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Bob Diaco and the UConn staff received another verbal commitment for the class of 2016 in Ryan Gilmartin, a linebacker from North Carolina. He announced his decision on his Twitter account:
— Ryan Gilmartin (@gilmartin20) August 2, 2015
Gilmartin is listed at 6-feet, 230 lbs. He was rated as a 3-star recruit by both 247sports.com and Scout.com, and a 2-star recruit by Rivals.com. He had FBS offers from Army, Hawaii, Ohio, Toledo and Wake Forest, but ultimately chose the Huskies.
In his junior season, Gilmartin was dominant at linebacker, collecting 103 tackles, 5 sacks, 19 TFL, and 6 pass break-ups. As impressive as those stats are, Gilmartin accumulated those stats playing only eight games at linebacker. His play earned him a spot on the First-Team All-Conference and First-Team All-State. It will be exciting to see what he can do in a full season at linebacker as a senior.
Gilmartin is the third defensive player, and the sixth overall, to commit to the Huskies in the class of 2016. He will join a Huskies linebacking core that features only two seniors and three juniors. The defense is expected to be the strength of the team moving forward, and linebackers lead the defense. They call the plays on the field, and can often be big playmakers. Gilmartin will fill the inside role in the 3-4 alignment Diaco will be looking to implement.
The Huskies' 2016 class is expected to be small, but Bob Diaco has gotten value out of every commitment. 5 of the 6 commitments have been rated 3-stars. The only non 3-star, Keyion Dixon, will be new to wide receiver, and still features plenty of upside at the position. He looked very impressive in a recent showcase. While recruiting success doesn't always translate to success on the field, the success of this class so far is definitely a good step in the right direction for UConn.