Navy Safety Alohi Gilman is Transferring

Star Navy defensive back Alohi Gilman announced his plans to transfer just last week via Twitter.

From The Capital Gazette

This did not just come out of the blue. It's something I've been thinking about for a while," Gilman said when speaking to The Capital Gazette by telephone. "I've spent a lot of time thinking, pondering and praying about this. Ultimately, I feel very comfortable with the decision.

Although he spent a year at the Naval Academy, he would realize that “the desire to become a Naval officer just wasn't there.”

The 6-foot, 195-pound standout rising sophomore totaled 76 tackles (five for a loss), five passes defended, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. His ability to fly around the ball made the back end of Navy’s defense a formidable foe for opponents.

He was named the ECAC Rookie of the Year and received the honor of being the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week when his team played against Connecticut. In the game against the Huskies, Gilman tallied 10 tackles, nine of which were solo tackles and two fumble recoveries.

His old coaches at the Naval Academy will definitely miss Gilman. However, they still want him to pursue his dream of playing football on Sundays.

“We will miss Alohi. He is an outstanding football player and an even better person,” head coach Ken Niumatalolo said on Thursday. “We wish Alohi the best in his pursuit of his childhood dream to play in the NFL.”

Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images

His suitors will most likely be out West. According to John Taylor of NBC Sports, Gilman may look to the following schools to transfer to: Air Force, Utah, Hawaii, Nevada, UNLV and Utah State. Another team left off of the list are the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Gilman revealed on Monday that he would be visiting the Fighting Irish. He visited South Bend on Tuesday to check out the sights and more importantly, discuss football.

Brian Polian, who is Notre Dame’s special team coordinator, reportedly showed a guest around. In the past, Polian had assisted the Fighting Irish in signing defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, linebacker and former Heisman candidate Manti Te'o, and wide receiver Roby Toma, all of which were from Hawaii.

If Gilman does play with Notre Dame, he will be adding to a defense that could use a boost. They were the 42nd ranked defense in the country, allowing 378.8 yards per game. His versatility and youth could allow for Notre Dame’s defense to take a step forward.