2026 Football Roster
Jersey Number 34
Erik Gayle
- Position:
- LB
- Class:
- Redshirt Freshman
- Height:
- 6-3
- Weight:
- 230
- Major:
- Exploratory Studies
- Hometown:
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- High School:
- Withrow
2025 Freshman
- Did not play in a game and redshirted
High School
- Four-star recruit by ESPN
- Three-star recruit by 247Sports, On3, and Rivals
- Position ranks: #46 (ESPN), #90 (247Sports), #132 (On3)
- State of Ohio ranks: #14 (ESPN), #32 (Rivals), #55 (247Sports), #59 (On3)
- Played for head coach Anthony Berry at Withrow
- 2024 All-CMAC First Team
- 2023 All-CMAC Second Team
- Two-time all-district
- Also played basketball in high school
- Offers included Boston College, Cincinnati, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, and West Virginia
Personal
- Born May 11, 2007
- Son of Erika Gayle
- One brother, Clifford Gayle, and three sisters, Shamiya Shaw, Shantrice Dennis, and Shanice Martin
- Chose Illinois because “it just felt like home. I had a lot of other places I could have gone, but none gave me the same feeling that Illinois gave me.”
- Majoring in exploratory studies
Thursday, March 05
Thursday, February 12
Thursday, February 05
Wednesday, January 21
