Erik Gayle holds the JACK · Depth spot in Illinois Fighting Illini’s edge room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Erik Gayle is a 6'3", 230-pound jack linebacker for the Illinois Fighting Illini. From Cincinnati, Ohio, Gayle attended Withrow High School, where he earned 2024 All-CMAC First Team honors and was a two-time all-district selection. He also played basketball in high school. Recruited as a three-star prospect by recruiting services with a ranking of 971 overall in the 2025 class, Gayle redshirted during his 2025 freshman season without appearing in a game. He is currently a redshirt freshman, majoring in exploratory studies.

Illinois2025 — present