Gaelin Elmore might not be the biggest name in terms of the casual college football fan but that should not diminish from his ability between the white lines. The former Minnesota Golden Gophers standout appeared in a startling 38 games over the course of his time with the program but, after that stellar career, Elmore chose to move on to finish his college career elsewhere as a graduate transfer for the 2017 season.
On Saturday, Elmore's destination came to light and, in short, Skip Holtz and the East Carolina Pirates are a better football team as a result.
Elmore made nine starts and racked up 39 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and four fumble recoveries during his Minnesota tenure. The 6'6" monster defensive lineman was asked by 247Sports if he plans to be a leader right away at ECU and Elmore certainly appears confident in saying, "It's not a new role at all. I'm just excited to bring something new to the table for them and see how I can impact some young guys on and off the field."
It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to his new surroundings but an established Big Ten-level player on the defensive side of the ball should help to bolster East Carolina's defense immediately. This is a fantastic pick-up for Holtz and the program.