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Malik Gilmore to switch things up

The junior will be changing his position to cornerback just days before the season opener against Weber State.

Malik Gilmore caught eight passes and made two starts as a wide receiver.
Malik Gilmore caught eight passes and made two starts as a wide receiver.
Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

According to Gina Mizell of The Oregonian, junior Malik Gilmore is making the move to cornerback.

The move was confirmed post practice today; Tuesday is the day defensive players, coaches, and news are featured to the press.

Serving the last two years as a backup wide receiver, Gilmore made two starts and recorded eight receptions before making the change.

Gilmore missed much of camp due to a shoulder injury and only recently resumed full workouts. His absence left him behind the rest of the deep receiving corps. Sophomore Jordan Villamin, junior speedster Victor Bolden and sophomore slot receiver Hunter Jarmon currently have their names etched in stone atop of the depth chart, and are unlikely to concede much playing time to the backups.

There may be a learning curve in switching to the defensive side of things, but Gilmore offers intriguing upside whenever he does hit the field. Standing at 6'3 and weighing in at 219 pounds, Gilmore brings highly-coveted size to the secondary group. In a day and age where wide receivers seem to be only getting bigger, OSU may stand to gain a lot from getting a player of Gilmore's stature reps on defense. He follows Kendall Hill as a WR turned CB, and the move has seen Hill begin to work his way onto the depth chart. The move could be the one that resurrects Gilmore's career.