Jordan Whitehead, and Dravon Askew-Henry—who are all NFL players.
Yes, the native of Charlotte will be the first to tell you that it matters because he has experienced the highs and lows of collegiate athletics in addition to being pushed his entire life.
Gilbert said, “I know what I’m kind of getting myself into, but it puts a lot of pressure on me because a lot of my family members come from that level and perform at higher levels.” “I’m very close to my brother because he’s been my biggest supporter during this whole process of him playing professionally and at Duke. He has guided me through every step of the process, from knowing what to anticipate to simply showing up and working hard.
Gilbert is a confident person, but he understands that in the future, he will need to earn his reps.
Gilbert said, “I’m just here to learn from the older guys.” “I’m approaching things day by day. It is, after all, college. While everyone in this place competes on an equal footing, everyone is excellent. We’re all here for that reason. Accept it and pick up tips from the more experienced men. I’m making every effort to match their level and compete with them.
Where is Gilbert going to play in the end? It’s still up in the air because he can play at the slot position both inside and outside thanks to his ability to create favorable matchups with his size and skill set.
I think of myself as a bigger receiver because I’m physically built,” Gilbert remarked. “I have greater physicality. I cause some mismatches, extend my arms to a very high catch radius, and increase my speed. Many people comment that while my speed may not be what you would expect, it is faster than usual, which leads to some mismatch issues. Simply a strong man who can go out there and complete the necessary details to finish the job, is what I would say.
